SYNOPSIS
Austin Bennett, dumped by his girlfriend, hits the singles scene in New York City. While seeking the perfect mate, he learns that opposites attract and how to love in spite of differences…or maybe because of them.
BUZZ EXTRA spoke with Victoria Bussert, the director of the Cleveland production and head of the Music Theatre program at Baldwin- Wallace College Conservatory of Music.
EXTRA: What attracted you to I LOVE YOU BECAUSE (ILYB)?
BUSSERT: I am a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre in New York, which produces a showcase every year of the top eight new musicals produced in the country. ILYB was one of the winners three or four years ago. It was a smart person’s musical. I found the material fresh and the lyric writing very fun. It’s a wonderfully entertaining show; it’s very adult, about adult relationships.
EXTRA: The show is very “New York.” How will that play in Cleveland?
BUSSERT: It will be just great. As soon as you walk into the 14th Street Theatre, you are transported out of Cleveland and right into a classy, contemporary New York bar. Anybody who likes Sex in the City or that exciting New York singles scene will love this show. The sophistication and the heartbreak. The duel of the sexes. The joy of finding a partner.
EXTRA: What is the music like?
BUSSERT: Very contemporary and accessible with a pop style.
EXTRA: Will the Jane Austen fans approve of this adaptation?
BUSSERT: Oh yes. One of the cast members is a Jane Austen fan that has analyzed ILYB in great detail. But remember, it’s not a duplication of all the characters and plot; it’s more inspired by the book. Audiences will have great fun with it.
EXTRA: What does the show say about men and women?
BUSSERT: Well, I think it’s the idea that what we think we’re looking for is not necessarily the best choice. You can’t force relationships, nor can you intellectually pick your partner. We don’t have to have somebody who is identical to ourselves. You have to keep yourself open to possibilities. I think what I love about the title is that it captures what the characters go through. I love you because of who you are. Not trying to change the person.
EXTRA: Are any of your students from the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory cast in ILYB?
BUSSERT: Yes. Three graduates, all of whom are having terrific careers, will be in the show. Jody Dominic, who just got an amazing review in The Wall Street Journal, is in it. I also have one current student in the cast as well as two actors that I’ve never worked with before. It’s a great group.
EXTRA: OK, my last question is, when you’re depressed, like the characters in ILYB, do you reach for Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby ice cream, wine or popcorn?
BUSSERT: (Laughs) Probably a combination of red wine and Ben & Jerry’s.
For more information on ILYB go to: www.iloveyoubecausethemusical.com.
For tickets, click here.
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