How to Go
What: “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change”
Where: Mathile Theatre of the Schuster Center, Second and Main Streets, Dayton
When: March 21-22; Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.
Cost: $20
Tickets/more info: Call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage.com
FYI: For more information about Dare to Defy programming or auditions visit www.daretodefyllc.com or send an e-mail to info@daretodefyllc.com.
Dare to Defy Productions, the newest addition to Dayton’s thriving theater scene, presents Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Robert’s comical 1996 Off-Broadway musical revue “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” Friday and Saturday in the Mathile Theatre of the Schuster Center.
Addressing the universal elements of love, relationships and loss, “I Love You…” playfully examines various couples through significant phases such as dating, marriage, parenthood and widowhood. The tuneful score includes “Always a Bridesmaid,” “Marriage Tango,” “Shouldn’t I Be Less in Love With You?” and “I Can Live With That.” The four-person cast consists of Jackie Darnell, Zach King, Bobby Mitchum and Mackensie Vonderbrink.
“‘I Love You…’ is so relatable,” said company Chief Executive Officer/Producer Rebecca Norgaard, who also serves as director. “The material works so well and resonates for all ages because almost everyone, no matter where they are in life, knows what certain moments in the show feel like. It harkens back to real experiences people have had. The show pokes fun at certain situations, but there are also tender moments.”
“(This show) is a view into different aspects of many relationships,” added Vonderbrink, whose credits include “Jekyll & Hyde” and “Seussical” for Playhouse South. “It has some truly deep meanings and underling themes. It really shows you how life can be.”
Based in Centerville, Dare to Defy, considered a non-equity professional troupe, is a labor of love for Norgaard, who has been an active component within local community theater for many years and remains on the board of Playhouse South. The organization, which will primarily produce smaller musicals and occasional cabarets, launched in January with “I Love You…” at Mimi’s Café in Beavercreek and will continue to perform at the venue throughout the year in addition to the Mathile Theatre under the auspices of the Victoria Theatre Association’s ImPACt program, which nurtures emerging local arts groups.
“Dare to Defy represents me finally daring to defy my fears and take action on our dream,” said Norgaard, who gladly guides her new endeavor with company Chief Operating Officer Angie Thacker. “Theater within the Miami Valley is not entirely a saturated market. This organization was created in part to find a way for top-level talent in our area to get paid while also providing a niche between local community theater and Equity. I knew if I kept waiting for the perfect time or scenario it probably wouldn’t happen. So, I decided to take a shot at it now. The winter proved stressful for us at Mimi’s due to the weather, but ‘I Love You…’ was a success. We didn’t lose our audience.”
Dare to Defy’s 2014 season continues with “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” (April 1, May 6 and June 3 at Mimi’s Café and June 13-14 at the Schuster Center directed by Darnell and choreographed by Shawn Storms); “Altar Boyz,” (July 1, Aug. 5 and Sept. 2 at Mimi’s Café and July 25-26 at the Schuster Center directed by Thacker and choreographed by Annette Looper); “Rent” (Sept. 5-6 only at the Victoria Theatre directed by J.J. Parkey and choreographed by Looper); and “Nunsense” (Oct. 7, Nov. 4 and Dec. 2 at Mimi’s Café and Dec. 5-6 at the Schuster Center directed by Dawn Roth Smith and choreographed by Storms).
The troupe will open 2015 with “The Last Five Years” (Jan. 6, Feb. 3 and March 3 at Mimi’s Café and March 13-14 at the Schuster Center directed by Vonderbrink).
“I hope audiences walk away from ‘I Love You…’ knowing there’s always hope and always a chance,” added Mitchum, a recent standout in the Dayton Theatre Guild’s “The Gifts of the Magi.” “No matter what a relationship throws at them I hope they have the strength to keep trying.”
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