She Loves Me Question

[Roxie]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 1:59pm

I'm doing Vanilla Ice Cream for my MT school auditions and I'm trying to figure out the character of Amalia. I've found lots of plot synopsis but none that really divulge much character info. As someone who has never seen this show and won't have a possiblity to do so, I could really use any help.
Oh..and has anyone realized that She Loves Me is exactly the same as You've Got Mail?? Did that movie copy intentionally?

[Tom1071]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 2:06pm

She Loves Me
Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on Parfumerie by Miklos Laszlo
Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
Music by Jerry Bock
Opened April 23, 1963 at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre and ran for 301 performances

Synopsis

The curtain rises on Maraczek's Parfumerie in Budapest one midsummer's day in the 1930's. The sales staff arrive one by one; Ladislav Sipos 'the eldest clerk' is followed by the delivery boy Arpad Laszlo on his bicycle, the 'woman of the world' Ilona Ritter and, shortly afterwards, Steven Kodaly, the shop's 'ladies' man'. They are joined by Georg Nowack, the manager, and they all muse on the possibilities of a day off (Good Morning, Good Day). These thoughts are shattered with the arrival of Mr. Maraczek who opens the shop to its first customers (Sounds While Selling) whose shopping is concluded in a most business-like manner (Thank You Madam).

Georg tells Sipos he has received another letter from his "Dear Friend" - his ongoing secret postal romance. They are interrupted by Mr. Maraczek who advises Georg, his dinner guest of the previous evening, to finally settle down. He recalls his own bachelor days (Days Gone By).

Arpad brings in the latest sales line, a musical cigarette box. As Georg expresses his doubts that they will ever sell any, Amalia Balash enters. Georg assumes her to be a customer but it becomes apparent that she's looking for a job. Despite rejections from Georg and Mr. Maraczek she perseveres and sells a musical box to an amply proportioned lady as a confectionery box with a built- in alarm system (No More Candy). After this success Amalia is hired on the spot, and joins the rest of the staff in the (Thank You Madam) refrain.

Summer becomes Autumn and Georg continues his writing amidst an undercurrent of tensions (Three Letters); Ilona and Kodaly fall out, Georg and Maraczek disagree over everything, and Georg and Amalia snipe at each other constantly. We learn, however, that Amalia is the recipient of Georg's letters.

A winter's day dawns with Amalia late yet again. Georg, however, is preoccupied; not only has the weight of Maraczek's dissatisfaction falle solely upon him, but the first meeting with "Dear Friend" has at last been organised. (Tonight At Eight)

Amalia confides to Ilona about her impending date, and admits that, although they have never met, she feels she knows him well through their correspondence (I Don't Know His Name).

At the moment when Maraczek is about to fire Georg, Sipos averts the immediate crisis by dropping a pile of boxes. Sipos and Georg are left alone, for Sipos to expound his life's philosophy (Perspective).

The staff have been asked to work late to decorate the shop for Christmas. When Georg tries to tell Maraczek that neither he nor Amalia can work that evening, Maraczek provokes another argument and Georg resigns. The other members of staff bid him a sad farewell (Goodbye Georg) and he leaves. Meanwhile, Amalia, dressed in her best clothes and carrying the rose and book that will identify her to her "Dear Friend", also leaves, full of doubts (Will He Like Me).

Inside the shop Kodaly makes it up with Ilona (Ilona) and they agree to go out that evening. When Maraczek suddenly announces that everyone must leave, however, Kodaly remembers a prior engagement and lets Ilona down. She determines not to be anyone's fool any longer (I Resolve).

As Sipos leaves he is met by Georg who has decided he can't go through with his date with Dear Friend, and asks Sipos to take a note with the promise that he will write to her instead. Sipos offers his moral support and insists that they both go to the rendezvous. Maraczek, unaware that Arpad is still in the stock room, admits Mr. Keller, a private detective. Tipped off by an anonymous letter, Maraczek has had his wife investigated and Keller tells him the bitter truth - she is indeed having an affair with one of his employees. To Maraczek's surprise the guilty party turns out to be Kodaly and not Georg, whom he had originally suspected. As Keller leaves, Maraczek gets a call from his wife to say that she'll be out again that night. He sadly goes upstairs.

As Arpad enters he sees Maraczek, and as he runs into the office we hear a
shot...

We switch our attention to the Cafe Imperiale, where the Head Waiter is welcoming his guests (Romantic Atmosphere). Georg and Sipos arrive and Sipos is astonished to learn that "Dear Friend" is actually Amalia. He persuades Georg to go and speak to her. As the cafe band plays (Tango Tragique), Georg invites himself to join Amalia at her table. A frosty conversation ensues with Amalia anxious that Georg's presence doesn't frighten off "Dear Friend". She eventually loses patience and screams at Georg to leave (Mr. Nowack, Will You Please...). As the cafe closes she realises that her date will not materialise and she sings the plaintive (Dear Friend).

Act Two opens in Maraczek's hospital room where Arpad, having run errands to cover the botched shooting, takes the opportunity for self-advancement (Try Me). In response to Maraczek's note, Georg arrives and listens in open-mouthed amazement to Maraczek's apology for having accused him of an affair with his wife. Georg is re-instated as manager and the two are friends again.

Georg calls in to see Amalia who is 'unwell' as a result of drinking too much wine the night before. He is accused of snooping, whereupon she makes a disorganised effort to get ready for work (Where's My Shoe). Georg manages to calm her down and they discuss her failed meeting with "Dear Friend", Georg inventing, as he goes along, a fat, old, bald penfriend. After he leaves, Amalia tries to write to "Dear Friend" but her thoughts return to Georg and his get-well gift (Vanilla Ice Cream).

Georg returns to the shop convinced that the tide has turned in his relationship with Amalia (She Loves Me). There he finds Ilona celebrating her new love (A Trip To the Library) and Sipos, who confesses that he sent Maraczek the anonymous letter to engineer the dismissal of Kodaly, which now takes place (Grand Knowing You).

We follow the frantic last-minute rush of customers to the shop, and the growing friendship of Georg and Amalia (Twelve Days To Christmas). Mr. Maraczek returns to the store at the close of business on Christmas Eve, and is presented with a bumper cash register tape. As Ilona goes off with her new beau and Sipos is about to join his family, Maraczek whisks Arpad - now a clerk - off to celebrate.

Georg is invited to join Amalia and her mother for Christmas Eve. When she shows him her gift for "Dear Friend" it is, ironically, the musical cigarette box. Georg begins to quote one of his letters, and realisation dawns on Amalia that Georg is indeed her "Dear Friend". They embrace amid a flurry of snowflakes as the curtain falls.

[Joshua488]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 2:37pm

I LOVE that song!

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 2:42pm

first there was the film, or maybe it wasn't first, but to my know there was the film:

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER and that was later remade as a musical starring Judy Garland and Van Johnson called

IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME.

Then SHE LOVES ME was the Broadway musical version although it had an original score and used no songs from the MGM musical IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME.

YOU'VE GOT MAIL is a remake of the nonmusical film THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER.

[magruder]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 2:58pm

The original source material for You've Got Mail, She Loves Me, In the Good Old Summertime and The Shop Around the Corner was the play Parfumerie by Miklos Laszlo.

As far as "Ice Cream," here's the situation as best as I can convey it. We, the audience, know that Georg and Amalia have been carrying on the "Dear Friend" correspondance with each other, while they've been fighting throughout Act One. Georg discovers it first, plays a mean trick on Amalia near the end of Act One, but then starts to have feelings for her. In a gentle gesture, he brings ice cream to her apartment when she's called in sick the day after she's stood up by "Dear Friend" at the romantic restaurant. Throughout the song "Ice Cream," Amalia is distractedly composing a letter to "Dear Friend," all the while she is slowly discovering her new feelings for Georg. The song is just an explosion of joy and ebullience, right up to the extravagant, gleeful little cadenza at the end. There is so much to act and play in that song - I'm envious of anyone who gets to sing that song or act in that show. It's a dream piece of writing.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 3:03pm

I'm sorry - but do you have to do THAT song? It is the single most over-sung female audition song in history. Try to find something else that is not so overdone - the jurors will thank you immensely.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 3:19pm

BTW - did anyone get a chance to see Michelle Ragusa in the Papermill Production? I missed it, unfortunately - but she's always been one of my favorite performers, and I'd love to know how she was...

[WOSQ]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 3:57pm

When we saw the Paper Mill production (which was just fine) of She Loves Me, we realized it is one of the few--one of the very few--perfect musicals.

There's not a thing you can change to improve it, nor can you reconceive the show and turn it into something else. Oh, I suppose you could make changes here and there and put them all in leather, but the production wouldn't work.

She Loves Me is just fine the way it is. It has people you care about, just enough humor and heartbreak, wit, and a glorious score. All you have to do is put it on the stage and play it, and it will do its job.

You've Got Mail had the charm of a slop pail.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 3:59pm

WOSQ - I agree almost completely with your statements - I've always thought that She Loves Me is the perfect musical -nothing at all that I can imagine changing about it. I think everyone should see it if they truly love musical theatre.
I don't dislike You've Got Mail - it has its own brand of charm - but She Loves Me is definitely a must see.

[AbzugFan]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 4:06pm

It may be overdone as an audition song, but name me some other soprano character numbers. There are very few chances for sopranos to be funny in musical theatre, unfortunately, and "Ice Cream" is one of the best/only.

Good luck with the audition!

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 4:13pm

Ice Cream is funny? Gee - its a nice song, and kinda sweet...but not particularly funny. come on guys - come up with some funny soprano stuff for this gal to sing so she doesn't have to sing the same old tired sh*t again!

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 4:15pm

I've just discovered and begun working on By Strauss - is that too overdone for Roxie to use?

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 4:20pm

Rath - excellent choice (though I don't know the range or how much of a legit sound it has for a woman - its always been sung by men before Maureen got her hands on it!)...

[WOSQ]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 4:25pm

There are also pieces that are often sung in the chest, but can be raised an octave or so up into the head to good effect.

He Plays The Violin comes to mind.

[sipos]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 4:27pm

I say if you kick arse doing Vanilla Ice Cream, then go for it.
Overdone is normal. If you reheat it right, they'll be glad you did it.

:@)

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 4:27pm

I found it thanks to Maureen - men sang it??? Wow. She performs it very legit - with a whole section of coloratura "ah ah ah ah ahs!" that go VERY high...the audience applauds in the middle of the song because they're so impressive...

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 4:39pm

Very good, Rath - thats on the Naughty Baby album- I think she overdoes it just a touch - but her voice is fantastic. I happen to like that song better when a man sings it - but her version is fun!

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 4:40pm

I don't think she overdoes at all - since she hits every note perfectly and effortlessly. I'm learning her arrangement. And Ella sang it as well...

Updated On: 2/8/05 at 04:40 PM

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 4:48pm

when I say overdoes it - I'm referring to the scatting section (for lack of a better word) in the middle - none of that is in the actual song itself and it just annoys me - its a bit gratuitous sometimes when Maureen goes off like that - but I still think she has one of the most lovely voices around today.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 4:52pm

Does that mean you think it's a bad choice for me to perform it that way?

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 4:59pm

if you want me to be honest - YES...I think a song should rarely be performed in the same manner as a person who's version you happen to love, no matter how great it is in your voice, Sure, you can get away with it in some out of the way little community theatre review or something - but here in NYC - with all the high and mighty theatre queens in this town - you're bound to get someone looking down their nose at you and telling you you'll NEVER do it as well as Maureen (what can I say - I know so many people like that and I can't stand them)...I believe that if you love the song - find a way to make it your own - but don't try imitating the arrangement that she does on that recording - for your own good.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 2/8/05 at 5:02pm

Okay. I'll see what I can do with it...thanks for the advice, as always!