Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Liesl Dromi, JBU
You might not know the story by the title “She Loves Me,” but millions of Americans fell in love with the tale through the 1998 film “You’ve Got Mail.” Based on a 1937 Hungarian play, “Parfumerie,” the 1963 musical follows the romance of George and Amalia, who know each other at work but love each other as anonymous pen pals.
John Brown University presents “She Loves Me” Nov. 3-5 at the Berry Performing Arts Center on the Siloam Springs campus. Director Liesl Dromi, an assistant professor of music at JBU, answered these five questions for What’s Up!
Q. Why this show? Why now?
A. “She Loves Me” is perhaps the perfect musical comedy — timeless, charming, witty, touching, and so well written. It is a wonderful show for an ensemble cast, brimming with great songs and dialog for each character. But more than this, the main themes in “She Loves Me” are a timely message for our culture in this moment: “She Loves Me” explores the destructive power of misconceptions, false assumptions and lies, the importance of empathy, and how honesty and vulnerability is the only path to a healthy, loving relationship with others and with oneself. And it does all of this in the most delightful musical comedy form, without ever getting preachy or heavy-handed. You are simply taken along for a wonderfully entertaining ride, at the end of which you realize you’ve learned something profound!
Q. Does JBU have music/ theater majors? If so, how does this musical fit into their studies?
A. Yes! JBU has four music degree programs — Performance, Music Education, Integrated Music Studies, and Worship Arts — and a robust theater/musical theater minor that includes courses in acting, dance, stagecraft and directing. Our productions are integral to our students’ education; they are involved in every aspect of each production, from cast to crew to pit orchestra to design work. Additionally, we attract students from all over campus who get involved with our shows for elective credit or as a work/study opportunity or often just for fun, as volunteers! Our shows are always a community project with wide campus engagement.
Q. What have been the biggest challenges and the biggest rewards of this show?
A. It’s always a challenge in a liberal arts collegiate setting to carve out the time needed to adequately rehearse and prepare a fully staged musical. Our students are pulled in many directions by their studies, campus ministries and other extracurricular activities. But being involved in a big project like this also helps them learn a lot about time management, prioritizing responsibilities, accountability and working with a team — all great life skills. The biggest reward is always seeing the students realize that they can indeed do the hard thing that seemed impossible: seeing them step into their potential, own their talents and creative power, and support each other in the process. It’s such a beautiful picture of what life can be when we all commit to dig in, love each other, respect each other’s gifts and perspectives, and work toward
a common goal. It always gives me hope for the future.
Q. What do you especially love about the music and want to share with students and the audience?
A. Like many Golden Age musicals — and “She Loves Me” is one of the last from that period — this is a musicforward show for sure. The score is very orchestral (even virtuosic) and the singers really get to sing. Our music director Lisa Auten has led our students to a high caliber of music making and they are supported by an incredible orchestra, the core of which is made up of local professional musicians, many of whom play with SoNA, TheatreSquared and WAC Broadway tour productions. We are so privileged to have access to this quality at JBU!
Q. What’s next for JBU theater/music?
A. We have two shows coming up in the spring: the commedia dell’arte classic “A Servant of Two Masters” (Feb. 10-11, 16-18) and a Light Opera Showcase featuring scenes from English and Spanish-language operettas (March 9-11).