I Love You Because to Shutter Off-Broadway on May 21

The off-Broadway musical I Love You Because will end its run at the Village Theatre on May 21. At the time it closes, the show will have played 30 previews and 111 regular performances.

Set in New York City, I Love You Because follows Austin Bennet Colin Hanlon, a young greeting card writer whose life is turned upside down when he finds his long-term girlfriend in bed with another man. Forced back out into the treacherous New York dating scene, Austin meets Marcy Fitzwilliams Farah Alvin, a flighty photographer whose spontaneity is matched only by her ability to drive him insane. This new musical comedy explores the rules and nuances of dating and learning how to love someone, not in spite of their differences, but because of them. Stephanie D'Abruzzo plays Marcy's best friend Diana Bingley and David A. Austin has the role of Austin's brother, Jeff Bennet. I Love You Because features a book and lyrics by Ryan Cunningham and music by Joshua Salzman. The modern-day plot is based on the Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice.

I Love You Because, directed by Daniel Kutner, opened off-Broadway on February 14 to mixed reviews. In his Broadway.com Review of the play, William Stevenson wrote: "Ryan Cunningham's book and lyrics aren't nearly clever enough to be mentioned in the same breath as Jane Austen's sparkling prose or even the recent film adaptation. If one forgets about the allusions to the book, however, the show does boast several cute songs… If the semi-sweet, semi-silly show does prove to be a hit, perhaps the creative team will lower the volume a little. And while they're making improvements, they might consider excising all the Jane Austen references. As it is, they just make this upbeat little musical look dumb."