A Chinese company of the long-running musical hit I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change will arrive at the Westside Theatre on May 9 for a limited engagement of 23 performances, through June 3. The Chinese cast will perform the show entirely in Mandarin, with English supertitles projected above the stage. According to the production announcement, this is the first time a foreign-language staging of an American musical will play in the United States. The Chinese and American casts will each play six performances a week off-Broadway in rotating repertory.
I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change recently concluded a highly successful run at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre directed by Joel Bishoff, who helmed the original New York production as well as productions in 17 cities worldwide. Not just a recreation of the New York show, Bishoff worked with translator Nick Rongjun Yu to incorporate local Chinese attitudes and references, allowing the material to resonate with Shanghai audiences. The New York presentation is a joint production of Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre and Broadway Asia Entertainment.
This production premiered in Shanghai in December 2006 and has been selected as the opening ceremony attraction at the prestigious 2007 Beijing Theater Festival on April 17 before the entire company cast and musicians makes the move to New York City. Immediately after their New York engagement, the company will return to Beijing to launch an extended multi-city tour throughout China. Featured in the cast of four is Lin Yilun one of China's most popular singing stars and the winner of the 2006 Best Male Singer of China Award at the CCTV & MTV Music Awards along with Yu Yi, Wen Yang and Ma Qingli.
Written by playwright/lyricist Joe DiPietro and composer Jimmy Roberts, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change is a celebration of the modern-day suburban mating game that explores the joys of dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws. The musical opened at the Westside Theatre on August 1, 1996. The current New York cast features Courtney Balan, Anne Bobby, Will Erat and Bryan McElroy.
