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| She Loves Me | |
|---|---|
| Name | She Loves Me |
| Music | Jerry Bock |
| Lyrics | Sheldon Harnick |
| Book | Joe Masteroff |
| Basis | Play "Parfumerie" by Miklós Lázár and Miklós László; film "The Shop Around the Corner" |
| Premiere | 1963 |
| Premiere place | Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, Waterford, Connecticut |
She Loves Me is a 1963 musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and a book by Joe Masteroff. The piece was inspired by the 1937 Hungarian play "Parfumerie" by Miklós László and the 1940 film The Shop Around the Corner directed by Ernst Lubitsch, and it premiered in regional theatre before opening on Broadway in 1963. The work has been revived numerous times on West End and international stages, adapted into the film You've Got Mail and remains a touchstone for performers associated with golden age of American musical theatre.
The musical's creation involved collaborators tied to major mid‑20th century American theatre and cinema, including composer Jerry Bock and lyricist Sheldon Harnick, known for earlier collaborations on Fiorello! and Fiddler on the Roof, and book writer Joe Masteroff whose credits include Cabaret. Its narrative derives from the Hungarian playwright Miklós László, whose play "Parfumerie" inspired several screen adaptations, notably The Shop Around the Corner (1940) starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, and later the modernized rom‑com You've Got Mail (1998) starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The creative lineage links Central European interwar drama to Hollywood studio comedy via MGM and to postwar American musical theatre through collaborations that include producers and directors who worked with institutions such as the New York Shakespeare Festival and venues like the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.
The original Broadway production opened at the Sam S. Shubert Theatre in 1963, produced by Group Theatre affiliates and directed by Harold Prince with choreography influenced by contemporaries like Bob Fosse and staging traditions from Theatre Guild. The cast included notable performers who later became associated with American musical theatre and Broadway institutions. Subsequent West End productions played at venues associated with producers from London Coliseum circuits and programming linked to companies such as National Theatre and commercial producers tied to the West End revival economy. Over time, productions have involved directors and musical supervisors with credits at agencies and institutions including Royal Shakespeare Company, Donmar Warehouse, and touring organisations operating via the UK theatre network.
Important revivals include a 1993 production by Roundabout Theatre Company and a 2016 critically acclaimed Broadway revival produced by Roundabout Theatre Company and directed by Scott Ellis, featuring performers connected to companies like New York City Center and festivals such as the Spoleto Festival USA. West End revivals have involved directors and designers associated with Matthew Warchus and staging influenced by revival aesthetics from Michael Grandage and Nicholas Hytner. Adaptations into film and television include the transposition into You've Got Mail by director Nora Ephron and the various international screen versions like the Hungarian film industry adaptations and television productions broadcast on networks such as BBC and PBS. Touring revivals and regional productions have been mounted by companies ranging from Goodman Theatre to Seattle Repertory Theatre and touring producers contracting with theatrical unions like Actors' Equity Association.
Set in 1930s Budapest, the story centers on employees at a small upscale perfumery: a shy clerk and a long‑suffering shop girl who are secretly anonymous romantic pen pals. Their flirtation unfolds through letters exchanged via a romantic anonymous correspondence, while workplace tensions—sparked by a jealous colleague, a meddling owner, and a would‑be suitor—complicate matters. Interwoven scenes at the shop, city streets, and intimate rooftop moments converge at a climax where identities are revealed, misunderstandings are resolved, and romantic declarations lead to reconciliation. The narrative structure echoes themes from European interwar drama, Hollywood romantic comedy, and musical theatre traditions linked to writers and directors from Golden Age of Broadway companies.
The score features songs that have entered the repertoire of musical performers and cabaret artists, including signature numbers that showcase lyricism by Sheldon Harnick and melodic invention by Jerry Bock. Notable songs performed in many productions include the ensemble pieces, romantic duets, and patter songs that display influences from contemporaneous scores by composers such as Richard Rodgers, Cole Porter, and lyricists associated with the Great American Songbook. Revivals often restore incidental music and orchestration styles informed by conductors and arrangers who worked with institutions like New York Philharmonic and recording studios linked to the Broadway cast album tradition.
Principal roles in the original Broadway ensemble comprised a mix of character types familiar to musical theatre: the shy male lead clerk, the female lead shop girl, the officious owner, the romantic rival, and a comic supporting duo. The original cast included performers who later collaborated with directors and companies such as Harold Prince, George Abbott, and institutions including Lincoln Center Theater and Kissel Entertainment. Ensemble and supporting players went on to careers spanning Broadway, West End, television, and film, affiliating with organizations like Maine State Music Theater and festivals including Chautauqua Institution.
Critical response at premiere combined praise for score and book with mixed commercial reception; nevertheless, the work has enjoyed durable popularity through revivals, cast recordings, and adaptations. It has influenced musical directors, choreographers, and performers associated with American Conservatory Theater, Juilliard School, and Curtain Call alumni. The musical's integration of Central European source material into American popular culture casts it alongside other adaptations of European plays by writers and directors connected to Miklos Laszlo's legacy, and its songs have been recorded by artists affiliated with labels and institutions like Columbia Records and Decca Records. Its revival history, academic study in theatre programs, and continued presence in regional and professional seasons testify to its place within the canon of 20th‑century American musical theatre.
Category:Musicals