November 12, 2021 – Millikin University’s School of Theatre & Dance first showing of “She Loves Me” will be held at Kirkland Fine Arts Center on Millikin’s campus tonight. Performances will be held throughout the weekend, including tonight and Saturday at 7:30 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm. Tickets for the show are $20-$25 or free admittance with a Millikin student ID. All attendees will be required to wear a mask while inside Kirkland Fine Arts Center and adhere to social distancing guidelines.
With music by Jerry Bock, book written by Joe Masteroff and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, “She Loves Me” is set in a parfumerie in Budapest in 1937 when two lonely hearts discover that love is clever and may not be as neatly packaged as the fragrances they sell.
When asked about how the developing relationships in the musical play out, compared to today’s world, Kevin Long, Director, said, “We have mobile phones and texting, social media and other communication apps that allow us to communicate in a variety of manners from anonymous to full disclosure. In a way we are all isolated in the midst of all of these ways to communicate and we strive to fill the emptiness of our lives and to find a spark of personal connection. These characters rely on the written word to convey their hopes and dreams. The mode of communication may have changed but the desire for a human connection is still the same.”
Much like Millikin University’s production of “Phantom of the Opera” in April 2018, the production of “She Loves Me” represents another exciting collaboration between the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra and Millikin’s School of Theatre & Dance. Musical Director Beth Creighton said she relishes the opportunity to work with the MDSO. “We are so lucky to have “She Loves Me” as part of the MDSO season this year. We haven’t collaborated on a project since “The Phantom of the Opera” in Spring 2018, so this opportunity has been a blessing. Giving our students the chance to sing with a twenty-piece orchestra is a gift – and it is also a challenge. Coordinating all of the moving parts of the show is tricky, but the MDSO musicians have made the process as smooth as could be expected. We can’t wait to share the beautiful music of this show with our audiences this weekend. “
For more information about the production and tickets, please visit millikin.edu/mevents/she-loves-me.
