“She Loves Me,” Brown Musical Forum’s most recent show, has something for everyone to love. On March 5-7, the BMF performed the 1963 rom-com musical at the Fishman Studio in the Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts. Directed by Thomas Seeger ’27, the musical was brilliantly executed with colorful lighting choices, tightly-coordinated choreography and wildly comedic moments.
“She Loves Me” follows Georg Nowack, played by Charlie Fitzgerald ’28, and Amalia Balash, played by Isabel Levine ’28, two employees at a parfumerie who are unknowingly corresponding through letters despite their intense in-person hatred for each other. The musical, set in the 1930s, focuses on how Georg and Amalia’s relationship develops far beyond their initial work rivalry.
The cast seemed to have boundless energy, and the quality of their singing remained superb throughout the three-hour performance. The actors switched between speaking and singing so smoothly that audience members could sometimes barely tell the difference.
Overall, the phenomenal acting made audience members feel as if they were in the scene themselves. Avi Levin ’26 excelled in his portrayal of Steven Kodaly: his foreign accent, exceptional tone and strange mannerisms made the attendees laugh at almost everything he did. Background characters, even when they were not speaking, made the stage feel alive.
Each member of the show also adapted flawlessly to last-minute changes. They handled feedback coming through a cast member’s mic with grace and ease. When one actor was not able to perform, Noa Saviano ’29, a Herald senior staff writer, seamlessly stepped in to act in the ensemble.
Saviano also designed the show’s tight choreography, which was reminiscent of the 1930s setting. Despite limited onstage space — with much of the already small area being filled with props and sets — the performers were still able to jump and twist around each other with stellar coordination.
The deliberate lighting choices by lighting designer Jasmine Zheng ’28 were instrumental in creating the full scene. When a character was hurt, red lighting created a tense environment. When a character seemed to be falling in love, a pink hue fell over the stage.
The deep, dark timbre of the orchestra’s string instrumentalists was the perfect sonic match for these romantic moments. Overall, the music from the pit orchestra — led by Eurie Seo ’26 — created a dynamic environment, with music that perfectly aligned with the stage movement. In scenes where the whole cast is dancing, the music paced the actors’ movements with fast, lively tempos and quick, sharp accents.
In the playbill, Seeger praised the musical for its exceptional script and score.
“There is nothing that has to be made to work — the script and score do the heavy lifting,” Seeger wrote. “Rather than worrying about making the show work, (the cast and crew) simply have to execute.”
