It’s like I’m the outside looking in, I see this life and this moment and it’s so wonderful but it doesn’t quite belong to me

I’m tingling, such delicious tingles

I’m trembling; what the hell does that mean?

I’m freezing; that’s because it’s cold out!

• She Loves Me is a musical from 1963 based on the play Parfumerie by Miklós Lázlós, which also inspired the more well known movies The Shop Around the Corner and You’ve Got Mail.  Anonymous pen pals fall in love through letters, but cannot stand each other in real life at work.  It’s classic and you know you love it. Also the music/book work beautifully together, it’s perfect for what it is: a romcom musical.

• A recording of the 2016 Broadway revival was done in June 2016 that was livestreamed.  We’ve been told it will be edited and put back on BroadwayHD in a few months.
• You can search for a production near you here if you look under the “upcoming” tab at the bottom.
• A 1978 BBC TV movie that isn’t completely faithful, but still enjoyable, is here.
• A delightful 1995 stage production is here.  It’s from a worn copy, but the leads are wonderful.
• Rumor also has it you can find a bootleg of the 2016 revival. I can neither confirm or deny such a thing at this time. 

• 1963 Original Broadway Cast - includes the incredible Barbara Cook as Amalia, and Daniel Massey as Georg. Classic, of course, and slightly different lyrics than most later productions.
• 1964 Original London Cast - Anne Rogers as Amalia, Gary Raymond as Georg, and Rita Moreno as Ilona. Many lyric/song changes and cuts across the pond (more on this later).
• 1993 Broadway Revival Cast - Boyd Gaines won a Tony for his Georg, and it was deserved.  Diane Fratantoni is Amalia on the recording, but it actually opened with Judy Kuhn.
• 1994 London Revival Cast - Ruthie Henshall is Amalia and she has been my favorite Amalia for many years (and is now tied with one other), and John Gordon Sinclair is Georg.
• 2016 Broadway Revival Cast - beautifully orchestrated and recorded.  Laura Benanti was born to play Amalia (she’s now tied with Ruthie for my favorite), and Zachary Levi deserved his Tony nomination for Georg.  Just about the whole cast is amazing, honestly.

• Judy Kuhn performing “Vanilla Ice Cream”
• Boyd Gaines performing “She Loves Me”
• Sally Mayes performing “A Trip to the Library”
• Ruthie Henshall performing “Vanilla Ice Cream” at the Olivier Awards (the video is low quality, but definitely worth watching)
• 2016 Tony Award Medley of “Ilona,” “She Loves Me,” and “Vanilla Ice Cream” (featuring Gavin Creel, Jane Krakowski, Nicholas Barasch, Tom McGowan, Zachary Levi, and Laura Benanti)
• Jonathan Groff singing “Try Me” just ‘cause.

• Goddess Kelli O’Hara was Amalia at the 2011 Roundabout concert, alongside Josh Radnor (Georg), Jane Krakowski, Gavin Creel, and Rory O’Malley. Here are the audios. And here’s just Vanilla Ice Cream, because duh.
• Judy Kuhn’s run of Amalia was never recorded in a studio, but there is an audio from her run, which can be found here.
• In 1977, there was a concert with Madeline Kahn (!), Barry Bostwick, and Rita Moreno.  All audios here, Vanilla Ice Cream here.
• In 2013, Santino Fontana and Alexandra Silber led a great cast in a 2-3 performance run and thank goodness there is audio.

• The lyrics to “Will He Like Me?” have changed slightly - in 1963, they were “it’s absurd for me to worry so this way” and are now usually sung “carry on this way.”  
• A portion of the lyrics to “Twelve Days to Christmas” were removed.  Original here, later incarnation here.
• After the original production, a song called “Tango Tragique” was cut - I’ve heard (but never seen it substantiated) that it was cut because it was difficult for the men to sing. Instead of Georg telling Amalia about his “friend” in a lonely hearts club through dialogue, it was a song. I love the song a lot. Here’s off of the OBC, and here’s Santino Fontana in 2013.
• The 1964 London production has a whole mess of differences, many of which made it into the 1978 TV movie, largely due to pronunciation and choosing to use words more common to England. They can be found here, but the most notable is that “I Resolve” was replaced with “Heads I Win” and it’s definitely worth listening to. I mean, it’s Rita Moreno.
• And here is the composers demo! Many songs with little differences, many cut songs, a lot of fun to listen to.

• For the 2016 Broadway Revival, Josh Radnor was originally announced as our Georg - but Zachary Levi replaced him in September ‘15 due to Radnor’s scheduling conflicts.
• The writing process for this musical was a little different than most.  Masteroff wrote the book, then gave it to Bock and Harnick to turn into music - this is why the songs flow so well with the dialogue!
• Judy Kuhn was Amalia in 1993 for the entire original scheduled run, but the show proved popular enough that it was granted an extension, which is when Diane Fratantoni replaced her and the album was recorded.
• Rumor has it there was talk of a Hollywood She Loves Me movie back in the ‘60s, starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke.  The fact that this didn’t happen still makes me want to cry.
• Julie Andrews did record a couple of songs from the show though! - “Dear Friend” and “He Loves Me”
• Actors cast very rarely match the descriptions from the 1963 libretto.
• There is at least one English translation of Parfumerie available to buy.  Here are some highlights, it’s fascinating to see the differences!

Tony Awards 2016 Nominations → Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Is this a potentially challenging time to mount a show that has an earnest, straightforward story and that isn’t, perhaps, a cornerstone of musical-theater history?  Benanti: We’re not “Hamilton.” But there wouldn’t be a “Hamilton” if there weren’t a “She Loves Me” or “Gypsy” or “The King and I.” Krakowski: I did see Scott’s original revival. It feels, as it does now, like this beautiful jewel box. For a musical that isn’t as well known, it’s quite a perfect little piece.

Laura Benanti singing ‘Vanilla Ice Cream’ in “She Loves Me”

• “……are you looking for a job?” “HHHHHHHHWELL I GUESS YOU COULD CALL IT THAT YES”
• looking everywhere and then finding it in your bra
• Amalia the Queen of Retail Bullshitting 
• “:) :) :) mmmmm go to hell :) :) :)” 
• “Do I look alright?” “Oh lovely! wonderful! *glares at everyone in the room* VERY NICE”
• “tell me, what’s he like? tell me all about him! i love to suffer”
• Amalia “His FAQ says he likes books” Balash
• “i’m an idiot!…but at least im an idiot with a job”
• a whole song thats just “who gives a shit about a shitty retail job we’re all insignificant in this vast and unknowable universe”
• “thank you madam please call again doooo call again madam” *goes right back to fighting with coworker*
• “I DO NOT resent you!! ………………….. buT iF I DiD”
• Im way better on paper and also when I have 2 hours to think of a response !!!!
• Georg “Id rather pretend to leave town than potentially disappoint my crush” Nowack
• Ladislav = the messy wingman friend™
• Georg “I chug white wine like a Real Housewife” Nowack
• the #dramatique maitre’d
• Amalia “Im wine-tipsy and love-bitter” Balash
• “IF I WAS SICK COULD I DO THIS???” - Leslie Knope/Amalia Balash
• Hugging ice cream to your face like your husband come back from the war
• “Theres something wrong with this ice cream…so much salt” “Well are you surprised, all those tears falling into it?” “Oh……i better cry in the other direction”
• Straight-up eating fallen ice cream off your pants #whoneedsaspoon  #5secondrule
• Georg “Imma flirt by talking about a suicide in a old-ass, long-ass novel” Nowack
• he brought me ice cream……………I THINK IM IN LOVE WITH HIM
• a whole song thats basically a passive-aggressive musical theatre version of that SNL Best Buy skit
• the Embittered Seasonal Retail Hell Choir we all need 
• “these are the people who shop in time :) :) :) AND THEY CAN GO TO HELL”
• “you wanna untangle it? shoot yourself!” 
• tfw you heavily hint at the christmas present you want and your parent SHOOTS YOU TF DOWN
• SNOW MAKES EVERYTHING MORE ROMANTIC JANE VILLANUEVA SAID SO 
• TL;DR IT’S TROPEY AND CHEESY AND AWKWARD AND WONDERFUL GO WATCH IT RIGHT NOW

You belong to a lonely hearts club?

Hamilton doesn’t hesitate. He exhibits no restraint. He takes and he takes and he takes and he keeps winning anyway. He changes the game. He plays and he raises the stakes. And if there’s a reason he seems to thrive when so few survive, then Goddamnit—I’m willing to wait for it.

Day by Day by Kelli O’Hara: [69/∞] At the 50th Annual Drama Desk Awards, 2005

Just for this moment, as long as you’re mine