This August, Centenary Stage Company continues their summer musical series with hit musical: I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Performances for I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change will run August 1 – 11 in the Sitnik Theatre of the Lackland Performing Arts Center of the Centenary University campus at 715 Grand Avenue, Hackettstown, NJ. Tickets for I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change range from $27.50 – $29.50 for adults with discounts available for seniors, students, and children under 12 for select performances. The Summerfest musical will also feature family night on Thursday evening performances, with a Buy One, Get One ticket special beginning at 5:30 PM in person at the box office. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit centenarystageco.org or call the Centenary Stage Company box office at (908) 979-0900.

The cast of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change include Centenary University alumni, and CSC veterans! The cast includes: Cody Jackson, Lenessa Age, Cassandra Krajcik, Kevin Wehrhahn, James Gerard Russo, and Kayla Chirip.

With Book and Lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is a celebration of the mating game takes on the truths and myths behind that contemporary conundrum known as “the relationship.” Through sketches and songs, Act I, explores the journey from dating and waiting to love and marriage, while Act II reveals the agonies and triumphs of in-laws and newborns, trips in the family car and pick-up techniques of the geriatric set. This revue pays tribute to those who have loved and lost, to those who have fallen on their face at the portal of romance, to those who have dared to ask, “Say, what are you doing Saturday night?”

Co-directing and choreographing, this production of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is Lea Antolini-Lid. Antolini Lid is the Assistant Professor of Theater & Dance as well as the director of CSC’s Young Audience Series Tour, and the producer/director of the NEXTstage Rep. Summer Stock Musical Series. Most recently, Lea co-directed The Lightning Thief this April, The Little Mermaid in the winter of 2023, Seussical the Musical in the summer of 2023, and Addams Family in April 2023, directed RENT in the summer of 2022, as well as the YAS productions of Frog & Toad and Grace for President at CSC this past season and was seen onstage as the Stepmother in Cinderella. Lea has directed the CSC Summer Stock Musical series for several years and you have also seen her directorial work on Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Always…Patsy Cline, and more.

Jillian Petrie will also serve as co-director and choreographer for I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Jillian Petrie is a highly acclaimed choreographer and director, renowned for her remarkable body of work comprising hundreds of productions. Her work has garnered widespread praise and has been featured in various theater, dance, festival, museum, and opera productions, including Off-Broadway and regional AEA world premieres. A sought-after director and choreographer, The Star-Ledger has hailed her creations as “Better than Broadway!” She enjoys sharing her expertise as an adjunct professor at Centenary University, nurturing the next generation of artists. Her most recent CSC credits include Director/Choreographer for The Marvelous Wonderettes and Co-Director/Choreographer for Seussical the Musical. Jillian’s artistic journey has been shaped by valuable training experiences, including the Broadway Observership and her time spent at respected institutions such as the Directors Lab, Broadway Dance Center’s Choreography Program, and the Laban Conservatoire in London. In addition to her contributions to the performing arts, Jillian is the founder of Athletes & Artists, a media company that explores the intersection of sports and the arts, @athletesartists. To stay connected with Jillian and keep up with her latest projects, follow her on Instagram, @NYChoreographer. www.jillianpetrie.com

Performance dates and times for I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change are Thursdays, August 1 and 8 at 7:30 pm; Fridays, August 2 and 9 at 8:00 pm; Saturdays, August 3 and 10 at 8:00 pm; and Sundays, August 4 and 11 at 2:00 pm. Tickets for I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change range from $27.50 – $29.50 for adults with discounts available for seniors, students, and children under 12 for select performances. The Summerfest musical will also feature family night on Thursday evening performances, with a Buy One, Get One ticket special beginning at 5:30 PM in person at the box office. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit centenarystageco.org or call the Centenary Stage Company box office at (908) 979-0900.

For more information or to reserve tickets, visit centenarystageco.org or call the Centenary Stage Company box office at (908) 979-0900. The Centenary Stage Company box office is open Monday through Friday from 1:00-5:00 pm and two hours prior to performances. The box office is located in the Lackland Performing Arts Center on the campus of Centenary University at 715 Grand Ave. Hackettstown, NJ. Centenary Stage Company can also be found across social media platforms; Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter. Like and follow to receive the latest in CSC news and special offers.

ABOUT CENTENARY STAGE COMPANY

The 2023-24 Season of Performing Arts events at the Centenary Stage Company is made possible through the generous support of the NJ State Council on the Arts, the Shubert Foundation, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, the Sandra Kupperman Foundation, the John and Margaret Post Foundation, The New Jersey Theatre Alliance, the CSC corporate sponsors, including Platinum Season Sponsor the House of the Good Shepherd, Silver Sponsors, Heath Village, Visions Federal Credit Union, Explore Warren, and Fulton Bank, and Centenary Stage Company members and supporters.

ABOUT CENTENARY UNIVERSITY

Centenary University offers extraordinary learning opportunities that empower students to develop intellectually, emotionally, and interculturally—keys to career and personal success. Under the leadership of President Dale Caldwell, Ed.D., the University aspires to advance its reputation as a world class institution offering innovative programs, including the world’s first Master of Arts in Happiness Studies, to lift the future for our students and local communities.

CONTACT

Christopher Young or Kayla Chirip (908) 979-0900

PHOTO: Rehearsal Photos Courtesy of Centenary Stage Company: Photo Credit Trevor Callahan, Centenary Stage Company