In the classic musical “She Loves Me,” love arrives in the most mundane of places — working retail.
Set in 1930s Budapest, “She Loves Me” is centered around a handful of clerks working at a perfumery. Georg Nowack (Casey Raiha), the unassuming assistant manager of the store, has been exchanging letters with someone he only knows as “Dear Friend,” and is falling deeply in love with her.
One day in the perfumery, Amalia Balash (Ksenia Popova) comes in determined to find a job. After expertly displaying her salesmanship by selling a musical cigar box, she is hired on the spot by the store’s owner, Mr. Maraczek (Eric Hartley) and begins a rivalry with Nowack. While the two seem to despise each other, romantic tension begins to build, and the true identity of “Dear Friend” throws a wrench in their professional relationship.
Every cast member shines in Renton Civic Theatre’s performance of this show. From the principals to the ensemble, each player displays mastery over their craft, including choreographed dancing and jaw-dropping vocal ability.
The show number, “Romantic Atmosphere” is a particular delight, showcasing the comedic and vocal range of Riley Stowell, playing the stuffy head waiter expertly as the ensemble collaborate with him in the most entertaining dance routine of the show.
Emma Hanson is also a standout, playing the easily infatuated Ilona Ritter with such wisecracking humor you can’t help but feel for her plight in trying to find the “perfect man.”
While each performer is strong, the camaraderie of the cast is what holds the show together. From the steady yet fretful Ladislav Sipos (Jed Slaughter), giving Georg advice on life and love, to the suave Steven Kodaly (Mauro Bozzo) keeping drama alive in the shop with his sleazy affairs, the show emanates the strange yet intimate bonds that form between people who share a vocation and a small space day after day.
While the story may be familiar to many, as it inspired the films Shop Around the Corner and You’ve Got Mail, Renton Civic Theatre’s performance of She Loves Me is overflowing with scintillating performances and moments that continually surprise and delight.
Tickets Available Online
The play has its final weekend, with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26, Friday, Feb. 27, Saturday, Feb. 28 the finalé set for 2 p.m. on Sunday, Mar. 1:
https://rentoncivictheatre.org/she-loves-me-2026/
