Village Theatre Guild presents two-act musical, 'Romance, Romance'

At some time in their lives, just about everyone looks for romance -- in a partner, in a beautiful sunset, in the lyric perfection of a poem.

"Romance, Romance," a musical that hit Broadway in the 1980s with Scott Bakula in a starring role, explores that search with a tender touch, Chris Bruzzini said.

Bruzzini is directing Village Theatre Guild's production of the show, set to open at 8 p.m. Friday in the Glen Ellyn theater troupe's Black Box Theater, Butterfield Road and Park Boulevard, Glen Ellyn.

"It's a very tender, poignant show," Bruzzini said.

The two-act show is actually two short plays, both musicals, that share a song as a thematic link. The theme, romance, is explored from several angles.

"I think romance is one of the things people look for," Bruzzini said. "We'd like to have that romantic connection, that kind of otherworldly (experience). When you're doing a musical, it takes you away from life, even more than a straight play."

While the show was hugely popular and successful in the '80s, winning five Tony Award nominations, the songs aren't well-known tunes that strike a familiar chord. But they are integral to getting across the show's message.

One song, the one introduced in the first act and reprised in the second, is titled "It's Not Too Late."

"If there's a theme for the show, that's it," Bruzzini said.

The first act, a play titled "The Little Comedy," is about two aristocrats in 1900 Vienna who, independently and unbeknownst to each other, ditch their high places in society to play at being poor.

"They both decide to dress as peasants and deal with the riff-raff," said Jennifer Holcomb, a Hoffman Estates actress who plays Josephine, the female lead.

They meet, fall for each other and discover the truth about each other's backgrounds. The question is, will romance endure?

The second act is a play titled "Summer Share," a story about two modern-day couples' trip to the Hamptons for a summer vacation.

Late at night, the wine is flowing and the conversation turns to the topic of love affairs.

"The tension gets a little stronger and hotter," Holcomb said.

While the dialogue gets intense, the music flows into the show comfortably and seamlessly, Holcomb added.

"What they're saying is so important, it needs to be punctuated with songs," she said. "The music is fun. It questions the whole arc of romance, from innocent romance to friendly romance."

Though the characters have no complaints about their marriages or their spouses, they ponder the idea of bringing the passion of new love into their lives. They also consider the risks.

"Everybody can see themselves in some aspect of these characters," she said.

Their ultimate decisions, she said, will provide audiences with plenty of material for discussion.

Holcomb said she saw a production of the show when she was in college.

"It just stuck with me," she said, "It brought up so much conversation."

Holcomb, who recently appeared in Winnetka-based Big Noise Theatre's production of "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," is making her Village Theatre debut.

"It's very intimate," she said of the 60-seat theater. "I like that."

Director Bruzzini may be familiar to Village Theatre audiences. A director who has taken charge of shows at several local colleges and with Summer Place Theatre in Naperville, he recently appeared onstage in the troupe's "Dinner With Friends."

"(Directing) is so much more time-consuming than being in something (as an actor)," he said.

Bruzzini said the pay off for all the time invested in "Romance, Romance" will be the resultant 2-hour-and-15-minute show.

"It's really going to be a lovely show. Loveliness has a high satisfaction (quotient)," he said. "It's really nice to go, be entertained and come home and talk about it: 'Can we be honest and still have a relationship?' "

For details, call (630) 469-8230.

If you go

What:Village Theatre Guild presents a two-act musical, "Romance, Romance."

When:8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Friday to April 12; 4 p.m. March 29, April 5, 6 and 12

Where: Village Theatre Guild, Butterfield Road and Park Boulevard, Glen Ellyn

Tickets: $20

Details: (630) 469-8230 or visit villagetheatreguild.org