Show Synopsis:
Georg Nowack is in love with his pen pal, who happens to be Amalia, his co-worker at a perfume shop, but neither of them are aware that they write to the other. At work they quarrel, and their friends believe that this is because they have not acknowledged their feelings for each other. Georg learns that his pen pal is Amalia, but instead of coming clean, he taunts her about being in love with someone she has never seen. Amalia starts to fall in love with Georg, and after they get to know each other better, George admits that he has always been Amalia's pen pal, much to her delight.
Character:
Ilona Ritter, a sexy salesgirl at a perfume shop who flirts with a lot of men but wants real romance
Song Context:
Ilona's date Kodaly cancelled a date very suddenly the night before, and she was very upset. She went to the library instead and tells her co-worker Sipos about the man she met there.
Fun Fact:
1) She Loves Me is based on the play Parfumerie by Miklos Laszlo, which has inspired other plays and films - most notably You've Got Mail starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.
2) Barbara Baxley made her Broadway musical debut playing Ilona in She Loves Me, having previously appeared in nine Broadway plays.
"And suddenly all of my confidence dribbled away with a pitiful plop.
My head was beginning to swim and my forehead was covered in cold perspiration.
I started to reach for a book and my hand automatically came to a stop.
I don't know how long I stood frozen a victim of panic and mortification.
Oh, how I wanted to flee
When a quiet voice, a gentle voice, whispered, ""Pardon me.""
Uh-huh.
And there was this dear, sweet,
Clearly respectable thickly bespectacled man
Who stood by my side and quietly sad to me ""Ma'am,
Don't mean to intrude, but I was just
wondering are you need of some help.""
I said ""No, yes I am.""
The next thing you know I'm sipping hot chocolate and telling my troubles to Paul
Whose tender brown eyes kept sending compassionate looks.
A trip to the library has made a new girl of me. For suddenly I can see, the magic of books!
I have to admit in the back of my mind I was praying he wouldn't get fresh
And all of the while I was wondering why an illiterate girl should attract him,
Then all of a sudden he said that I couldn't go wrong with the way of all flesh
Of course it's a novel, but I didn't know or I certainly wouldn't have smacked him!
Well he gave me a smile that I couldn't resist
And I knew at once how much I liked this
Optometrist.
Optometrist.
You know what this dear, sweet, slightly bespectacled gentlemen said to me next?
He said he could solve this problem of mine
I said, ""How?""
He said, if I'd like, he'd willingly read to me some of his favorite things, I said ""When?""
He said ""Now.""
His novel approach seamed highly suspicious and possibly dangerous too,
I told myself, ""Wait,
Thing, dare you go up to his flat?""
What happens if things go wrong?
It's obvious he's quite strong,
He read to me all night long.
Now how about that!
It's hard to believe how truly domestic and happily hopeful I feel.
I picture my Paul there reading aloud as I cook.
As long as he's there to read, there's quite a good chance indeed,
A chance that I'll never need to open a book.
Unlike someone else,
Someone I dimly recall,
I know he'll only have eyes for me
My optometrist Paul."