KENNESAW, Ga. | Apr 1, 2026

Opening today, the Kennesaw State University Department of Theatre and Performance Studies invites audiences into a world of wit, romance and quiet longing with She Loves Me — a musical that proves some stories never go out of style.

Set in a 1930s European perfumery, She Loves Me follows two shop clerks who can’t stand each other in person, yet unknowingly fall in love as anonymous pen pals. It’s a premise that has endured across generations — most famously inspiring the films The Shop Around the Corner and You’ve Got Mail — but on stage, it reveals something even more intimate: the fragile, hopeful act of being truly seen.

With a score by the legendary team behind Fiddler on the Roof, She Loves Me is firmly rooted in what’s known as the “golden age” of musical theatre, a period celebrated for its lush orchestrations, character-driven storytelling and emotional sincerity.

“I’m excited that we’re doing a golden age musical,” said Professor Tim Ellis, choreographer for the show. “It exposes our students to a style they don’t usually do. I don’t know any of our students who have come from a high school that did a golden age musical.” Producing work from this era requires a different kind of discipline, he explained. One where songs carry narrative weight and relationships unfold with precision and care. “For students, it’s both a technical challenge and a deeper immersion into the foundations of musical theatre,” Ellis added.

Producing a golden age musical at the collegiate level is increasingly rare. These works demand a level of musical precision, stylistic nuance and ensemble storytelling that challenges student performers in uniquely rigorous ways. For KSU’s Theatre and Performance Studies students, She Loves Me is more than a production; it’s an opportunity to engage deeply with a foundational piece of the musical theatre canon.

The musical stands out for its timeless themes and a lot of heart, offering both audiences and performers a chance to reconnect with storytelling that prioritizes humanity, humor and emotional truth.

Intimacy, Irony and the Art of Connection

At its core, She Loves Me is about contradiction: the tension between how we present ourselves and who we really are. Much like the broader themes explored across the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies’ season — deception and discovery — the story asks what happens when those layers begin to fall away.

Through clever dialogue, soaring musical numbers and moments of quiet vulnerability, the show captures the awkward beauty of connection. Letters become confessions. Misunderstandings become revelations. And love emerges not through grand gestures, but through honesty.

For today’s students, Ellis notes, the story’s central idea isn’t so different from platforms like Tinder or Hinge: two people forming a connection before truly knowing each other. That parallel makes the show unexpectedly relatable, even as it transports audiences to another time and place.

“It’s this story that keeps finding love,” Ellis said. “A narrative that has evolved from a Hungarian play to mid-century film to modern romantic comedy and now, once again, to the stage.”

Bringing that world to life requires more than just strong performances; it demands a careful sense of style. Ellis’s choreography draws from ballroom traditions and Hungarian dance influences, blending historical inspiration with theatrical storytelling. 

At the same time, the production acknowledges a deeper historical context. While the musical sparkles with charm and humor, it exists against the backdrop of late-1930s Europe — a moment of looming global change.

“It’s letting the students realize that all of this was happening as the Nazi regime was coming to power,” Ellis explains. That tension between lightness and reality adds another layer to the storytelling, reminding audiences how joy and uncertainty often coexist.

As with all productions in the department, She Loves Me is both a performance and a learning laboratory. Students bring the world of the play to life across every discipline, from acting and vocal performance to scenic, costume and lighting design, translating classroom training into a fully realized production.
The result is a piece that feels both polished and deeply personal: a testament to the collaborative spirit that defines the program.

In a cultural moment defined by speed and digital distance, She Loves Me feels almost radical in its simplicity. It slows us down. It asks us to listen. It reminds us that behind every message — typed, texted or handwritten — is a person hoping to be understood.

With a visit to this production, audiences won’t just experience a beloved musical. They’ll step into a story that continues to resonate across decades, generations and mediums.

Because even now, the question at the heart of She Loves Me remains the same: What if the person you’re meant to love is closer than you think?