Time has been kind to the musical romantic-comedy “She Loves Me.” Originally premiering on Broadway with a short run in 1963 and revived three times since — once in 1993, another in 2011 and more famously in 2016 — in more recent times, the show has become a staple in the repertoire of community playhouses and theatre groups across the country.

Based on the 1937 play “Parfumerie” by Hungarian-American playwright Miklós László, “She Loves Me” follows the lives of two warring perfume shop clerks — Georg and Amalia — who have been unknowingly writing anonymous love letters to each other as part of their newspaper’s lonely hearts club. In this comedy of errors and hijinks, their lives intersect with the lives of the store owner and the other clerks, who suffer from their own rollercoasters of romantic victories and woes.

It is a show that is helplessly about love. The book is frothy and light by design. The melodies are sweet and boisterous, the comedy is sharp and breezy, and the romance is delightful and swoon-worthy. In other words, “She Loves Me” is classic escapism, and everyone could use some of that these days.

For fans of fashion, the detailed period costumes, and especially the layered winter outfits, are so much fun to behold. 

Powered by a beautiful classical score and a live orchestra that sits right on stage behind the action, old meets new with the minimalist scenic and production design. With the extra open space, the staging lends itself to many pretty images and vignettes.

Though the minimalistic sets are a deviation from the grand and flashy looks of more recent versions of the show, such as the 2016 Broadway revival, it does help modernize the story and bring more focus to the characters and their relationships.

Claudia Bennett (Amalia in the opening night cast) and Andy Wissink (Georg) play the leads with ineffable charm and mighty vocals. The classic enemies-to-lovers story feels fresh in their hands. Whereas many romantic comedies might purposefully hinge upon their leads to carry the story all the way through, “She Loves Me” has a very excellent ensemble of supporting character actors who often steal the show.

Jaina Jallow (playing Ilona in the opening night cast) and Ryan Burton and Blake Ferris (playing Sipos and Kodaly, respectively) round out the group of clerks and deliver joyful and lively performances. Each of them brought down the house with their hilarious musical numbers and unique quirks. All of their exits were met with great applause.

Mitchell Dambrowski plays the disgruntled store owner, Mr. Maraczek, and Ethan Holder plays lovable delivery boy, Arpad. One still longing for his youth and the other in too much of a hurry to grow up — the heart of the show also rests in their stories.

Arjun Lakshman and Bruno Koskoff add even more comedic relief — to a show already filled to the brim with it — as two waiters in charge of preserving a restaurant’s romantic atmosphere by any means necessary. And thanks to an energetic revolving door ensemble that dons many hats, there is really not a single dull second in this two-and-a-half-hour affair.

One can attest to the timeless quality of this musical simply by looking at its timeline. The story is nearly a century old. The songs were all written in the early 1960s, and Hollywood has adapted the basis of the play not once, not twice, but three times. And yet, in 2024, it can still feel brand new and just as easily connect with people of all ages and generations.

“She Loves Me” is deeply and unabashedly romantic, and today’s audiences latch onto that. In an age of situationships and perpetual talking stages, what’s so wrong about falling madly in love in a matter of 10 minutes? This is a show that operates under the assumption that love hits people like a train. It’s very cute and schmaltzy, and that may be too much to bear for some, but it will certainly win over most.

The night ended with a standing ovation. The biggest complaint that comes to mind is the fact that this show ran at USC in late September instead of late November. It is a perfect choice for the holiday season, in fact, the show ends on Christmas Eve. Without spoiling the ending, just know that there is lots of snow involved, without a mistletoe in sight.