WATERFORD, Mich.–I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, the musical sketch comedy by Jo DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts addresses very universal conflicts, situations, laughs, tender moments–all in the name of finding love. How universal? The show has been translated into 17 languages.

The version we have to enjoy this month at Two Muses Theatre in Waterford, Mich., features Diane Hill, John DeMerell , Carrie Jay Sayer and Topher Payne. The four, who play several different parts, handle the material, which can, at times, feel a bit thin, with great craft. Their veteran chops and chemistry keep the whole show on a high level of comedy and music.

Act 1 explores the trials of meeting members of the opposite sex, dating, etc. Act II goes into marriage, kids, in-laws, road trips and even senior dating. The whole show has a feeling of perhaps being a string of sketches one might have seen over a period of time on the Carol Burnet Show about the same topics, with Burnett, Vicki Lawrence, Tim Conway and Harvey Korman.

Diane Hill pulls triple duty as actress, director and musical director. And few actresses handle uptight angst better. Even as a senior who meets an amorous phlegmy Jewish senior admirer (John DeMerell) at a funeral, she starts out angsty, but mellows in the sketch to someone who would be very pleased to have his company both in and out of bed. And we root for them.

DeMerell is a welcome sight throughout the show. He has one of the most expressive faces around, able to play a wide range of characters and do an amazing job of conveying most of that range whether he is talking or not. Topher Payne plays a range of ages, too, as well as a range of men–from a dysfunctional dope, to a Mr. Man, to a tender suitor. Carrie Jay Sayer handles everything from being sexy to self-deprecating to kvetchy in her range of characters. Her sunny presence and top-drawer vocals makes all of them go down well.

The set design is simple, but very accommodating. Paul Stark, who designed and painted, executed a very smart plan of big bold pastel shapes, and the furnishings all got the same treatment–chairs and table all being bolstered with painted fronts. The effect is to make the set pieces look comic-bookish or artwork you might find on greetings cards or in a kid’s room. The cast manages to turn rolling desk chairs into a car, and DeMerell becomes a TV announcer by holding up a TV frame around his head. Using cardboard painted cutouts for dresses and tuxedos was also a nice stroke. This consistent art direction and look for the show ties all the different sketches together and grounds them into one show. What at first looked cheapish actually worked extremely well.

Marty Mandelbaum plays keyboard, while Susan Hammerton accompanies him on violin. The two are on top of the score throughout, playing with lovely energy, and the simple arrangements match the actors’ perfectly.

The show is a bon-bon. It all goes down easy, and is as fun to watch as two hours of Carol Burnett sketches. Done as well as the Two Muses company executes, that’s not a bad thing at all given all the wretched news happening on a day-to-day basis. Sit back and enjoy. And you can even take your coffee, pop or wine to your seat.

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