Meet Lauren Haughton, Choreographer of She Loves Me!

Lauren Haughton

What excites you about this show?
She Loves Me excites me because it is a classic golden age musical that still rings true today. There is a reason this story which began with Miklós László’s Hungarian play, Parfumerie in 1936 was later developed into a movie, The Shop Around the Corner, and most recently, You’ve Got Mail has been retold in so many ways. The bon-bon of a musical that is She Loves Me, written by Broadway giants: Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Joe Masteroff (of later and separate Fiddler & Cabaret fame), is everything a theatre-goer craves in a musical.  I feel honored to be choreographing and assistant directing this heartfelt piece at San Diego Musical Theatre this season.

Why is this a story worth telling?
In the secrecy of Georg and Amalia’s love, we see how love and attraction is not just about the physical. Their relationship is based on the words in their anonymous letters. We see two people who fall in love because of who they are, not what they look like or what they do. This is a universally human story: to be loved for who you are on the inside. It will never grow old or stop being relatable.

What will the audience take away from this show?
There are quite tender moments, as well as laugh-out-loud humor. It’s an old fashioned love story with a strong female at the center, which is not always the case in golden age musicals. Being transported to another time and place is a huge reason why I love creating and also attending theatre. We invite you on a journey to pre-WWII, 1930s Budapest and the simplicity, joy, and conflict that transpires among the lovable characters at Maraczek’s Parfumerie in She Loves Me.