Jane Austen has never been quite so hip as in this modern musical updating of Pride and Prejudice that transplants the beloved romantic tale from 19th century London to modern day New York City. Swapping Victorian social events for J-Date, and reversing the genders of the protagonists, I Love You Because features an infectiously catchy score by Joshua Salzman and endlessly inventive lyrics by Ryan Cunningham that are as relevant as they are hilarious and moving.

I Love You Because explores the state of love in today's world by paralleling one of the world’s classic love stories with the trials and tribulations of today’s twenty-somethings, struggling to find happiness and contentment in a fast-paced city filled with countless roadblocks to bliss. Conservative greeting card writer Austin Bennett and liberal photographer Marcy Fitzwilliams navigate the murky waters of modern dating, sampling every scenario along the way from websites to blind dates to friends with benefits to She’s Just Not That Into You.

Additionally, it explores issues of gender politics, by assigning to each character traits normally associated with the opposite gender, making insightful observations on masculinity and femininity, as they are defined at the start of the new century. It manages all of this while being extremely funny, warm, engaging, and unexpectedly touching. I Love You Because is the perfect romantic musical comedy for today’s jaded theatre crowd, restoring a sense of wonder and sweetness to the genre, while keeping its tongue firmly in cheek.