I Do! I Do!

NICHOLAS AULETTI (Michael) is an actor, director, and playwright from East Quogue. He graduated with a B.A. in Theatre from Lycoming College. Most recently, he was Harry “Jazzbo” Heyward in A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play (Hampton Theatre Company), The Young Man in The American Dream (Corchaug Repertory Theatre), and Shapeshifter Sam and Terry in Six Hours of Purgatory. Previous acting credits include Lodovico and Clown in Othello (Northeast Stage); Jack Gable in Leading Ladies (NFCT); Jedidiah Shultz, Matt Galloway, and Russell Henderson in The Laramie Project (NFCT); Marcellus, Clown, and Fortinbras in Hamlet (Northeast Stage); Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Hampton Theatre Company); and Macduff in Macbeth (Northeast Stage). His works include One Wish, Hold the Mayo (Corchaug Repertory Theatre), Relative (Corchaug Repertory Theatre), and Bite Me Broke (Northeast Stage). He is elated to be part of his fourth production with Hampton Theatre Company. Nick is grateful for the friendly cast and crew for guiding him throughout this process and would also like to thank his friends, family, and Esme for all their support.

SAVANNAH JEAN MOORE (Agnes) grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and moved to New York to pursue her theatrical passions, graduating from LIU Post with her BFA in Musical Theatre. Some favorite roles include: Oklahoma! (Laurie), Legally Blonde (Margot), and Thoroughly Modern Millie (Millie). Off the stage you’ll find Savannah behind the scenes of The Today Show where she works as a Stage Manager and The Kelly Clarkson Show as a Stagehand! She is so excited to be working with the lovely Hampton Theatre Company and would like to thank the creative team for their trust and support; her co-star Nick for braving this crazy show alongside her; and her friends, family, and teachers who have given her the support to get here. I DO! I DO! hope you enjoy the show!

TOM JONES (Book and Lyrics) is an acclaimed American lyricist and librettist best known for The Fantasticks, which ran Off-Broadway for 42 years, becoming the longest-running production in American theater history. His other collaborations with composer Harvey Schmidt include 110 in the Shade (Tony Award nominee), I DO! I DO!, Celebration, and Philemon, among many other influential works. Jones and Schmidt received numerous honors, including an Obie Award, a Special Tony Award, induction into the Broadway Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Oscar Hammerstein Award. Following Schmidt’s retirement and before his death in 2023, Jones continued creating new musicals with composers Andrew Gerle, Joseph Thalken, and others, maintaining a lasting legacy in American musical theatre.

HARVEY SCHMIDT (Music) was an acclaimed American composer and award-winning graphic artist, best known for composing The Fantasticks, the longest-running musical in theatre history, as well as 110 in the Shade and I DO! I DO! In addition to his musical achievements, Schmidt enjoyed a distinguished career as an illustrator, with work featured in Life, Esquire, Fortune, and Harper’s Bazaar. Born in Dallas, Texas, he was largely self-taught in both music and art, drawing inspiration from church hymns, classical radio broadcasts, and classic Hollywood musicals. While studying art at the University of Texas at Austin, he began his legendary collaboration with lyricist Tom Jones—a creative partnership that spanned more than five decades and left an enduring mark on American musical theatre.

ROSEMARY T. CLINE (Director/Co-Producer) last appeared on the HTC stage in 2025 as Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. She is delighted to be Co-Producing I DO! IDO! with her longtime collaborator, Andrew Botsford. Her first HTC directing gig was A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in May 2024. A founding member of the company and current board president, she has had leading roles in over 40 HTC productions. She spent 15 years in NYC performing in theatre, film and TV, as well as seven years in summer stock in the Tri-State Region. More recently she continued her acting and directing studies at Stony Brook Southampton with playwright Lucas Hnath, Mercedes Ruehl, Joanna Merlin, Tony Walton and Rinde Eckert. Having finished 14 years as theatre director at Westhampton Beach High School, she’s excited to share her new career as an audiobook narrator and can be found at rosemaryclinenarrator.com. Heaps of thanks to our amazing Music Director, Dee Lavelglia, our beautiful cast and crew, and to everyone in our company who makes the magic happen season after season. All love to Christopher, Cashew, Carter, her mother and father, with a wink to Poonie and Jane.

DEE LAVEGLIA (Music Director, Accompanist) is a retired teacher who attended Juilliard and has a Master’s Degree in Music Education. He was the music director and a performer for: HTC’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Bottoms Up and Much Ado about Nothing for Northeast Stage; Oliver, The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Seussical and Annie for Spotlight Theatre; How to Eat Like a Child, The Holiday Show, and Vampires Suck at the Vail Leavitt Music Hall; Cry Baby, A Christmas Carol (Live Radio Play), Little Shop of Horrors, The Sound of Music, Nunsense, Godspell, and Cinderella at North Fork Community Theatre; Blood Brothers, Little Shop of Horrors, Nunsense, and The World Goes Round for Backstage Theatre Company; Company and Merrily We Roll Along at the Southampton Cultural Center; Damn Yankees for Playcrafters; Fame, the Musical at Airport Playhouse; the Theatre Ensemble production of Berlin; Second Chance and Nunsense at Theatre at the Glen; The Wizard of Oz for Quogue Junior Theater Troupe; The Best of Broadway for WHBPAC Arts Academy; cabaret shows at Bay Street Theater and the Triad; and Mood Indigo, Celebrating Shakespeare, The Making of Moby Dick, The Making of Molly Bloom, Walt Whitman: Songs of the People, Letters to the World, Yeats in Love, and Rilke on Rilke at various libraries on the East End. He has also performed at churches, wineries, weddings, private parties, restaurants, for recordings and as accompanist for Alec Baldwin’s acting class at Ross School. He is currently working on several projects in his recording studio in Mattituck. Dee would like to thank his wife, Madeline.

ANDREW BOTSFORD (Co-Producer) is delighted to be co-producing a musical directed by Rosemary Cline for a second time, having first worked in that capacity on A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in 2024. As an actor he has appeared in more than 50 Hampton Theatre Company productions since 1985, most recently as George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Also a director, his most recent productions were Admissions by Joshua Harmon in 2020 and Ripcord by David Lindsay-Abaire in 2022. Other regional stage work includes three roles in Round Table Theatre Company’s East Hampton production of Shakespeare’s Scottish play and Noël Coward’s Tonight at 8:30 at Guild Hall’s John Drew Theater. The host of a summer film commentary program at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, he is also a host of the annual all-documentaries Hamptons Doc Fest in December in Sag Harbor. An archive of his now very occasional illustrated columns on life in Quogue can be found at atquaquanantuck.wordpress.com.

EMILY DERRICK (Choreographer) Emily is a NYC based creative artist whose dance training began in Atlanta, where she studied under Jonnie Kelley and with Atlanta Ballet. Her recent choreography credits include Annie, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid. Emily is a founding member of Street Beats Tap Company, has performed as a dancer for Disney, and has appeared on stages throughout the United States and internationally. Select performance credits include Elf, Seussical, Oklahoma!, and The Wizard of Oz. Much love to Dave, so glad I said, I DO! I DO!

MEG SEXTON (Technical Director) has been with Hampton Theatre Company for five seasons filling a variety of roles including set design, scenic carpentry, sound design, and projection design. She has previously worked as the Education Manager at Bay Street Theater as well as the Grants Manager & Marketing Coordinator at Patchogue Theatre. Currently, she is the Director of Marketing at The Suffolk, the Development Assistant & Content Editor at Patchogue Arts Council, and a scenic carpenter for National Event Connection.

TERESA L. LEBRUN (Costume Designer) is the resident costume designer for Hampton Theatre Company, and has been with the company just shy of its 40-year lifespan. She began helping with costumes in 1986, and has designed the costumes for all the company’s productions since 2006. She has also costumed for Westhampton Beach and Center Moriches high schools. Last spring Teresa costumed The Suffolk’s production of 12 Angry Men and is excited to return for their production of To Kill a Mockingbird this spring. Much love to her sons Josh and Noah, family and great friends.

MELISA DIDIO (Rehearsal Stage Manager) recently moved to Quogue with her family and is excited to return to her love of the theatre. After graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, she began her career acting in plays and television. Prior to moving to Long Island, she was the assistant theatre director at Bedford Middle School in Westport, CT for over 10 years. She has worked for the Hampton Theatre Company on the productions of Now and Then, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The Thanksgiving Play and thrilled to be working on I DO! I DO!.

STEPHANIE MCGRATH (Production Stage Manager) is a production stage manager with experience in national touring and theatrical productions. She served as the Production Stage Manager for the second national tour of Hero: The Boy from Troy and as Assistant Stage Manager for Gateway’s Haunted Playhouse. She is committed to clear communication, strong organization, and supporting collaborative rehearsal and performance environments. She is excited for you to see the show!

STEVE ROGERS (Lead Carpenter) For the past 25 years, Steve has designed and built sets and served as lighting designer for Ward Melville High School’s annual musicals, including The Phantom of the Opera, Sweeney Todd, Miss Saigon, Mamma Mia, and many more. He recently retired after a 31-year career as a Technology Education teacher and as Head Coach of the Ward Melville FIRST Robotics Team. To the cast and crew of I DO! I DO! — break a leg!

KIERAN X. QUINN (Carpenter) has worked as a furniture contractor in New York City for the past 13 years while pursuing his passion for art and illustration. He is currently illustrating comic books, brewing beer, and living the dream with his wife and baby boy. Excited to be behind the scenes with HTC, Kieran looks forward to building more sets and tackling new creative challenges.

GEORGE A. LOIZIDES (Prop Master) is a veteran of HTC having acted in 13 productions and directed 12 productions, most recently last season’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. He has been an actor and director for more than 55 years. He studied acting and directing at the HB Studio in NYC. For 27 years he was Director of Theater Arts for Ward Melville High School where he taught acting and directing and directed 81 productions. He is Vice President of the Board of Directors, a member of the Artistic Committee and Administrator of the Diana and Peter Marbury Scholarship. Break a leg to the wonderful cast and crew.

MARY POWERS (Props) has worked extensively as a director and as a producer for 30 years. Locally she has directed at Theatre Three, Patchogue Theatre and Guild Hall. She worked as assistant director for Bay Street Theatre’s Gross Points, starring Alec Baldwin, and as assistant director for Julie Andrews on The Boyfriend. She is involved with Arts in Education projects, having worked with local high schools, Guild Hall, the Children’s Museum of the East End, and Bay Street Theatre’s Young Playwrights. Most recently she has directed Strictly Murder, Now and Then and The Thanksgiving Play for HTC. She is happy to rejoin old friends at HTC, where she now serves as a board member.

KELLY WERESNICK (Lighting Tech) has worked with HTC on previous shows including The Thanksgiving Play, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Boeing Boeing, Now and Then, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play, and The Portuguese Kid. She studied technical theatre with a concentration in theatre lighting at Suffolk County Community College. She was the lighting designer and board operator for Cry Baby, A Catered Affair, Spamalot and The Wizard of Oz at North Fork Community Theater in Mattituck. Thanks to her parents and sister Colleen and Uncle Billy for the drive and inspiration to pursue technical theatre.

ROBERT REEVE (Sound Engineer) is an accomplished sound engineer with extensive experience in the live theatre industry. With a strong background in audio technology, Robert has worked on a wide variety of theatrical productions, contributing his expertise to mixing and technical management. In addition to his theatre work, Robert has also contributed to live events and concerts, further enhancing his versatility in the field. His commitment to excellence in sound design and his ability to adapt to any project, no matter the scale or complexity, has earned him a reputation as a respected sound engineer.

ALEX J. WHITE (Sound Tech) has worked in a variety of music, theatre, corporate and private live event productions for well over a decade. He’s developed a diverse skill set that makes him an adaptable asset to any production. From his time in Manhattan, to his work on the East End of Long Island and countless events and productions in between, he has had the privilege of working with some of the best in the business as a Sound Engineer, Stage Manager and Guitar Tech. He is also a seasoned musician, whether it be guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, drums, or anything else, who’s enjoyed all of his time spent in the music industry.

ESMERALDA CABRERA (Dresser) is delighted to be a wardrobe crew member in I DO! I DO!. A local actress, her past credits include North Fork Community Theatre’s Noises Off (Brooke/Vicki), Northeast Stage’s Hamlet (Ophelia), Hampton Theatre Company’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Tintinabula) and Hampton Theatre Company’s The Portuguese Kid (Patty). Esmé wants to thank you for coming to see the show and wants to shoutout her fiancé Nick for always giving his 110% in shows.

JOCELYN PAIGE PODLAS (Dresser) Jocelyn is ecstatic to be helping out behind the scenes of I DO! I DO! Jocelyn is an elementary teacher and longtime lover of theatre. You may have recently seen her onstage in NFCT’s productions of School of Rock (Rosalie Mullins/Assistant Producer), Cinderella (Charlotte), or 9 to 5 (Roz). Jocelyn’s backstage credits include dressing for NFCT’s productions of Leading Ladies and A Few Good Men. Jocelyn would like to thank the Hampton Theatre Company for welcoming her with open arms and her family for encouraging her to explore her passion. @jocelynpodlas

JULIA MORGAN ABRAMS (House Manager) After retiring from the legal department of Bristol Myers Squibb, Julia began a second career as a volunteer, initially for Literacy Suffolk, HTC, the Southampton Animal Shelter and Early Girl Farm, where she wrote grants and worked in fundraising. She continues to write grants and help with marketing for several local nonprofits. She would like to thank all of her dedicated House Assistants for their continued support.

REVIEW: Savannah Jean Moore & Nicholas Auletti Shine in “I Do! I Do!”

by T.J. Clemente
hamptons.com
Judging by the opening night’s thunderous applause, the Hampton Theatre Company’s production of “I Do! I Do!” is a smashing and dazzling success. Kudos to HTC President and Director Rosemary Cline, who, besides doing an outstanding job as Director, is also a Producer, as is Andrew Botsford. “I Do! I Do! is a musical by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones that follows a couple through fifty years of marriage. This hit musical will be presented at Quogue Community Hall, running through March 29.

The small cast of “I Do! I Do!” consists of Nicholas Auletti as “Michael,” and HTC newcomer Savannah Jean Moore as “Agnes.” One cannot offer enough praise for Savannah Jean Moore’s performance as “Agnes.” Her sweet singing voice and graceful movements, gestures, pivots, and overall energy blended so well with her co-star. Pay attention to Ms. Moore because she is a star either in the making or in the process of being discovered. Her powerful solos on the songs “Something Has Happened” and “What Is A Woman” are most memorable. Watching her on stage is worth the price of two tickets.

The development and ever-growing talent of Nicholas Auletti is on full display in “I Do I Do.” He sings, he dances, romances, and is funny, as well as serious. Mr. Auletti is an all “up-front and center actor” who uses his abilities to project and to propel this show right into the hearts and souls of the audience. This reviewer personally enjoyed his rendition of the song, “I Love My Wife!”

Ms. Moore and Mr. Auletti’s final duet, “This House,” brought most of the audience to tears, leading to an emotional standing ovation.

Good job to Dressers Esmeralda Cabrera and Jocelyn Paige Podlas, who appear on stage, moving things and setting things up discreetly.

A delightful added feature of this production was that, after the curtain call applause, General Manager Terry Brennan of the Hampton Theatre Company extended the celebration of marriage by inviting three couples onto the stage for a complimentary vow renewal ceremony presided over by Quogue Mayor Robert Treuhold.

The plan moving forward is that, following most performances, couples in the audience can reaffirm their marriage vows on stage right after the show, but reservations are required.

A big-time salute to the HTC’s behind-the-scenes team. A shout-out to Musical Director Dee Laveglia and to the marvelous Set Design of Steve Rodgers, along with the efforts of Choreographer Emily Derrick. The flawless Lighting Design is by Sebastian Paczynski. The Technical Director is Meg Sexton, and the Costume Designer is Teresa LeBrun. Then there are the efforts of Lead Carpenters Steve Rogers and Kieran Quinn. Sound Engineers- Rob Reeve and Alex J. White. The Rehearsal Stage Manager, Melissa Didio, and The Production Stage Manager, Stephanie McGrath.

Performances of “I Do! I Do!” at the Quogue Community Hall will run until March 29 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7, and on Sundays at 2:30. An additional matinee performance will be offered on Saturday, March 28, at 2:30, before the regular 7 p.m. performance that evening.

Two post-show talkbacks featuring the Director and cast will be offered following the March 20 and March 27 evening performances.

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Rediscover Love in ‘I Do! I Do!’ at Hampton Theatre Company

Lee Meyer
27East, March 15, 2026
There’s a simple trunk that sits in the center of a bedroom for the duration of the Hampton Theatre Company’s production of “I Do! I Do!” that is used, ostensibly, to store props.

But the trunk, really, represents so much more — if you’ve ever stored something important in a box, you’ll relate as the married couple at the center of this touching musical opens and closes the trunk to remove and store a variety of memories, both sweet and bitter, hopeful and lost.

There’s only one set in “I Do! I Do!” and it’s this bedroom. It sees the humble, hopeful beginnings of a marriage, its early years rife with both joy and bitterness, its middle years spent with wondering “what could have been” and a final, poignant moment sure to soften even the most cynical of theatergoers.

With solid direction by Rosemary Cline and stellar performances, HTC’s “I Do! I Do!” is a rare treat of a regional revival, a show not often produced on Long Island, that deserves a longer vow renewal.

It’s 1898, and Mike (played by Long Island actor Nicholas Auletti) and Agnes (HTC newcomer Savannah Jean Moore) have just gotten married. After a sweet rumination on what it means to each of them to be married (“All the Dearly Beloved”), Mike and Agnes navigate their first night together, with the savvy Agnes able to deduce that, like her, Mike isn’t experienced in the ways of intimacy.

In a series of short, musical vignettes, Mike and Agnes go through the early stages of a traditional marriage, including the births of their son and daughter and all the anxieties that come with parenthood.

But their first real challenge emerges when Mike becomes a successful author, boosting his ego and making Agnes play second fiddle to his new, hot-to-trot lifestyle. When Mike and Agnes have their first major fight, it seems like their marriage is over, played to the tune of “The Honeymoon Is Over” — but there’s a second act, of course, and Mike and Agnes’s journey has barely begun.

Hampton Theatre Company has a real gem on its hands with “I Do! I Do!” The show, with book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt, premiered on Broadway in 1966. Made famous for its single “My Cup Runneth Over,” the play is presented as a series of musical vignettes showcasing scenes from Michael and Agnes’s marriage over the course of 50 years.

Auletti, a talented charmer, is matched by the effervescent Moore, who refuses to play Agnes as the intellectual inferior to the oft-pompous Michael. This is a show that relies on the chemistry of two actors for the duration of its two-hour runtime; Auletti and Moore are more than up to the task. They sing, they soft-shoe and they convincingly age, often without leaving the stage.

Auletti and Moore are helped along on their marital journey by a strong production, with lovely period costumes by Teresa L. LaBrun and a simple but clever interior bedroom set by Steve Rogers that has more going on than first meets the eye.

The musical itself is a lovely piece of theater, with elegant songs that don’t overstay their welcome. “My Cup Runneth Over” is a sweet love song, but it’s far from the only standout. Agnes’s ballad “What Is a Woman?” poses questions about a woman’s place in the world besides being a wife and mother.

And the story of the couple is refreshingly low-key instead of a melodramatic epic. Mike and Agnes are flawed individuals with relatable issues. Mike wants to be one of the great writers, but continues to churn out fast-selling romance novels. Agnes longs for something more than motherhood and keeping house. These inner conflicts often explode into fights between the two, but Auletti and Moore are so compelling that you hope the characters will get over themselves and find their way back to one another each time.

Perhaps the most stirring moment in a musical full of thought-provoking moments is a late, wordless scene set to music in which Auletti and Moore sit down and apply aging makeup and wigs to signify a large passage of time. The actors, who occasionally address the audience in-character during the show, never break character as Michael’s hair grays and Agnes’s wrinkles grow. The actors apply their makeup with grace, even as the characters have resisted aging throughout the action.

At the end of “I Do! I Do!” Agnes and Michael, 50 years on, plan to leave their big house and master bedroom for something smaller and more befitting their older age. Michael and Agnes reminisce about their long, fruitful marriage and the trunk is once again used to store some important items that won’t be spoiled here. As Agnes and Michael leave the bedroom, they leave it — and the audience — full of memories.

The Hampton Theatre Company’s production of “I Do! I Do!” runs through March 29 at Quogue Community Hall, 25 Jessup Avenue in Quogue. Dee LaVeglia serves as music director and lighting design is by Sebastian Paczynski. Tickets are $50 ($46 seniors, $30 students, $40 for veterans and Native Americans) at hamptontheatre.org or by calling 631-653-8955.

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Hampton Theatre Company’s I DO! I DO! Delivers a Nostalgic, Wise Take on Love & Marriage

Dan’s Papers
By Marc Horowitz
In the 1960s and ’70s, my mother, Barbara, almost always had something spinning on the living room “hi-fi.” Barbara’s tastes were eclectic, at least to a point. There was jazz and classical, and plenty of Elvis and Johnny Cash and Joni Mitchell and The Beatles. More often than not, though, it was all about Broadway soundtracks.

This reviewer was raised on a heavy rotation of show tunes – particularly the great contemporary musicals of the day.

Shows like Funny Girl (1964), Fiddler on the Roof (1965), Cabaret (1966), 1776 (1969), Grease (1971) and A Chorus Line (1976) got lots of playing time in our Manhattan apartment, and later, our house in suburbia. I knew their scores by heart before I hit my teens.

Maybe she was profoundly interested in romantic relationships. Or maybe she just loved the music. But there were two soundtracks that my mother played more often than anything else. Both shows explored the intricacies of love and marriage, and both have been indelibly etched into my consciousness for the better part of five decades, long before I saw them on stage for the first time as revivals.

One was Stephen Sondheim’s Company (1970). From its eponymous opening number (“Bobby; Bobby; Bobby Baby; Bobby bubi; Robbie…”) to its finale, Sondheim’s erudite masterpiece still feels entirely modern and entirely relevant 56 years after its Broadway debut.

The other was, of course, I DO! I DO!. Though first staged on Broadway in 1966, only four years before Company, Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt’s musical belongs to an entirely different era. So many of the classic numbers from the show are a hugely important part of my personal canon.

Given I DO! I DO!’s importance as a foundational piece of my musical architecture, I approached Hampton Theatre Company’s new production with a combination of giddy anticipation and caution.

If you’re staging this show, there are definitely some challenges:

For one thing, this is a two-person musical that takes place entirely in a bedroom (albeit one with a rotating bed). It features roles that were originated by Robert Preston and Mary Martin, two of the most incandescently gifted and charismatic stars in Broadway history – a pair of performers whose line readings and vocal pyrotechnics tend to stay with people. (When somebody says “Stella” you hear Brando in your head. When somebody says “nobody’s perfect” you hear Robert Preston and Mary Martin. At least I do.)

The show begins at the very end of the 19th century and spans 50 years in the life of a married couple with children. So, in addition to performing many demanding vocal numbers, often with complex harmonies and key changes, the players must age convincingly – not an easy task for young actors. Plus, the character of Agnes in particular is called on to whipsaw between a range of emotions and motivations. The conflicts, resolutions and transitions happen fast in Tom Jones’s script. In those scenes, an actor’s dramatic range is even more crucial than her vocal chops.

Would one of my favorite shows of all time hold up against the nostalgic hagiography of my memory? Would director Rosemary Cline and the HTC creative team give I DO! I DO! the kind of treatment it deserves? Would its stars meet the challenges of the material?

I’m happy to report that the answer to all my questions was a definitive ‘yes.’

Like marriage itself, this production is multi-layered, heartfelt, surprisingly adventurous and occasionally messy. It’s also old-school in the best possible way and utterly charming.

Both of the show’s young stars acquit themselves well. Nicholas Auletti, an East Quogue native, seems to have been built in a laboratory to play a guy from the late 19th century. Yes, he has a powerful and emotive singing voice that never stumbles over the tricky vocal sections. And despite an unfortunate stage moustache, his acting choices generally land well. But his vibe is the most uncanny thing about his performance. The guy’s character gets married in a top hat and tails, almost 100 years before anyone has heard of the internet, and he manages to feel completely of that era.

I’m not sure what kind of time-travel sorcery Auletti brought to his role, but it certainly pays dividends. Suspension of disbelief is a lot easier when your male lead absolutely inhabits the old-timey vibe that’s so crucial to the play.

Nailing the angst and complicated interior life of a father on his little girl’s wedding day, Auletti also delivers a pitch-perfect take on “My Daughter is Marrying an Idiot,” one of the show’s most entertaining – and wise – solo numbers,

A longtime HTC player and the current president of the theater’s board of directors, Rosemary Cline makes plenty of good decisions in only her second directorial outing for the company. But casting Auletti in the role of Michael is probably the single best choice she made.

Then there’s Agnes, as played by Savannah Jean Moore. Though it would be difficult for any scene partner to portray a character of a bygone era as convincingly as her co-star, Moore also manages to feel right at home in the 19th century. Later, she does some of her finest work as an older version of Agnes. She nails the tentativeness and caution and the physical discomforts of old age: the unsteady walk, the shakiness (and subtle vocal changes) that naturally occur through the years.

As a vocalist, Moore may be at her best when duetting with Auletti. In “Nobody’s Perfect,” arguably the show’s most well known number, she excels. She generally has lovely intonation, but in “Perfect,” her comedic timing is on full display as she parries with her co-star and gets in plenty of memorable vocal licks. “You chew in your sleep,” Agnes talk-sings at Michael midway through the number, her voice dripping with vitriol. It’s funny, of course – and everybody who has ever been in a long-term relationship knows exactly where she’s coming from.

The most demanding solo number in the show is probably “Flaming Agnes,” which imagines a hedonistic gay divorcee in middle age – a character Agnes sometimes longs to be, but will never actually become outside the confines of her imagination. Vocally, it’s a stops-out kind of number. When it crescendos, it requires abandon – and Moore leans into it. But to keep it from collapsing in on itself, the song also requires a degree of control, which she seems to know intuitively when to apply.

Agnes is a character who makes considered decisions. But in the next breath, she changes her mind. She’s leaving. She’s staying. She’s leaving again. Nope, she’s staying. Moore manages to bring the audience into Agnes’s process despite the abruptness – the scripted fickleness – of some of her most potent decisions.

Typical of men of the period, Auletti’s Mike isn’t big on evolving. He has his fling and thinks seriously about blowing up his marriage, but talks himself out of it when he realizes how much he has to lose. It’s as if he’s forced into his changes, motivated more by fear of losing Agnes than anything else. In those scenes, Auletti and Moore bring a complicated, world-weary chemistry to their roles.

Yes, there’s tenderness there – and genuine love. And the actors show the audience what that looks like, particularly in the final scene. But there’s also a long history of ambivalence and questionable behavior, a hardened patina of casual cruelty and unmet expectations. Moore and Auletti channel those marital realities in a performance that feels wise beyond their years.

In a nod to the commitment all good marriages need to survive, HTC is offering couples the opportunity to renew their vows on stage after the show while Moore and Auletti serve as witnesses. It’s a lovely little wrinkle, the brainchild of HTC’s general manager Terry Brennan, who officiates over the short ceremony. On the night I attended, two couples took HTC up on its invitation. And Brennan said that quite a few more couples have signed up to do the same at upcoming performances.

The couples renewing their vows on stage would probably agree with the sentiments expressed in this show’s signature number. Nobody’s perfect – it’s true. But this thoroughly enjoyable production reminds us that marriage isn’t about being perfect. It’s about trying our best to be good. And as the years melt away, being good should be good enough.

FROM SUNRISE HIGHWAY (ROUTE-27):
Sunrise Highway (Route 27) to exit 64S (Rte. 104 to Quogue). Rte. 104 South (approx. 3 miles) to Montauk Highway (Rte. 80). Right onto Montauk Highway to light at Otis Ford (1 mile). Left onto Jessup Avenue. 1/2 mile to theater (on right). FROM MONTAUK HIGHWAY (ROUTE-80):
Montauk Highway to light at Otis Ford in Quogue. South onto Jessup Avenue. 1/2 mile to theater (on right).

PARKING: There is limited street parking around the theater as well as a parking lot that can be entered just north of the Quogue Community Hall. WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: A handicapped accessible entrance is located on the right (north) side of the building. Please use the driveway on the north side of the theater and ring the bell marked HTC Handicapped at the ramp entrance to the building and a volunteer will assist you; or have a member of your party notify us on arrival at the box office if you’d like to use this entrance. If a member of your party requires a wheelchair in the theater, please reserve one seat at the end of a row. ASSISTED LISTENING DEVICES: The theater does not have assisted listening devices at this time.