A MARRIAGE MUSICAL THAT SPANS
50 YEARS—ALL IN ONE BEDROOM

Palm Canyon’s I Do! I Do! is consistently enchanting,
with actors strong enough to make this
intimate two-hander feel genuinely moving

In a word, Palm Canyon Theatre’s current production of I Do! I Do! is charming. Nearly 60 years after it premiered, the Tom Jones/Harvey Schmidt musical—adapted by Jones from Jan de Hartog’s play The Fourposter—still has the power to melt the iciest of hearts. And the two talented performers anchoring the show in Palm Springs, Christine Tringali Nunes and David Brooks, make a persuasive case for why this two-hander has endured.

The story traces a couple over 50 years of married life. When the lights first come up, bride Agnes and groom Michael sit on opposite sides of the stage in their wedding finery, staring out at the audience with faces frozen in absolute panic. That single image earns an instant, warm chuckle—because who hasn’t felt that mix of excitement and terror at the start of something life-altering? After a brief tableau, musical director Linda Mack Berven begins at the piano, joined by Jim Watson on drums and Larry Holloway on bass, as the couple delivers interspersed soliloquies, pondering what their marriage will bring.

After the wedding kiss, the curtain opens to reveal a bedroom dominated by a fourposter bed center stage. Set designer J. W. Layne gives the headboard and footboard striking Baroque artwork—exactly the right choice for a show that lives (mostly) on one piece of furniture. Nick Edwards’ imaginative projections extend the bedroom’s “wallpaper” to windows on either side of the bed, so the room can quietly evolve as decades pass.

Most importantly, Nunes and Brooks do consistently terrific work as Agnes and Michael. In lesser hands, a two-person show can feel thin or repetitive. Here, their acting and singing keep viewers in the palms of their hands. I even saw the original Broadway cast—Mary Martin and Robert Preston—and while that’s a high bar to clear, this production earns its own kind of enchantment: intimate, affectionate, and unforced.

When the actor originally slated to play Michael had to bow out, Brooks stepped in to pull double duty as both star and director. Kudos to this crafty theatre artist for making it all look effortless. Choreography by Se Layne is smartly handled by both actors, and sound designer Nick Campbell keeps them consistently audible, with just a touch of reverb added for ballads such as “What Is a Woman?”

Although specific dates are never mentioned in the musical, the story spans decades, and Derik Shopinski’s costumes clearly track that transition. Michael’s tuxedos evolve along the way, and Agnes’s wedding gown is lovely. One standout arrives during a marital spat when Agnes envisions herself as a red-hot single (“Flaming Agnes”) in a rust-colored print with billowing sleeves and a feathered hat over two feet wide. (Kudos also to costume assistants Virginia Sulick and Colleen Walker for the lightning-quick changes.)

Near the end, the two actors sit at dressing tables on either side of the stage, applying age makeup, white wigs, and overcoats. Their movements slow into measured steps. As they prepare to leave the home that held half a century of joy, compromise, and collision, they dress the bed with the same pillow that greeted them on their wedding night, add a bottle of champagne, and walk off together—taking a piece of our hearts with them.

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photos by Tara Howard

I Do! I Do!
Palm Canyon Theatre
538 N. Palm Canyon Dr. in Palm Springs
Thurs at 7; Fri & Sat at 7:30; Sun at 2
ends on January 25, 2026
for tickets (including fees: $46 adults; $20 students),
call 760.323.5123 or visit Palm Canyon Theatre

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