The Wedding Singer
My thoughts on The Wedding Singer or…high hair, hijinks, hilarity, and the Magic Beans
What a totally tubular trip to the 80’s The Wedding Singer at The Firehouse Theatre is! Based on the 1998 film, the 2006 Broadway musical with music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and book by Beguelin and Tim Herlihy, is even more fun than when I saw it almost 20 years ago.
Maybe nostalgia for the 80’s is even greater now, but I believe the Firehouse’s Wedding Singer owes its big success to Directors Owen and Ally Beans aka the Magic Beans who have a gift for reworking infrequently mounted Broadway musicals and spinning them into gold. Here the Beans have some excellent assistance from Music Director Jason Philip Solis who has those 80’s flavored tunes, whether rock or ballad, sounding “Solid Gold” worthy, and Choreographer Kelsey Jordan Ward whose retro dances are so frantically fun, I’m certain the cast had access to oxygen backstage.
It’s 1985 in Ridgefield, New Jersey. Robbie Hart. who sings at weddings with his band, is engaged to Linda. However, Robbie meets waitress Julia Sullivan and there is a mutual immediate attraction. Julia is dating a Wall Street banker named Glen Guglia who proposes to her, and she accepts. After Linda dumps Robbie at the altar, he realizes his depth of feeling for Julia and all those rom com situations arise until the inevitable happy ending is achieved. It’s all formulaic and familiar, but oh so entertaining with nonstop laughs and one “bitchin’” tune following another.
The story plays out on a discoish stage designed by Logan Uhtenwoldt, where rectangular shapes outlined in running lights pulsate with color from lighting designer Hank Baldree. Tyler Hester provides the sound and Dana Rae Dutton’s costumes made me wonder whatever happened to my shiny army green parachute pants.
This cast, most of whom were either not to be born for twenty plus years or wee toddlers in the 80’s, bring their “bodacious” best to this rollicking musical.
As Robbie Hart, the wedding singer himself, Max Rose is a wonder. I first saw Rose in the Firehouse’s Footloose last May and remarked “what a find this young man is” as his portrayal of Willard was a major highlight of the show. In The Wedding Singer last year’s find becomes this year’s star. Rose’s stage charisma and engaging demeanor make his Robbie Hart a winner. His dynamite voice and wonderful comic delivery have us rooting for Robbie from the get-go. There’s a sincerity to Rose’s Robbie that makes him lovable and quietly sexy.
And there’s no denying the rapport between Rose’s Robbie and Alli Crabtree’s Julia. From first meeting to that sweetly awkward first kiss, they are a couple meant to be. Crabtree has a gorgeous mezzo-soprano voice and a sweet, almost girlish, charm that makes Julia irresistible. She’s got that sincerity factor and the comedy chops as well.
As Robbie’s fiancé Linda, Sophia Rodrigues Patterson is perfection as the sexy, self-centered spitfire. Patterson brings both comedy and heat to her two songs “A Note from Linda” and “Let Me Come Home.” A talented singer and dancer, Patterson’s Linda wowed the opening night audience.
Julia is often with her cousin and friend Holly, played by Chloe Bonneau with wit and a bit of a Madonna vibe, often accentuated by her outfits. Also a terrific vocalist, Bonneau brings excitement to “Saturday Night in the City” as she celebrates her wild weekends. Holly has an on again, off again thing for Robbie’s bandmate Sammy.
Dayton Wilson is Sammy, and the long tressed Wilson nails the role of the caring sidekick. I admired his comic style which almost always involved self-admiration and self-deprecation at once. Looking like the rocker he portrays, Wilson is a natural in the role and his vocal prowess adds much to the evening.
I’m convinced that there is no one better at musical theater comedy than Dylan Ciminna who plays Robbie’s other bandmate the flamboyant George. In blue eye shadow and red lipstick, George is a Boy George homage and Ciminna never misses an opportunity to bring humor and warmth to the character. Someone needs to write a Pee Wee Herman musical so Ciminna can earn his Tony. Also a fine singer and dancer, Ciminna’s duet with Andi Allen “Move That Thang” brings down the house.
Oh, that rappin’ granny, Robbie’s grandmother Rosie is played by the wildly comically gifted Andi Allen. She may be the coolest grandmother ever. Rosie does not shy away from off color language or offering her grandson advice on life and sex. Allen has that Lucille Ball sense of comic timing and knows how to slightly exaggerate or emphasize a word or movement to make it hilarious.
Playing the yuppie character that you love to hate is Adam Seirafi as Glen Guglia. Seirafi is all suave charm as the despicable womanizing Guglia. He stays despicable to the end telling Julia he has cheated on her hundreds of times. Seirafi. a skilled actor, also has a great voice as he sings his ode to greed, “All About the Green.”
Jill Baker appears as Julia’s mother Angie. She’s a divorcee with low regard for men. She is supportive of Julia and helps her plan her wedding. Baker is quite funny as the fashionable (?) 80’s mom with her own issues and memorable in the small role.
The backbone of The Wedding Singer is its amazing ensemble. I hesitate to call them an ensemble as they are really a group of very talented actor/singer/dancers who play smaller but important and humorous roles in the musical. They include Shanespeare Alexander, Evie Atwell, Jill Baker, Tony Barone, Simon Heimersson, Denise Johnson, Axel Patino, Grace Philipbar, Sophia Rodrigues Patterson, Aaliyah Smith, and Zane Syjansky.
Chalk up another crowd pleasing hit for the Firehouse Theatre. The Wedding Singer is giddy, romantic, tuneful, and endlessly entertaining with super dancing and singing. I’ve already bought my ticket to go back. This show is gnarly, dude.
Photos by Jason Anderson/Pendleton Photography
