Wedding singer Robbie Hart has wished many a bride and groom well and made their day extra special. But on the day of his own wedding, he is cruelly jilted and spirals into a deep depression which bleeds into his work. Hope arrives in the form of Julia Sullivan, a waitress who is regrettably engaged to a Wall Street shark. Will Robbie find a way to win Julia’s heart or is he doomed to a lonely life living in his grandmother’s basement? Discover the answer in The Wedding Singer which is currently playing at Great Plains Theatre.
I typically don’t watch rom-coms, so I never even watched the film upon which this musical was based. However, I was quite surprised with how this story plays with the typical rom-com formula. It takes some twists and turns and has quite a deal of fun in getting to the inevitable ending. It also helps that the movie’s writer, Tim Herlihy, also helped write this script so his vision was able to be transitioned to the medium of the stage. Throw in a clever and fun score by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, mix in an immensely talented cast, add a dash of top flight direction with a pinch of epic choreography and you have the recipe for a gourmet night of fun.
Mitchell Aiello really understands the script and his direction reflects that understanding. He knows when to go big and he knows when to be authentic. His staging is spot on as I felt I had stepped back in time to the 1980s and he led his actors to sterling performances which were a delightful mix of over-the-top hilarity and genuine emotion as the need arose.
I can’t say enough good things about this ensemble. Each was always involved in the moment. Their harmonies were beautiful. Their dancing was pristine and immaculate. Some of the stellar performances came from Erica Lee Bigelow who tramps it up as Robbie’s jilting skank ex. Kristina Miranda Sloan is a laugh riot as Robbie’s doting (and breakdancing) grandmother. Ronald Spoto epitomizes 80s greed and is a grade A smug jackass as Glen. Spoto shines in Glen’s signature number, “All About the Green”, and gets bonus points for maintaining his smug attitude up to the final moment of the show. Delaney Bigley is materialistic, but good-hearted as Holly. And that sustained high note she holds at the end of “Right in Front of Your Eyes”. . .mmwaa (chef’s kiss). . .utter perfection.
Hannah Hill gives an entrancing and grounded performance as Julia. Her delivery is natural, real, and extemporaneous. Her motivations also make complete sense as to why she would marry a drip like Glen. Not only does he provide security with his wealth, but she remembers the decent guy he was before success changed him into a buttmunch. Hill’s Julia is a genuinely good person and her singing is just as sweet as Julia’s personality with tender turns in “Come Out of the Dumpster” and “If I Told You”.
Keegan Sells is a triple threat in the role of Robbie Hart. He can act. He can sing (and has a fantastic falsetto, to boot). And he can dance (sometimes his footwork seems like he’s just gliding on water). Sells is placed in a unique situation as Herlihy was clearly influenced by Adam Sandler’s performance in the film and infused several moments and songs (a pair of which Sandler helped to write) that are clearly suited to Sandler’s brand of comedic acting. So Sells has to balance Sandlerish overacting with moments of true realness and he hits that balance admirably. Sells gets a lot of the show’s best songs as he gets to go huge and funny with “Somebody Kill Me” and “Casualty of Love” then be loving and/or sincere with “Grow Old With You” and “It’s Your Wedding Day”.
Melissa Ford has crafted my new favorite piece of choreography in a production. The dance numbers are high energy, lavish, and assuredly 80s. I especially liked how she would work famed 80s dances into the work such as the zombie dance from “Thriller” or having Grandma Rosie bust out The Worm. They were all so good that it’s hard to pick a standout, but, for my money, “Casualty of Love”, “All About the Green”, “Saturday Night in the City”, and “Today, You are a Man” were the big winners. Alicia Santee-Davis’ musical direction was dead on the mark. All of the songs had a distinctly 80s flavor and her singers delivered on their numbers. Mitchell Aiello has designed a suitably simple set with some colorful symbols, a raised dais for Robbie’s band, and a convincing back alley complete with dumpster. Becky Dibben’s costumes were pluperfect suiting the style of the 80s right down to the eye-popping colors of the garments and I give extra points for the cleverness of giving George a Boy George look. Kent Buess’ lights really lent an emotional strength such as the lonely spotlight on Robbie in his most depressive moments and the gentle pink light on Julia in the “If I Told You” scene or are just fun like the dance club vibe in the “Saturday Night in the City” sequence.
Great Plains Theatre has a killer season opener with this true blast to the past. Enjoy it as a date night. Enjoy it by yourself. Just come prepared to, like, have a really good time, fer sure!
The Wedding Singer runs at Great Plains Theatre through June 11. Showtimes are 7:30pm Thurs-Sat and 2pm on Wed, Sat, and Sundays. Tickets cost $40 and can be purchased here. Great Plains Theatre is located at 215 N Campbell St in Abilene, KS.
Chris' Corner 