Stage Review - The Wedding Singer (WWCA)
Stage Review - The Wedding Singer - The Musical Comedy
Presented By: Western Washington Center for the Arts (WWCA) - Port Orchard, WA
Show Run: April 26 - May 19, 2024
Date Reviewed: Friday, May 03, 2024
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
There are so many examples in theatre of stage plays or musicals that are either based on or inspired by a film it’s almost impossible to count them. It’s debated in theatrical circles what the first musical is that was based on a film, but it surely can be dated back to the 1950s at the very least. When reviewing shows in this category, it’s typically easy to separate the two, focusing on the construction and presentation of one without needing even to reference the other. But sometimes, a play or a musical exists only because of a film, its book strictly written in service of the original work. This is the category in which I would put The Wedding Singer, on stage currently at Western Washington Center for the Arts (WWCA) in Port Orchard through May 19, in a production directed and choreographed by Rebecca Ewen with musical direction from Lesley Niemi. The musical, which had its pre-Broadway run right here in Seattle at the 5th Avenue Theatre in 2008, is based on the 1998 film of the same name, and to my point earlier exists solely as a result of the movie, which stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore as Robbie Hart and Julia Sullivan, a couple brought together after Robbie, the wedding singer, gets ditched by his fiancé at the alter and Julia discovers that her overbearing boyfriend Glen isn’t the one that she’d like to grow old with. There’s a lot that works about the film, and it starts with Sandler as the relatable and lovable loser and Barrymore as a sweeter than sugar ingenue. Adding to these performances is a solid and funny ensemble, including the likes of Steve Buscemi and Christine Taylor, but where it really succeeds is how it resonates with the Gen X set and those of us who were coming into our own during the 1980s. From the wardrobe to the soundtrack, the film is a tribute to the 80s and that generation, and because the film does it situationally and not through a series of one liners or jokes, it never feels like a mockery of the decade.
The stage musical, with music from Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguilen, has a book written by Beguilen and Tim Herlihy, the latter having written the screenplay for the film. The musical takes a different tact than the film, there are none of the familiar 80s songs that are weaved through the original soundtrack, those replaced here with original songs that range from decent, catchy tunes, to some that feel like Sklar and Beguilen wrote them simply because they wanted something that sounds like a song from the film but they couldn’t secure the rights to the original songs. Add to this the way characters and situations have been changed from the movie, and how quotes from the film feel wedged in a fan service sort of way, and the result is a bland version of the original version of The Wedding Singer.
WWCA, and director Rebecca Ewen, have taken on a challenge with this show, it being the final production to be staged within their longtime home on Bay Street. The question in my mind is, can she and the group she has assembled, take what I feel is a mediocre version of a cult classic and make it enjoyable? In consideration of the creative aspects of this production and the cast on stage, I believe that she’s done a fine job here. It starts with the casting, and Marshall Banks as wedding singer Robbie Hart alongside Sydney Banks as Julia Sullivan. This pair are lovely together, both wonderful singers, though at times it was difficult to hear Sydney in Friday’s show, depending on whether her microphone was working or not, and they both do very well in the portrayals of their characters. Sydney’s Julia has that innocent wonder and heart about her that allows her to fall for Robbie, appreciating him for what he is, not how much money he has, which contrasts with her fiancé Glen Guglia (pronounced Goo-lee-ah), who is all about the money. Marshall as Robbie definitely captures the essence of the guy who bad things keep happening to, but his heart is in the right place, and his Robbie is someone most definitely worth rooting for. Marshall doesn’t fall into the trap of trying to be Sandler, which helps make his performance enjoyable, his “Somebody Kill Me” and “Grow Old With You”, the two songs that are, in fact, from the film, are his own, he’s not just mimicking Sandler’s versions. It would be understandable if he did, but the decision not to is definitely the right one, as is the decision to have Marshall play the guitar on stage for some of his performances, providing a realism to the portrayal. Much in the same manner, Sydney is not trying to be Drew Barrymore. Sure, she’s sweet, but it’s clear that Sydney is bringing her own ability to this performance, I only wish either her microphone had worked more consistently during Friday’s performance, or that she could have projected a bit more when it didn’t. It’s difficult to work, though, with a flaky microphone, you don’t want to be too loud when it’s on, but at the same time there’s that risk of being too soft when it’s not. All that said, The Wedding Singer, being at its core Robbie and Julia’s love story, having these two leads in these roles makes this a very enjoyable production.
The supporting group is good here, too. Alex Clark is a schlocky Glen and Abby Dickson channels her inner Joan Jett as Robbie’s fiancée Linda. George Shaw is Sammy, bass player in Robbie’s band and he also does a nice job, with a bit of Sam Kinison in him, the calm side of course. He’s a good friend to Robbie, well mostly, and I like George’s portrayal. Patrickryan White is George, the androgynous keyboard player in the band, the Boy George wannabe of the group. It’s a humorous performance from Patrickryan, especially in George’s duet with Robbie’s grandma Rosie, played by Sasha Alamano. The best out of all of them, though, is Katie Richardson. Katie plays Holly, Julia’s flirty and promiscuous sister, the two work together at the banquet hall where Robbie performs, who is also Sammy’s ex. Katie is excellent with her Holly, she’s on point with every aspect of the character and is especially good in her interactions with Sammy.
The cast doesn’t stop there, though. Add to these leads and supporting characters an ensemble totaling 20 and this is a large group, perhaps too large at times. In the numbers where the entire cast is on the small WWCA stage, it feels bloated and the stage feels crowded. A smaller ensemble would allow the audience to see the individual performers better in the group and the actors more freedom of movement. Musically, the ensemble is generally good, though for the sheer number of people on stage, I would have expected a fuller sound and more overall energy, but rather the volume is diminished here, as is the overall liveliness of the overall production in the ensemble numbers. There are some highlights in the ensemble group, though, not the least of which is Dante True, whose ability to command a scene, regardless of how many others are on stage, is quite evident here. Another departure from the movie, one that works, is while the film has Billy Idol in the cast, here there is a Billy Idol impersonator, Donna Llewellyn, along with a Ronald Reagan impersonator, David Johnson, a Cyndi Lauper impersonator, Sarah Conte-Bacolini, and Dante’s hilarious impersonation of Imelda Marcos.
There is a nice bit of theming to the design here. Gary Fetterplace’s set is simple at its core, though Robbie’s bedroom is a nice surprise when it’s revealed. Set changes are handled through dressing up the base of the set with creative pieces, including the first time I’ve seen a dumpster on stage. Costuming, credit to Rebecca Ewen, Courtney Turnley, and the cast, are true to the 80s, and the characters in the show.
The musical version of The Wedding Singer exists solely because of and in service to the movie of the same name, starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Western Washington Center for the Arts has chosen The Wedding Singer, the musical comedy, to close out its residence at the Bay Street location where they have produced shows for so long, and they’ve done a fine job in presenting an entertaining musical experience, despite performing from a book that is generally bland in comparison to the film on which it was based.
The Wedding Singer runs on stage at Western Washington Center for the Arts in Port Orchard through May 19. For more information about the theatre and this show, visit https://wwca.us/.
Photo credit: Alex Clark.
