The Wedding Singer
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Date Reviewed: 09/04/2021
I must confess to being nervous sitting in a 100% sold house with no masks at Her Majesty’s Theatre for the opening night of The Wedding Singer. It has been over a year since this was possible and it was a little unsettling. However, what reticence I had quickly disappeared as the show began, and what a show!
The Wedding Singer (the musical) is based on the iconic 90s rom com of the same name starring Adam Sandler. While some liberties have been taken with transferring the film to the stage, the plot and characters we love are the same.
The story is simple. It’s the '80s. Robbie Hart lives in his grandmother's basement in New Jersey and sings in a wedding band. His dreams of being a singer/songwriter are long gone, replaced now by a burning desire to find the right girl and settle down. When his fiancee leaves him standing at the altar, he becomes a wedding planner's worst nightmare, taking out his bitterness on stage until his eye and heart turn to a new friend, Julia, but she's engaged to a wealthy Wall Street broker.
Does he find his true love? Well, all I will tell you is that it’s a happy ending and you have probably seen the film and know.
Performed in a simple yet stylish unit design with wall panels that move to mask scene changes or provide a smaller space, the set, designed by Nathan Weyers works extremely well, particularly when coupled with Declan O’Neill’s fluorescent lighting design and Kim Bishop’s costume designs.
Director Alister Smith has wisely paired the show back to its basics, music, comedy and dance. The show zips along and carries us with it. The dance routines choreographed by Michael Ralph accentuate the period and are extremely energetic and polished.
Musical Director Daniel Puckey’s six-piece band are tight and sound like a band twice their size.
Christian Charisiou’s Robbie is on stage almost all night. He rocks a mullet and has a voice to die for! The energy and talent he brings to the role is amazing. His ‘Somebody Kill Me’ was a lesson in acting and singing.
Teagan Wouters’ Julia is sweetness personified. She plays the naive romantic lead to the hilt and her number ‘Come Out of the Dumpster’ is a standout.
Haydan Hawkins gives Sammy, a rock star wannabe, true heart. We, the audience, feel for him as he negotiates his love life.
Ed Deganos’ George channels Boy George and gives a whole new take on Jewish lounge music.
Adelaide born Nadia Komazec’s Holly, Julia’s best friend and advisor nails every comic line and provides the one of the highlights of Act I recreating the famous ‘water scene’ from Flashdance.
Stephen Mahy’s Glen Guglia is suitably handsome, upwardly mobile and sleazy particularly in his number, ‘All About the Green’.
Susan-Ann Walker’s Rosie is the ultimate groovy grandmother! Her number, ‘Move That Thing’ with Deganos is a riot especially the dance section which I will not give away in this review.
Kirby Burgess’ Linda is a sensual Pat Benatar and is an audience favourite in ‘A Note from Linda’ and brings the house down in ‘Let Me Come Home’.
Hollie James gives Julia’s mother compassion and heart in the wedding dress scenes.
Completing the cast is a talented, versatile and multi talented ensemble. They play a large amount of characters with ease and deliver dynamic dance numbers.
The Wedding Singer is the ultimate feel good musical, and, as restrictions start to relax has arrived at just the right time and is the perfect way to relieve those Covid blues!
Written by Barry Hill