Read more: Local, Entertainment, Wedding Singer, Broadway, Live, Review, Musical
Entertainment history has shown that Hollywood can pull stories from the stage and make them a hit on the silver screen, but can the same be done in reverse? I was quite happy to find myself in the audience at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan as one show tried to accomplish just that, “The Wedding Singer”.
Let me start out by saying that not only have I watched the movie, but I can probably recite the lines word for word, so if you ask if I’m a fan, the answer is yes. So I was excited to see how the story would transfer to the stage.
The basic plot line of the show was preserved and creatively delivered by a very well rounded and talented cast. Robbie Hart is a wedding singer who suffers a broken heart when left at the alter by his own fiancé. He becomes roped into helping his friend Julia plan her own wedding and discovers he’s really in love with her. When he finds out that Julia loves him as well he rushes to save her from marrying her money loving cheating fiancé.
Playing the lead of Robbie Hart was J. Michael Zygo. He’s young, can sing, can dance and knows how to deliver a punch line. But what I appreciated most was that he owned the role. It would have been easy for someone to come in and try to duplicate Adam Sandler’s character, but instead Zygo avoided that route and presented a fresh and original approach to Robbie Hart.
Jillian Zygo, played Robbie Harts love interest Julia. Through out the entire show I kept thinking that she seemed so familiar. I finally figured it out, that she reminds me of a young Cheri Oteri. She has Otari’s brilliant mannerisms and perfect comedic timing. This change of approach brought a new life to the role of Julia.
The chemistry between the two leads is perfect and believable, which I’m sure is helped by the fact that the two are married in real life.
The support cast, while sometimes seemed like they might take the characters a bit too far into corny caricatures, always reined it in just in time. One noticeable difference from the movie to the live show was that they compacted some of the characters to make a tighter cast and more fluid story. For example, Robbie did not have a sister he lived with and an elderly woman he taught music to, instead he lived in his grandmother’s basement, making the 2 characters one. It worked. If you're wondering if Billy Idol helped save the day, I will tell you that he made an appearance, sort of, you'll have to see the show to see what I mean.
I do have to say that I’m frightened by the amazing casting for the supporting character George, Ben Martin was so dead on right for this role, I just wish he would have been allowed to belt out a Culture Club song.
That thought brings me to the music. While for a fan of the movie the required and memorable “Somebody Kill Me” and “Grow Old with You” songs were present. However there were some songs noticeably absent, they were replaced instead by some creatively original tunes that made me not mind their absence. Where Sandler belts out “Love Stinks”, Zygo hits the right note with “Casualty of Love” that includes the ‘mutants at table 9’ joining him for a thriller dance.
The dance numbers were well choreographed, from the light and fun wedding scenes to the more dramatic “All About the Money” number that just screamed Wallstreet, I was highly impressed.
So the question is, can a story be taken from the silver screen to the stage, in this case I would have to say yes it can. If you’re looking for a theatrical performance that will bring you to tears or change your life, this isn’t your show. But if you want to be entertained, enjoy musical numbers that will have you taping your toes and want a show that will have you laughing, check out The Wedding Singer when it comes to your town.
The Wedding Singer tour dates: www.weddingsingerontheroad.com
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