The Wedding Singer - MESH Youth Theatre

Despite the fact that MESH Youth Theatre's production of 'The Wedding Singer' closed on Saturday night, thoughts and pleasant memories of this bright, fun, energetic show are still whirring around my head, days later. Such a lasting impression indicates that some kind of recognition, however belated, is necessary, hence this review...a little late but wholly deserved. A musical adaptation of the 1998 Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore film, 'The Wedding Singer' is an affectionate parody of all things 80s. While certainly not the most brilliant musical ever conceived, it achieved moderate success during its recent Broadway run, and its sense of fun and easygoing humour makes for two hours of undemanding entertainment and guilt-free laughter. I attended MESH's production at Subiaco Arts Centre last Thursday night and experienced, without a doubt, the most fun I have had in a theatre audience all year. I enjoyed myself so much that I returned for the Saturday matinee, knowing the show was sold out but hoping to snag a last-minute ticket at the door, which I was lucky enough to do. It was just as great the second time around! A large portion of the show's success can be attributed to the excellent and energetic cast, led by the loveable David Gray as Robbie Hart, the Wedding Singer of the show's title. Gray had very little time offstage and a seemingly endless catalogue of songs to sing, yet his energy, charm and superb timing never faltered. He was ably supported by Kimberley Harris, who sang well and was convincingly sweet and likeable as Julia Sullivan, the waitress Robbie adores. Among the rest of the lead players, there was not a weak link to be found. Rebecca Daniels (Holly) commanded the stage and frequently stole the spotlight with a performance both sexy and hilarious (and a belt that I'm sure did some serious damage to the rafters...); Drue Goodwin injected heart and humour into the disturbingly androgynous George, while somehow managing to pull off some truly hideous outfits; Genevieve Newman was a riot as Robbie's sexually frank Grandmother; Christopher Grabski delivered a sleazy, well-sung Glenn; and Emmet Nichols was an appropriately slovenly Sammy (fantastic to see him playing something other than the typical 'nerd' - see ALL SHOOK UP/LITTLE SHOP - and doing it well!). And then, of course, the brilliant Brianna Williams, who deserves her own paragraph in this review after being criminally underused in the role of Linda. Her two solo numbers were comic highlights and she belted some seriously awesome notes. The show was well-directed by Claire Nichols; the scenes flowed easily, the transitions were smooth and the whole space was utilized to combat the somewhat unfortunate design of the venue (those seated in the front few rows of the left and right seating blocks did miss many scenes that were played directly to the front, but were compensated with other action occurring in front of them at different points). The choreography, by Kylie Baker with the assistance of the director and Renae O'Neill, was as much the star of the show as the actors. Creative and well-executed, without ever being overbearing, the lively, vibrant dance numbers really brought the show to life and contributed immensely to its enjoyability. I caught a glimpse of Ms. Baker making a cameo in the Act One finale, and consider it the mark of a truly humble choreographer that one can dance their own steps alongside others and not draw unneccessary attention to themselves. Or perhaps it is an indication as to the quality of dancers in the show's chorus? Either way.... Bravo! The stage design was modelled after a wedding cake, with the band perched atop what would usually be the icing --- and indeed they were the icing on the very tasty cake that was this production! They mastered the required eighties pop sound, and played well without overwhelming the singing. The sound was clear and above the average standard one usually encounters at a community theatre musical. In fact, there were almost no mic problems at all - except for a major one during the matinee that left David Gray mic-less for a decent portion of Act One... but in truth this did not affect the performance greatly as it was dealt with in a professional manner. If I were to make one complaint about this production, it would be in regards to the back-up vocalists, Sage Noreika, Becky Griffiths and Siobhan McGinnity. These three girls both looked and sounded gorgeous, and their back-up harmonies provided many vocal highlights throughout the show (particularly in "Come Out of the Dumpster")...so I don't understand why they were hidden at the very back of the stage, in half-light and almost entirely obscured by the rest of the band! They deserved a moment in the spotlight just like everyone else! Usually this is the part of the review where I recommend that everybody go and see this show before it closes...but seeing as it already has, that would be kind of pointless. So instead I'll just say a big, hearty thank you to cast and crew of "The Wedding Singer", for putting a smile on my face... and a tune in my head...for the last four days...that won't go away...and listening to the CD of the show doesn't help, it just makes it worse....gahhhh.... - Tyler PS. I've been promised a pair of pointy gold rafia breasts. You know who you are.