The last time we heard a score by Sklar and
Beguelin it was at Signature Theatre in Arlington with The Rhythm Club,
a 1930s jazz- tinted musical drama set in Nazi Germany. This time it is on
Broadway, with a 1980s rock-tinted musical comedy set in Ridgefield, New
Jersey. Anything in common? Yes: tunefulness, lyric inventiveness and a
certain respect for the function of a show tune. The score here, however,
isn't quite as important to the project as it was in Arlington/Germany. This
frolic through Broadway conventions - an up-tempo, goodtime piece of
escapism - relies on the pace of the cast under the director, the energy of
the chorus under the choreographer, the whimsy of the designers and
something the creators of Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys and Hairspray
know well - the strong pull of nostalgia as a central theme for score, story
and production. It is not likely that this fun show will set any records for
longevity, but it should have a respectable run pleasing fairly full houses
followed by a successful "direct from Broadway" national tour pulling in
additional crowds. |
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Storyline: The lead singer in Simply Wed, a band specializing in playing
wedding receptions in and around Ridgefield New Jersey, is stood up at the
altar for his own wedding. A waitress who also works these gigs tries to
cheer him up. She's engaged to be married and wants him to work her wedding
reception. But they fall for each other and he has to find a way to keep her
from making the mistake of marrying the wrong man so she'll be free to marry
him.
The book for this musical is by Chad Beguelin and Tim
Herlihy, the "Saturday Night Live" writer/producer who wrote the script for
the movie. Its "Saturday Night Live" sensibility shows through, especially
in the use of semi-free standing bits like the "Dear John" letter song that
the Wedding Singer's intended bride sings, or the rap that his horny grandmother
spouts. However, such touches don't dominate. Instead, its a Hairspray-type
musical comedy sensibility that comes to the fore most of the time. That,
and a visual wittiness, complements of scenic designer Scott Pask. His faux-gaudy wedding reception hall, light pole and telephone wire defined
street scene, DeLorian stainless steel car, disco club and rotating
restaurant sets are a show in themselves. (Note the pausing water tower in
the restaurant's view of Ridgefield in the restaurant scene - inspired!) The
plot is carried farther here than in the movie which ended on the airplane
headed to Las Vegas. Here, the couple-to-be actually make it to Vegas where
the climax takes place in a wedding chapel populated by impersonators, not
of Elvis but of Billy Idol, Tina Turner, Imelda Marcos and - yes - Ronald
Reagan.
What a difference a
director makes! The 1998 movie on which this confection is based was
directed by Frank Coraci at that peculiarly methodical pace that works well
for light romantic comedy on film, but which falls terribly flat in live
musical theater. John Rando - who helmed the inspired delight of
Urinetown - knows the difference
between movies and live musical comedy. He takes this stage version at a
pace that works well from the moment the curtain rises on a Sklar and
Begeuelin tune called "It's Your Wedding Day" that announces quite clearly:
"This isn't going to be the movie played out on stage, this is going to be a
musical." Its the first of many high-energy dances that Rob Ashford
choreographs with verve, almost filling the stage with colorful motion (he
could have benefited from two or four more dancers). From freeze frame bits
in the opening number to a recreation of the actual water pipe splash dance
from Flashdance, Ashford seems to have had a great deal of fun
creating the dances and the audience has a great deal of fun watching them.
Stephen Lynch makes his Broadway
debut as the wedding singer. He's completely up to the challenge even if he
doesn't seem to soar above the performances of the more seasoned Broadway
performers: Laura Benanti (Cinderella in Into the Wood's revival) as
the pert and wholesomely pretty waitress who falls for him, Richard H. Blake
(Hairspray's replacement Link) who dances up a storm as her soon to
be jettisoned fiancé, Amy Spangler (Bianca in Kiss Me, Kate's revival)
as her best friend and Felicia Finley (Aida's replacement Amneris) who has two of the funniest and most memorable numbers. Just to make the
comparisons completely unfair, there is also Rita Gardner who has been
working magic with audiences since she originated the role of the young girl
Luisa in The Fantastics back in 1960. Here she's a rapping
sex-obsessed granny.
Music by Matthew Sklar.
Lyrics by Chad Beguelin. Book by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy. Directed by
John Rando. Choreographed by Rob Ashford. Music direction by James Sampliner.
Orchestrations by Irwin Fisch. Incidental and dance music arranged by David
Chase. Design: Scott Pask (set) Gregory Gale (costumes) David Brian
Brown (hair) Joe Dulude II (make up) Brian MacDevitt (lights) Peter Hylenski (sound). Principal Cast: Adinah Alexander, Laura Benanti, Richard
H. Blake, Kevin Cahoon, Felicia Finley, Rita Gardner, Stephen Lynch, Matthew
Saldivar, Amy Spangler.
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