Following on from sold-out shows on Broadway, The Wedding Singer The Musical brings its show stopping tunes and wild choreography to Melbourne’s Athanaeum Theatre for some strong 80’s nostalgia.
Based on the 1998 classic starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, the musical brings an added spark to the romantic journeys of wedding singer Robbie Hart (Christian Charisiou) and waitress Julia Sullivan (Teagan Wouters). The general plot, for those who have not caught the film, centres around Robbie; a wanna-be rocker turned wedding singer, who lives for love. Having had his heart broken after being left at the alter, fate intervenes and he is introduced to waitress Julia, who is on her own journey to discover if the man she is set to marry (Glen Guglia, played by Stephen Mahy) is her true love.
Charisiou and Wouters’ chemistry is undeniable and had the audience rooting for them throughout the musical. Mahy plays the villain well, particular when he seeks to turn Robbie into another ‘stock market bro’ in All About The Green. One of the highlights about The Wedding Singer was the side characters, each bringing their own sense of humour and wit. Julia’s best friend Holly (Nadia Komazec) steals the scene throughout the show with her cheeky one-liners, playful banter and Flashdance-inspired number. Band mates George and Sammy (Ed Deganos and Haydan Hawkins) are hilarious in their quests to steer Robbie in the right direction, even if it’s for reasons of fame and success. The most powerful scenes came from Linda (Kirby Burgess) who makes a powerful entrance anytime she graces the stage with her outrageous power ballads. Grandma Rosie (Susan-Ann Walker) and George’s dancing to Move That Thing had the audience in stitches – their energy bouncing off each other seamlessly.
Pinnacle moments in the musical included the film’s iconic songs Somebody Kill Me and Grow Old With You, as well as hilarious tracks like Come Out of The Dumpster, and high-energy ballads including Casualty of Love and Saturday Night in the City. With music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguelin, the musical is never short of a catchy song – especially one that is dripping with 80’s nostalgia. Speaking of nostalgia, a much appreciated change made to the musical is a fun sequence of celebrity impersonators strutting their stuff, including; Billy Idol, Cyndi Lauper, Gene Simmons, and Cher among others.
This feel-good hit will have you singing, laughing and dancing along; happy to see such familiar a familiar story and characters brought to the stage. The Wedding Singer will be in Melbourne until 5th June, so head on over to their website to catch the biggest wedding of the year!