I’m going to be honest. I’m not Adam Sandler’s biggest fan— or even really a fan, period— by any stretch of the imagination. I don’t like most of his movies, I think he thinks he’s funnier than he actually is, and on the whole, although we’re living in the golden “Oprah Era” of musicals (“…you get a musical, you get a musical, you get a musical, everybody gets a musical!”) and this particular one is not ‘new’ per se, I was not prepared to like or enjoy The Wedding Singer at Silhouette Stages. I figured it would be well performed with some good talent featured in all the right places but ultimately I’d leave thinking exactly that. In his directorial debut, Jeremy Goldman and the company of Silhouette Stages’ The Wedding Singer has blown me completely away, astonishing me in the best way possible, and I left the theatre feeling overjoyed, thoroughly pleased, and really appreciating the production they put on the stage. I rarely approach a review from such a personal viewpoint, but there are few productions that so thoroughly change my mind about a show, that really find ways to move me in this fashion, that I wanted to express that clearly and truly. Directed by Jeremy Goldman, with Musical Direction by Emily L. Sergo, and some a of the most extraordinary Choreography in the era in YEARS done by Jeremy A McShan, Silhouette Stages production of The Wedding Singer is the epitome of a good night out at live theatre; you couldn’t ask for a better musical production.
Deftly navigating the difference between what people expect from a movie-turned-musical verses what the libretto, music, & lyrics dictate the audience will receive, first-time director Jeremy Goldman delivers a sensational show that is both familiar (for those who have seen, experienced, or enjoyed the movie) and yet refreshingly new. The Wedding Singer is a few years shy of being 20 years in existence and takes place two decades prior to that in the 1980s (a controversial issues of whether or not that makes it a “period piece”… Gen X and the Boomers tend to err on the side of ‘active living history’ while everything on after, especially these Millennials and Zoomers, tend to want to slap a ‘period’ label on anything pre-2000.) You get moments, iconic lines, and even certain characteristics of certain characters delivered with silver-screen precision; that is, after all, what some people are hoping to experience when they see a movie-musical live on stage. But there’s a whole host of original sensations, new experiences, and downright enjoyable moments that feel wholly new; Goldman has found the exacting balance of perfection between the two experiences.
From top to tail the overall production is extremely impressive. The Creative Team (or in this case, Acolytes of the Awesome Aesthetic)— including Deana Cruz-Conner on costumes, Parker Bailey Steven on Makeup, Tommy Malek on Hair & Wigs, Ryan Geiger on Set, Jessie Krupkin on Scenic Art & Props, and Thomas P. Gardner on Lighting— brings all their powers together like a Mighty Morphin’ Mega Ranger do deliver superb excellence for the design components of the show. Deana Cruz-Conner gets all the praises for taking us back to the 80s with all of her dayglow-UV colors in all of those crazy-big styles. The trashy, too-tight miniskirts, the outrageous sparkles on the ‘wedding singer’ jackets, and the overflowing amounts of lace and poof in the wedding dresses all scream 80s at the top of their lungs. Geiger and Krupkin fabricate gargantuan set pieces that roll in and out of play; at first this is alarming because of the cumbersome size of these moving scenic-structures, especially in comparison to the more compact stage of Slayton House, but between the stellar run crew, spearheaded by Stage Manager Tyler Hart, and Director Jeremy Goldman’s overall intention to keep the show fluidly moving, scene changes appear almost effortless and you’re never left dawdling in darkness between scenes and songs and the play itself never drops the frenetic energy of ‘non-stop motion.’ The brick-wall, poster-covered basement bedroom of Robbie Hart is one of the best scenic pieces, except for perhaps the three-stall bathroom structure, which has some funny-paper-pass shenanigans right as the Holly character kicks off “Pop” early in the first act. I could labor on about the amazing aesthetic quality of the production and how succinctly and smoothly it all gels together but why go through all that when I can simply say it must be seen to be believed and enjoyed?
The thing that really blows the mind— in the best way possible— outside of the wild aesthetic, total cohesion of the overall production, and ultra-impressive talent that’s jam-packed into the cast is the show’s choreography. Hands down it’s the best in a Silhouette Stages show in a very, very long time, and certainly championing theatre all over the area with its precision, pacing, and overall execution. Choreographer Jeremy A McShan understands the rhythm of the music, the tempo of the songs, and the era which inspired the musical. There are 80s dance-moves galore. You name it? It’s in there. Yes, including moves from “Thriller.” “Saturday Night in the City” is one of the most expressive and invested examples of McShan’s work. “All About the Green”, which is the Act II opener, has a similar vibe and really pops with the dancers perpetually in motion. Dance Captain Brandon Goldman is one of two featured dancers in the production as well. Keep your eyes out for him and Julia L. Williams and Goldman at the beginning of the show during “It’s Your Wedding Day” and their phenomenal dance sequence with some snappy spins in that routine. Williams is worth noting for her insane gymnastic-style dance moves, including a high-leap split, during “Move That Thing” though she’s totally and completely incognito. Ultimately the dance routines, overall crispness of the choreographic execution, and genuine joy and enthusiasm being displayed by the company during these dances is what makes this production a conflagration of enjoyable experiences.
Working in tandem with Jeremy Goldman, Musical Director Emily L. Sergo gets sensational sounds from the company. Everything from the boisterous group numbers to the delicate solos, duets, and quartet/quintet numbers that are sprinkled over the course of the evening. The ensemble is chock-a-block with triple-threat talent, including blending perfect harmonies for outstanding sounds. A prime example of Sergo’s work with these talented individuals comes during “Casualty of Love”, which features the Robbie Hart character and four ensemble members— Erin Branigan, Patrick Gray, Nick Thompson, Rowena Winkler— decrying their loathing for love and all of its hazards in up-tempo lyrical dissonance. The ensemble as a whole (featuring Patricia Anderson, Erin Branigan, Beth Cohen, Dean Davis, Johnny Dunkerly, Adanya Elizabeth, Brandon Goldman, Patrick Gray, Devin Holsey, Nick Thompson, Geraden Ward, Rowena Winkler, Julia L. Williams,) lends their powerhouse singing and dancing to big company numbers like “It’s Your Wedding Day”, “Single”, and “Pop” with such engaging enthusiasm and effervescent energy that you’ll find it difficult not to bounce around in your seat, desperate to be among the throng of action on stage.
While the ensemble is bursting with talent, those singled out as supporting and leading players are equally impressive; every character fitted flawlessly with the perfect performer to match. In arguably the most under-praised and underrated role, Megan Mostow Kaiser as Linda, Robbie’s former fiancé, is the scene-stealing, show-stopping star of only two numbers. It actually makes you wish the Linda character was given more in the musical because of Kaiser’s insane level of talent. She’s a true triple threat incarnate: singing, dancing, acting the hell out of the role and when she belts— it’s a face-melting bliss that you’ll want to experience over and over again. It’s difficult to love the character that starts off breaking Robbie Hart’s heart, but when Kaiser lays into “Let Me Come Home” you’ll be so stunned and seduced by her wild ways that you almost find yourself hoping that he’ll take her back (despite the RomCom-need for Robbie & Julia to end up together.) Kaiser sells that number with such sinful soul, exuding pure steamy, sultry, seduction that you won’t be able to restrain yourself from bursting into uproarious applause. And her first number, “A Note From Linda” is equally impressive though in a much different vein. Her confidence level in her stage presence, vocal command, and overall existence in the skin of Linda is second to none in this performance.
Following in the unsung hero track, though the role itself is given far more credit and due than the Linda character, Debbie Mobley as Rosie, Robbie’s grandmother, is an absolutely scream. Her overall presentation of Grandma Rosie will leave you in stitches; Mobley has a keen understanding of comic timing (and her makeup— by way of Parker Bailey Steven— is truly perfection when it comes to making her look like a little old granny) and knows how to balance the comedy of the character, which is 85% of Rosie’s existence, against the sincerity of it. Where Mobley really pulls out all the stops is with her outlandish breakaway costume— a garish lime and electric bubblegum pink parachute-tracksuit— and she gets to hippity-hoppin’ like an Easter Bunny on ecstasy and fruit punch, dropping raps and rhymes through “Move That Thing” like nobody’s business. (And again props to Goldman, McShan, Cruz-Conner, the director-choreographer-costumer team that make the flawless swap possible for Julia L. Williams to do her ‘granny magic’ in that number as well.) Mobley is fierce and yet sentimental and a stunning addition to the production.
While the audience easily loves Grandma Rosie, and secretly is in love with Linda, it’s hard to want to love the villainous protagonist of sleazebag-slimeball Glen Gulia (Chris Riehl). But you’ll love to hate him! He’s that good. Riehl has a suave and smug charm about him that actually starts of just a little toxic— like that appreciative, bordering-on-unhealthy level of machismo-masculinity that is sort of cute if you’re not exposed to it 24/7 because you imagine there might be a softer, gentler interior that you just haven’t been exposed to yet. As the show progresses, the veneer of Riehl’s character’s sketchy-charm starts to flake away and you realize, even if it is a bit too late, that he’s the biggest… rhyme with ‘whoosh-bag’… that you’re ever likely to meet. Riehl has a solid set of pipes on him too and gets exactly one number to showcase that talent. “All About the Green” becomes his feature performance and Riehl milks it for every penny it’s worth— slipping down into the house to fan the front tables (yes there are VIP ‘wedding guest’ tables you can purchase if you’re feeling extra special!) with his wad of green. The charismatic magnetism is really catching right up until its dropped in favor of Glen’s true colors— a putrid shade of festering ick— which Riehl handles divinely.
If you want another powerhouse belter who will blow the roof off of Slayton House with her dynamic and bombastic vocals, you’ve got it coming straight at you in the form of Bailey Wolf, playing the slightly-slutty character of Holly. Wolf doesn’t shy away from the fact that the character is a little tarty and she owns the look befitting of an 80s strumpet, strutting with surefire confidence every time she’s on stage. You get peppy, supporting enthusiasm from Wolf’s character, especially when she launches into the humorous “Pop” near the top of the show, but where Wolf dazzles, radiates, and practically blinds with sexual prowess, powerhouse vocals, and a series of dance moves combined with face-belting notes is in the conclusion of the first act, “Saturday Night in the City.” The act even finishes with a tightly focused spotlight on Wolf, a well-deserved nod to everything she pulls off in that number. You get a completely different attitude and sound from Wolf in “Right in Front of Your Eyes”, a semi-duet-apart featuring Sammy, during the second act, which further showcases Wolf’s vast and dynamic skills as a triple-threat performer.
Sweet, innocent, naïve, and adorable Julia (Maddie Bohrer) is the center ‘ingenue’ stereotype of the show. There’s just something so light and fluffy about the character that you almost picture her like one of those delicate Dole Whips in a Disney Park, drifting dreamily along throughout the RomCom that is The Wedding Singer. Bohrer has a beautiful voice, of that there is no doubt, and she proves it time and again with solos like “Someday” and its reprise. Most of her moments in song are duets or duet-aparts with Robbie Hart, or in the very special case of “Come Out of the Dumpster” where she’s singing to and at him, whilst importing a very special message to both Robbie and the audience. Bohrer finds a deeper, emotional connection to the character as the show progresses, giving her a more dynamic feel; it’s easy to see how anyone could be tempted to play Julia on the surface level, but Bohrer makes the uncertainty, the jealousy, the self-doubt and all the other less-than-perfect emotions and feelings that the character encounters ground Julia in reality, making her so much more than just the ‘happy-go-lucky-girl-that-gets-the-guy.’ “Grow Old With You” is the perfect duet of silly comedic lyrics and earnest heart; Bohrer balances Julia brilliantly and makes the performance unique and thoroughly enjoyable.
If it wasn’t for the fact that the show is meant to be a romantic comedy, which means it does have a love story, you could easily be enthralled with the two hot-shot hams fighting for the spotlight in the “who is more lively and funny” competition between Sammy (Henry Cyr) and George (Seth Fallon.) Though Fallon’s George is really in a category all his own because every time he strolls, struts, sashays, or swans onto stage, all eyes are really and truly on him. There is a level of over-the-top fabulous flamboyance that Fallon unapologetically brings to the character. Fallon’s George doesn’t just pop, he goes off like a Walt Disney World Anniversary-Celebration firework and it’s truly an experience and a half. From the precision delivery of quippy zingers & one-liner-clap backs, to band-shenanigans and his involvement with Rosie during “Move That Thang”, Seth Fallon is a one-man, show-stopping, crowd-pleasing scream. His inclusion in the cast elevates this performance from exceptional to extraordinary. Cyr, as the headbanging, airheaded, totally invested in himself dude of the trio is equally humorous and totally fills out the character of Sammy in a hilarious way. His vocals are sublime, he blends brilliantly for trio features like “It’s Your Wedding Day” and “Today You’re a Man” and when he hits his duet-apart with Holly in second act during “Right In Front of Your Eyes” it’s wicked sick.
How one can simultaneously be Adam Sandler and be their own interpretation of Robbie Hart is anyone’s guess, but if you want to see exactly that and have your brain blown to bits trying to figure out how it’s done, Xander Conte is your man. Playing Robbie Hart with equal parts Sandler and individuality, Conte is the epicenter around which The Wedding Singer revolves. Like the rest of the cast, he’s living up to the ‘true triple threat’ promise AND he plays actual acoustic guitar (for real) live on stage. None of this strum-n-fake stuff that you get in so many productions around here as of late! Conte has the most animated facial expressions, particularly when he’s living up the antics and shenanigans of crawling out of the dumpster (again— mad props to Properties Mistress Jessie Krupkin for how ‘Robbie’ ends up in the dumpster in the first place…and while I’m thinking about it— the slow-motion-magic of how the bouquet toss is handled— and oh, how could I forget— Glen’s car!? Krupkin for the win all round!) And his voice is sensational. The Robbie Hart vocal range is well within Conte’s comfortable wheelhouse and he’s not afraid to bring the emotional connection to the heavier songs like “Somebody Kill Me”, while tempering them with the sad-sap-sac humor that generally accompanies an Adam Sandler character. You get a genuine character out of Conte’s performance as well; it’s versatile and hilarious and heartfelt and not just a mimeograph of Adam Sandler’s brand of humor, which is often so self-aware that it’s just cheesy-schtick. Conte defies that approach and plays his humorous moments with truth and sincerity, allowing the audience to find the humor in them, rather than appearing with egg all over his face while trying to make a moment funny. He’s sweet and sincere when singing, especially with Julia in numbers like “Grow Old with You” and “If I Told You” and he’s ultimately a ten, IYKYK, right?
It’s the feel-good musical of the spring. Jeremy Goldman and his impressive crew and extraordinary cast have really pulled out all the stops to make this production of The Wedding Singer an honest-to-God must-see. I probably still don’t like The Wedding Singer, at least not the movie, but I love this production of The Wedding Singer because it’s so much fun, filled with so much talent, and truly revs up the spirits in a way that just lets you leave feeling overjoyed. And who couldn’t use a little extra glee in their life right now?
Running Time: 2 hours and 40 minutes with one intermission
The Wedding Singer plays through April 2nd 2023 with Silhouette Stages currently at Slayton House Theatre in the Village of Wilde Lake Columbia— 10400 Cross Fox Lane in Columbia, MD. For tickets please call the box office at (410) 216-4499 or purchase them in advance online.
To read the interview with Director Jeremy Goldman, click here.
