Northern Light delight their audiences year on year, and the large audience on opening night of The Wedding Singer was justifiably loud and enthusiastic. The production team of Director Matt Smith, MD Matthew Rumley, Choreographer Lucy Newman and Assistant Choreographer Celeste Barone succeeded in bringing us an exciting version of this homage to the music and culture of the 1980s.
It’s a musical jam-packed with big choruses interspersed with quieter solos and small ensemble songs. Its simple story line is catchy enough, and definitely reliant on the strength and interest of the music and movement to keep it going. In brief, the principal wedding singer, Robbie Hart is left at the altar by his bride, so in his disappointment turns nasty, and pointedly ruins others’ weddings. He meets Julia Sullivan, a sweet waitress, falls in love and tries to prise her from the clutches of her insincere fiance, Glen, a Wall Street shark. That said, the plot plays well, and this production definitely sustains our interest and involvement in it.
Matt Smith and John Sheehan’s set looked good and served the production well. It was spare yet sophisticated, with two levels of platforms upstage, a cleverly devised large screen moving laterally to provide back drop and screening of sections of the stage. The well-tuned and lively band was at the very rear behind glittering curtains which, in a refreshing touch, were flown up during the bows to let us acknowledge them.
The leads were very strong indeed and were critical to the success of the whole piece. In the title role of Robbie, Sam Mannix acted and sang with confidence and empathy. His singing voice was ideal for the style of music. He related well with the rest of the ensemble, especially with Catherine Breugelmans, who played Julia with sweetness and credibility. Together they made the most of their characters’ developing relationship and used that particularly well in the amusing duet Come Out Of The Dumpster and the moving songs late in Act 2, If I Told You and Grow Old With You.
As Robbie’s friends and fellow wedding band members, Kristian Latella as Sammy and Ryan Ricci as George provided fine support, in both developing the mood and providing musical variety. Ricci maintained a flamboyant and enigmatic character throughout, and made much of his songs – especially George’s Prayer – and comic lines. Latella was believable as both Robbie’s side-kick and when (often clumsily) dealing with his love interest Holly, convincingly played by Tegan Gully-Crispe. At all times her performance was bright and lively, and showed experience and stage presence. Her duet with Sammy, Right In Front Of Your Eyes, was entertaining and her big number, supported by the ensemble, Saturday Night In The City, was a spectacular ending to the first Act.
Doug Phillips was superbly unpleasant as Glen, Julia’s unfaithful fiance. He quickly established himself as being truly un-likeable and remained so for the duration. In leading the chorus in the celebration of Wall Street greed, It’s All About The Green, he excelled. Robyn Brookes was striking in her cameo role of Linda and the extraordinary visual and vocal images of her solo Let Me Come Home will stick in our minds for quite some time, while Clare Hastings gave a sustained, energetic and often very amusing performance as Rosie, Robbie’s grandmother.
The whole cast was focussed and enthusiastic throughout the performance. They brought light and joy to their willing and receptive audience.
