The Wedding Singer - Drew Anthony Creative (20 July 2024)

I confess, I didn't know what to expect with a musical adaptation of the Adam Sandler comedy from 1998. I vaguely remember the movie but didn't have time to revisit it before heading off to Planet Royale. What I do know is that Drew Anthony Creative is at the forefront of production companies becoming increasingly more sophisticated in their promotional materials on social media - video clips introducing each member of the cast (including the ensemble) or showcasing the venue; a slick souvenir program; with plenty of clips and stills from rehearsals. Then there's the pre-show entertainment - in this case, music videos from the eighties projected onto the rear wall of the stage. And yes, I knew the lyrics to every song! 

My confidence level was pretty high though because Anthony is building an impressive track record of quality musicals at the venue; there is a solid core of performers and creatives who are involved in each of these productions; plus the savvy addition of well-known and accomplished local performers such as Marian Byrne, Rachel Monamy, and Tyler Jacob Jones here. 

The show starts like it was shot out of a cannon with It's Your Wedding Day establishing the tone and introducing our main characters. It's a catchy song, the costumes and wigs are peak eighties fashion, and the choreography is an energetic blast. The rear projection sets each scene and there's always some razzle dazzle to the lighting though we'll get to the design a little later. 

I immediately feel at ease as Greg Jarema, mullet wig and all, makes for a likeable and charming lead as Robbie Hart. Even more so when Kate Sisley beautifully sings Someday as Julia Sullivan. Then I'm completely sold in their proper "meet-cute" moment where Julia helps Robbie tone down the amusingly darker lyrics to the love song he is writing for his fiancée, Linda (Awesome). Jarema and Sisley have great chemistry together and there is a tenderness in their interactions that is both refreshingly wholesome and eminently watchable. Their duet If I Told You in the second act is the highlight of the show for mine. 

Of course, things don't go so smoothly for Robbie as he's left jilted at the altar of his own wedding by Linda (Charlize Gosnell). Gosnell makes an impression with a scene in each act where she brings the sass and powerhouse vocals in A Note From Linda and Let Me Come Home. Alas, Linda, you had your chance. Robbie spirals into spiteful self-loathing (Somebody Kill Me) before Jarema embraces the Sandler of it all as Robbie sabotages a wedding he's singing at before launching into Act One highlight Casualty of Love, a big, bombastic rock number where the company cuts loose in a strikingly choreographed sequence. 

Another highlight is the inventively staged Come Out of the Dumpster, again, wonderfully sung by Sisley as Julia tries to console Robbie. It's so good I wish there had been space left to entice the audience to applaud before the action continued. The show meanders a little after that as some plot machinations kick in before rallying with a strong close to the first half with Saturday Night In The City. 

The second act kicks off in style with the villain of the piece, uber 80s capitalist Glen Gulia (Tyler Jacob Jones), extolling the virtues of cold hard cash in All About the Green. Jacobs is such a consummate performer that the slow unravelling of Glen as Robbie increasingly threatens to steal Julia away from him is a delight. 

In a performance that also caught the eye, Lucy Goodrick is excellent as Julia's cousin, Holly. Goodrick exudes confidence as the more worldly Holly and has great stage presence in numbers such as Right In Front Of Your Eyes. Robbie and his bandmates - Sammy (Marshall Brown) and George (Noah Skape) plus the male ensemble have their moment to shine with Single. The songs may all be originals but are infused with that unmistakeable 80s style. George's Prayer, for example, sounds so much like Spandau Ballet's True but is a nice vocal moment for the Boy George-styled Skape. 

As we careen towards the inevitable Hollywood ending by way of Las Vegas we are treated to Marian Byrne's rap stylings as Rosie in Move That Thang and the incongruous guest appearances of fake Tina Turner, fake Billy Idol, and fake Olivia Newton-John amongst others. This is one of the strengths of Anthony's approach - the ensemble is full of performers such as Ethan Churchill who have been leads in his other shows. So hats off to Churchill, Zak Rolton, Will Basson, Izzi Green, Efa Mackenzie, Erin Barry, and Christopher Tierney who dance up a storm, add vocal punch and colour. And of course, Rachel Monamy as Julia's mum Angie who commands the stage in her couple of appearances.

The sound design is impeccable with the balance between backing tracks and vocals perfect. The one thing I wasn't as fond of was the lighting design - it's a big stage but the show felt oddly dark with performers either dimly lit or in shadows/silhouetted unless directly under a spotlight. The rear projections also weren't as expansive as they were in Saturday Night Fever for comparison.

That being said, the strength of this production is the connection between the two leads, both vocally and in the sweetness of their interactions. It's an unexpected pleasure amongst the broad comedy. 

Directed by Drew Anthony, Choreography by Suzi & Jamie Rolton, Costume Build Annette Stivaletta, Wigs Design Deanna Nishi, Lighting Design Anthony & Richard Timms, and Audio Design Jordan Gibbs, The Wedding Singer is on at the Planet Royale in Northbridge until 4 August.