‘The Wedding Singer’ @ The Firehouse Theatre
Photos by Jason Anderson/Pendleton Photography
—Carol M. Rice
Ah, the 80s.
Many people who didn’t actually live through the era of parachute pants, slouch socks, and “the preppy look” claim to be nostalgic for this bizarre time capsule of big hair and glam rock. I actually did live through the 80s in my teens and early 20s and can honestly say that I totally get the sentimental feelings toward this simpler yet somewhat weird time.
Adam Sandler’s movie The Wedding Singer was made in 1998, and the musical version first hit Broadway in 2006. Both are set in 1985. The Firehouse Theatre has successfully re-created the mid-80s in their lively and very fun production of The Wedding Singer, complete with mullets and leg warmers, featuring a talented cast.
Max Rose plays the title role of the wedding singer (aka Robbie Hart) with sincerity and emotion. He has to hit a wide range of feelings throughout and does so believably while also singing and dancing his heart out. He even plays the guitar on occasion! Rose is the heart of this production and gives it everything he’s got in a really solid performance.
Julia Sullivan is portrayed with comparable sincerity by Alli Crabtree. She is as cute as a button, and she and Rose have excellent chemistry; their first kiss is one of the sweetest and most romantic I’ve seen on a stage this year. The two complement each other nicely.
Adam Seirafi plays Julia’s louse of a fiancé, Glen Gulia, with just the right amounts of charm and big jerk-ness. He’s got this “rich, handsome guy who doesn’t have to play by everyone else’s rules” attitude down to a science, and we honestly wonder how he ever got together with someone as nice as Julia.
Robbie’s bandmates Sammy and George are brilliantly portrayed by Dayton Wilson and Dylan Ciminna. They are glam-rock wannabees in completely different ways: Wilson is the sexy macho bass player, while Ciminna brings all the androgynous fashion sense to his look and style. I’m sure it’s no accident that the character is named George (he emulates Boy George to a T). Despite their differences, these two are the rocks who help Robbie get through everything.
Julia’s rock is her cousin Holly, played by Chloe Bonneau. She is much more of a wild child than Julia, and Bonneau obviously has a fabulous time bringing her to life. She has a powerful singing voice and a strong dancer as well...and isn’t afraid to take a chance for a bit!
Andi Allen is Max’s over-protective yet progressive grandmother Rosie. Max lives in her basement, and Rosie never misses an opportunity to say something shocking. Allen is the queen of the seemingly innocent yet sly remark, and even gets her own moment in leg warmers and classic high top Reeboks. She and Ciminna perform a beyond hilarious number together at Rosie’s 50th Anniversary party that’s worth the price of admission.
As Max’s fiancée Linda, Sophia Rodrigues Patterson shines in her two numbers—one where she’s dumping Max, and the other when she’s trying to win him back. Patteron has wonderful stage presence and does a great job of making us hate her, yet wishing we got to see more of her character.
Directors Owen and Ally Beans have put together something special with The Wedding Singer, aided immensely by Kelsey Jordan Ward’s energetic, enthusiastic choreography and strong vocals by music director Jason Philip Solís.
The small but mighty ensemble gets a workout portraying everyone from wedding guests to superstars (impersonators of Tina Turner, Billy Idol, for instance). Dayna Rae Dutton’s costumes make the ensemble feel like a much larger group (as my companion remarked, “so many dresses”), and everything’s done in perfect mid-80s style. Julia’s wedding dress in particular is absolutely stunning.
Logan Uhtenwoldt’s simple set works well for the show (I especially liked the stage for the band), and Hank Baldree’s colorful lighting (particularly the simple geometric design at the back of the playing space) helped differentiate the multiple locations. Sometimes the actors missed their marks and were in the dark, but odds are they’ll get better at finding their light as the run progresses.
The sound design by Tyler Hester was good overall, although occasionally the mics made lyrics sound muddy. A prop person wasn’t listed, and this was the one area that stuck out as not being period appropriate. In nearly all the bar scenes, the actors were drinking Michelob Ultra (tsk), which wasn’t introduced until 2002. While that may seem like a petty thing to mention, it completely took me out of the 80s, despite everything else being spot on.
The Wedding Singer (film) may not have been a huge success when it came out, but it has since developed a cult following, and the musical has added lots of fans in much the same way. It didn’t run that long on Broadway, despite being nominated for a 2006 Tony Award for Best New Musical. With a book by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy, music by Matthew Sklar, and lyrics by Chad Beguelin, The Wedding Singer musical has found life via touring productions and in community and professional theatres all over the world.
The Firehouse Theatre has put together a production that is lots of fun, and the opening night audience was definitely all in! It’s a romantic show with lots of laughs, great songs and dances, and a dynamite cast. What’s not to love?
WHEN: May 15-June 1, 2025
WHERE: 2535 Valley View Lane, Farmers Branch TX
WEB: thefirehousetheatre.com
