“Nobody is ever going to buy a cup of coffee for three dollars!” exclaims the character of Glen Guglia (Drumroll, cymbal! Raucous laughter). An audience member leans over and whispers to a friend, “He's talking about investing in Starbucks.” So goes the witty, freak-adelic ode to the 80s that is The Wedding Singer.
This new Broadway
musical, based on the same-named movie staring Adam Sandler, is a two-
and-a-half hour tribute to everything from the 80s. As someone not
born until March of '89, I probably got half the jokes, but even with
my limited comprehension I was still keeled over in knee-slapping,
pee-in-the-pants tears from curtain rise to curtain fall.
The story, taking place in Ridgefield, New Jersey, begins at the “Touch of Class” catering hall where the band, Simply Wed, is busy
saving a wedding reception from disaster. With silver-tongued
adroitness, Robbie Hart, the band's lead singer, coaches an
embittered drunken brother-in-law through an almost disastrous toast
with the aid of a peppy blonde wedding hall waitress, Julia.
Unfortunately, Robbie's own wedding, scheduled for the next day, does
not go so smoothly. Instead of appearing at the chapel, his white-
pleather-clad bride, Linda, strands him on the altar leaving only a
note. Robbie, understandably, then becomes too devastated to perform
any more gigs. Luckily, his new friendship with Julia gets him out
of his slump, and with Bar Mitzvahs as his stepping stool, Robbie
soon rises from his dumpster (yes, there is a song called “Get Out of
the Dumpster”) and back in his game. Of course, Robbie then realizes
he is falling for Julia, even though she is engaged to Glen Guglia.
The rest of the play follows their hilarious love triangle, takes
them from Ridgefield to Las Vegas and back again.
One thing that makes The Wedding Singer so freakin' awesome is the
eclectic cast of characters it features. Aside from Linda, the
platinum blonde runaway bride, Glen, Julia's fiancé, is a Wall Street
tycoon at the dawn of the Internet age who ties a pink sweater around
his collared shirt and says “Word up mofos?” while carrying his foot
by a foot and a half cell-phone battery. Much of this play's
hilarity is in the details. There is also Robbie's trash-talkin'
nymphomaniac grandmother who performs a Beastie Boys-esque rap duo
with Robbie's band mate at her 50th anniversary party. And then
there's Julia's best friend, Holly, a fellow waitress at the catering
hall who sports light jean jackets, humongous hair and is the
spitting image of Kimmy from Full House. The lead actors also do a
wonderful job—the chemistry between Robbie and Julia makes it
especially entertaining to observe their budding relationship.
As is the case with any fabulous musical, the songs in The Wedding
Singer really give the show its oomph. From the opening number with
robot-dancing wedding guests in colorful 80's garb, to the electric
slide/electric keyboard finale, The Wedding Singer score is lively,
original and oozing with scrumptiously stuck-in-your head potential.
The music also succeeds in being clever and occasionally heart
wrenching, as well.
The humor in the play is perhaps even more perfect for teenagers
than for adult members of the audience. The book is a hybrid of
comfortingly predictable Friends-style punch lines and Adam Sandler-
influenced physical comedy. The protagonists are endearing and
hilarious, while everything else about the show is wacky and
vibrant. Here's to the modern musical-alive and kicking.
Photo Credits this page: Joan Marcus
Cyndi Lauper brings a new meaning to “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” in
her Broadway debut as
a raunchy prostitute in The Threepenny Opera. The musical, also
starring Broadway and film star Alan Cumming and former Saturday
Night Live cast member Ana Gasteyer, revolves around Macheath, a well-
known criminal and thief in London, who marries Polly Peachum, the
daughter of the hotshot corrupt banker, Mr. Peachum. When Polly’s
parents find out about her marriage to Macheath, they set out to
arrest and hang him. This is no easy task, for although Macheath’s
criminal activities should have
sentenced him to death long ago, his longstanding friendship with the
police chief has kept his record clean. The Peachums venture through
London’s infamous Soho to find Macheath, searching for prostitutes
and low-lifes who are acquaintances of his, all for the act of saving
their daughter Polly’s
reputation.
The moment you step into Studio 54, where The Threepenny Opera takes
place, you can feel the darkness of the musical even before it
begins. The entire first act then seems to mirror the first scene:
dark, a slow pace, a bit confusing, and at times boring. I often found
I was getting lost more times than not, and constantly asking myself, “What just happened?” Although there are a few chuckles here and
there, I mostly found myself anxious for the play to end. The songs
weren’t of the catchy and infectious variety; instead they were more
dark and morbid. In conjunction with this darkness, the play was also
racy; chock full of profanity and brief nudity.
“You can feel the darkness of the musical even before it begins.”
However, just as I was thinking that the show was a lost cause, there
were a few things that saved the play. The second act was much better
than the first. We get to meet Lucy Brown, a mistress of Macheath’s,
who made the audience smile and laugh—so unlike the eerie, dreary
tone of the first act. And the ending was so unexpected that I have
to give the play kudos for taking such a depressing play and ending
it with an outrageous parody of happy endings.
The stage setup, though modest was also another savior; it was unlike
anything I’ve seen before. Big neon signs in the background provided
an attractive way to clarify the setting to the audience, announcing
each scene’s location. There’s also an electric marquee on top of the
stage, announcing the acts, scenes and songs. There’s
even a moment when song lyrics scroll across the marquee, and Mr.
Peachum urges the audience to sing along, which I found to be the
highlight of this mostly drab play. These set pieces help “break the
fourth wall,” meaning they remind both the audience and performers
that they are watching a show and not reality.
Although the play overall is mediocre, the actor’s performances are
nothing of the sort. As Lauper’s Broadway debut as Jennie, a former
flame of Macheath’s, she does a wonderful job and proves herself as a
talented actress as well as singer. Cumming’s performance is terrific;
I don’t think anyone else could
portray Macheath’s sinister attitude with a touch of humor and
sincerity quite like him. Gasteyer’s role as the overprotective
mother, Mrs. Peachum, is well delivered; her loud, booming singing
voice grabs the attention of the entire audience. However, newcomer
to the stage Nellie McKay (who is also gaining popularity as a pop/
cabaret singer, with her second album soon to come) who plays Polly
truly steals the show. Her superb acting, her odd but infectious
voice and her obvious stage presence make me think she’ll be on
Broadway for many years to come. The costumes, designed by Isaac
Mizrahi, are a reflection of each character, with the styles and
colors of each costume coinciding with each character’s personality.
Though not the type of musical I prefer, The Threepenny Opera did
have its moments, and you may enjoy the show, especially if you are
fans of its stars.
The Threepenny Opera Through June 25. • Studio 54, 254 W. 54 St. Half- price student rush half-hour before show time. (212) 719-1300. www.roundabouttheatre.org
Social pressures in high school often feel like psychological
warfare, and unbearable. School shootings have been done both by the
star student and the failing punk. But the epic proportions of the
1999 Columbine High School shootings in Colorado may be the biggest
tragedy yet to arise from the difficult journey that is adolescence.
Columbinus, billed not as a play but as a theatrical discussion, uses
primary-source material from the shootings— interviews, diaries,
discussions, and even video footage—to mine the mystery that is the
American adolescent journey. This performance is not about answers,
but trying to look at why the teenage experience continues to remain
dangerously difficult.
Columbinus Through June 11. Students $15.
New York Theatre
Workshop, 79 E. 4 St. (212) 460-5475. www.nytw.org