Josh Freilich's Review of his "Thursday Night in the Cit-TAAY" (aka "THE WEDDING SINGER")

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 12:09am

I expected a lot out of the Wedding Singer, and a LOT is what I got. Yes, a lot of GREAT stuff coming out of it. I went with my mom and dad, and we all loved it. We gave it perfect 9s across the board. We all thought it was 100% better than the movie. We hoped it would be, and yes, it definitely was.

CAST: We only saw three people out. Laura Benanti was out, so they got Tina Maddigan to fill in for her, and (CRAP!) Amy Spanger was also out, so Cara Cooper was in for her. Somebody else, who played Donatella and Debbie was out, too, so they got Joanne Manning to do that for her. Tina Maddigan sounded great as Julia. I think she could be much better voice-wise than Laura Benanti does. Benanti has more of a legit Broadway-classical voice rather than pop, and that's why Tina Maddigan sounds better for the role. And by the way, she had blond hair, so they didn't have to give her the wig. It worked great anyways.

We all agreed - STEPHEN LYNCH rocked it like MAD! He is awesome. He reminded my mom of Jim Carrey. And not to mention he actually has a great voice. I keep persuading my mom to get his CDs. And I bet we will sometime or another.

PLOT/DIRECTION: 100% better than the movie. Like that they got rid of everything from the movie that was unnecessary and not as vital to the musical. I really like that. I also like that they added all those impersonators. It was unbelievable. I mouthed along with every single word that was taken from the movie and used in the musical. They nailed all those lines, especially "THEY RIP YER HEART... OUTTA YER ASS!!!" spoken by the bum.

First "Of Thee I Sing," and now this! John Rando has really done it again. Love the comic timing, and the references to modern society (The CD player cost Glen $900... CORNY!). This is one of his best works, and I love it.

MUSIC: Very '80s, and that's what I love. I loved the '80s and I WAITED to see it brought back to the Broadway stage, and now that dream finally becomes a reality. Love all the synth stuff and the guitars and everything. Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin really knew their '80s, I could tell. Noticed the echoes of Joan Jett in "Casualty Of Love," did you guys?

DESIGN: Loved every bit of it. The Rubik's cube-ish wings looked great, and I especially liked the design of the "mall" sequence. Looked awesome. I also like the light show that Brian MacDevitt designed for us during the entr'acte (especially his tribute to "PONG"). I think that should have been worth him a Tony nomination, because I liked it a lot.

CHOREOGRAPHY: Very physical stuff in this, and that's what we miss in shows. I love all the lifts and technically complex dances that everyone does in this. Definitely worth Rob Ashford another Tony win if Kathleen isn't fast enough to steal it from him.

ORCHESTRATIONS: After what I heard, I NEED to sub in this show. No, I really do. It's one of the best things I've heard this week, not like "Chaperone" or "Tarzan," but it's still one of the best I've heard.

OVERALL: Definitely a 9 out of 10 in my book. Doesn't have the "winning" potential that "Chaperone" would have, but it's still an INCREDIBLE show, whether it's for those who love the movie, or for those who just loved the '80s. I loved it so much.

Comments are greatly appreciated.

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 12:13am

That's great! I'm glad you enjoyed the show with Tina and Cara (I saw Cara and I thought she was amazing!). Did they start selling CDs yet?

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 12:16am

Well, no. I found out from one of the counter guys at the merchandise thing that Sony was giving them shiitake (just trying to censor myself just so I won't get banned).

Anyway, I did love it.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 12:18am

Can't wait for my CD. So you liked Tarzan?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 12:29am

I thought you had better taste Josh.

So Benati is up to her "old tricks"?
Don't jump on me. I just didn't like this show, the jokes are cheap and the score, choreography and costumes are not good, in my opinion.
I did like Stephen Lynch, i think he has promise as a Stage actor.
and this isn't a BASH, just my comments.
that Act I Curtain Splash is the cheapest moment in a while and has nothing to do with the storyline as weak as it is.
(Ducking for cover as I get yelled at)!

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 12:31am

Curtain, I don't think she's up to her old tricks just yet, at least. There's been a bug going around the cast - Amy Spanger was sick the other night and Laura seems to have caught whatever it is.

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 12:52am

Curtain, when you show up on every single Wedding Singer theard and trash it, you are bashing it.

And again.. you keep saying you don't hate the show.. now you say you actually do hate it.. I think last week you said everything in it was bad including the cast, yet today you think Stephen Lynch is good in it.. AND GET OFF LAURA'S BACK ALREADY! GOD!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 1:06am

calm down Tiny
The word hate never appears in my thread
I have always said the cast is better than the material
and i adore Benati's voice
I listen to her on NINE all the time.
but her attendance record speaks for herself
and Kevin Cahoon is one of my fav performers
So :
Hey Everyone Go enjoy this show! and these wonderful Actors!

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 1:09am

I don't think the "splash" is cheap at all. It's a great laugh and leaves audience with a good chuckle right before curtain to carry them through intermission.

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 1:27am

glad you had fun! curtainpulldowner i'm sorry you didn't like it but i'm glad you share your thoughts in a positive manner

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 1:46am

Im glad you liked it Josh, try to come back to see the show, Amy Spanger's performance is not to be missed.

Posted: 6/2/06 at 11:28am

Curtain,..

don't duck for cover.
I also agree with you and thought that the Wedding Singer was the worst show I've seen in a long time. It was downright horrendous. Cheap all the way....a miscast and way too old Laura Benanti,..horrible songs, choreography and schtick all the way through. I had to run out of the theatre before the automated standing ovation was about to occur from the fleet of tourists and jersey/staten island audiences who now use this as a forum for wedding proposals. I couldn't take the tackyness of the whole evening..and I thought sitting in the 6th row center was going to be thrilling! As a big 80's fan,..and someone that has allowed the movie to grow on me over the years...it truly was a waste of 2 hours. I'd rather got to awesome 80's Prom and revel in that kind of tackyness,...than to sit in a theatre and have an un-80's time, with alot of useless antics and boring numbers. I went about 2-3 weeks ago,..and I can't remember ONE song, except 'It's you wedding day' because it's rammed down your throat at opening/closing and commercials and radio. I go see theatre at least twice a week,...and this was absolutely the worst thing I've seen this year. what a piece of crap. there...i said it proudly.

Posted: 6/2/06 at 11:42am

Hey Josh,..

I couldn't disagree with you more.

I am a HUGE 80's fan,..and have enjoyed the movie over the years and enjoy its subtle humor. and even though the movie has great flaws,.for example, having it take place in 1985,..when half of the songs that were used in reference happened AFTER 85, for starters....

But I thought that it was a lazy attempt by the writers to just take every line form the movie and paste it onto the show. If you're going to redo the music and lyrics..and have it 80's inspired...fine...but I was mouthing the whole text before the actors said it because I already knew the lines were coming it was easy, predictable and showed no signs of originality. for that,..i stay home and watch the film. This was also the kind of show that I felt musically,..didn;t do any justice to the 80's at all. I felt the show was NOT 80's sounding at all. sometimes too tinny..and it just didn't tug at me at all. It was generic 80's....but it didn't really have anything that stood out. monotone.

I thought the impersonators scene was the 'last attempt' at getting a laugh and one last schtick in the long book list of schtickiness....I get camp humor...i LOVE camp humor...i loved John Rando's Urinetown...Im a huge fan of Urinetown....this,...was a disaster. and unnecesary.

I think this show is for old people who 'remember' the 80's as a wacky time of Reaganomics.....but really didn;t live it. It appeals to that audience of the 80's who were sheltered from it...and didn;t truly absorb in the pop culture of it all.

There was more energy from the girl selling merchandise outside,..than the cast on that stage. and the cast was misused . except for felicia finley and amy spanger...the rest was absolute blah!!!!!! it's a shame they had to spend their talent on this piece of work. as well as david josefsberg. I'd rather watch him working back on ALtar Boyz...but I understand that he probably needs to pay bills...and he's probably making a heck of alot more out of working on the Wedding Singer. The songs were all forgettable.....and the dancing could've been more 80's...that's what made the 80's fun.
Copying Michael Jackson's Thriller steps....is not 'dancing 80's...it was just a cheap attempt at a joke that's been done over end over and over and over again.

Posted: 6/2/06 at 11:42am

Hey Josh,..

I couldn't disagree with you more.

I am a HUGE 80's fan,..and have enjoyed the movie over the years and enjoy its subtle humor. and even though the movie has great flaws,.for example, having it take place in 1985,..when half of the songs that were used in reference happened AFTER 85, for starters....

But I thought that it was a lazy attempt by the writers to just take every line form the movie and paste it onto the show. If you're going to redo the music and lyrics..and have it 80's inspired...fine...but I was mouthing the whole text before the actors said it because I already knew the lines were coming it was easy, predictable and showed no signs of originality. for that,..i stay home and watch the film. This was also the kind of show that I felt musically,..didn;t do any justice to the 80's at all. I felt the show was NOT 80's sounding at all. sometimes too tinny..and it just didn't tug at me at all. It was generic 80's....but it didn't really have anything that stood out. monotone.

I thought the impersonators scene was the 'last attempt' at getting a laugh and one last schtick in the long book list of schtickiness....I get camp humor...i LOVE camp humor...i loved John Rando's Urinetown...Im a huge fan of Urinetown....this,...was a disaster. and unnecesary.

I think this show is for old people who 'remember' the 80's as a wacky time of Reaganomics.....but really didn;t live it. It appeals to that audience of the 80's who were sheltered from it...and didn;t truly absorb in the pop culture of it all.

There was more energy from the girl selling merchandise outside,..than the cast on that stage. and the cast was misused . except for felicia finley and amy spanger...the rest was absolute blah!!!!!! it's a shame they had to spend their talent on this piece of work. as well as david josefsberg. I'd rather watch him working back on ALtar Boyz...but I understand that he probably needs to pay bills...and he's probably making a heck of alot more out of working on the Wedding Singer. The songs were all forgettable.....and the dancing could've been more 80's...that's what made the 80's fun.
Copying Michael Jackson's Thriller steps....is not 'dancing 80's...it was just a cheap attempt at a joke that's been done over end over and over and over again.

[jimnysf]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 11:46am

"I also agree with you and thought that.. was the worst show I've seen in a long time. It was downright horrendous ..horrible songs, choreography".

Are you sure you aren't talking about "Lestat"?

Posted: 6/2/06 at 11:53am

Haha.... well,..Lestat too!

[ElphabaRose]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 12:01pm

Taboo, Laura is only 26 (almost 27), she's hardly too old for the role.

Posted: 6/2/06 at 12:07pm

really??wow. she looked 40.

[MistressoftheHouse]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 12:08pm

I'm glad you liked it so much Josh, this just makes me more excited for when I might actually get to see it.

Stephen's comedy CDs are fantastic, but if you get them you might want to give them a quick listen before your mom does...she could be very open-minded and cool, I don't know, but at the same rate there's a lot of topics for people to not appreciate very much, lol. My parents would hate them, but they don't like a lot of swearing, so they're not the most open kind of people. I guess it just depends!

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 12:43pm

Glad you enjoyed the show. It's a lot of fun, ain't it?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 1:06pm

It's not for everyone. Not everything has to be ground-breaking theater that is gonig to effect you for the rest of your life. It was just a fun time. And the 80s were tacky weren't they?

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 1:27pm

"My parents would hate them, but they don't like a lot of swearing, so they're not the most open kind of people. I guess it just depends!"

I sang a bit of the "Vanilla Ice Cream" song for my parents, and they laughed at the part where I go "Please don't take it personally/This is no attack/But we will never last/Because I'm white and you are... ALSO WHITE". They thought it was very funny. They are VERY open to these things.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 1:41pm

a miscast and way too old Laura Benanti

You call 26 too old?

Curtain- ENOUGH ALREADY! Laura's not up ot any of her so-called "old tricks." She's sick. Get over it.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 1:44pm

I hope she gets better.
I Love her voice.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/2/06 at 1:46pm

Oh, Josh, you've yet to hear the worst. He's got a song about the Special Olympics. By far this best work. It's so funny, but it's a very bad sense of humor.