"The Wedding Singer" Reviews- Page 7

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 5/3/06 at 5:48pm

i just came back from seeing this show, it was amazing, the best show i have seen in quite a while, stephen lynch was outstanding in this musical, really amazing, the rest of the cast was great, amy spanger was maybe the stronger female lead, the music was great, the story was funny and entertaining, i really had a ball, i couldn't stop laughing.
stephen came out after the matinee just to greet the fans and take pictures, which was really kind, then he went back inside. amy spanger told me she started as a dancer, i knew she was a great singer because of "tick tick...boom" but i was impressed with her dancing.
amy deserves the tony for best supporting actress in a musical, and although john young lloyd is the favorite actor of the season, i hope stephen gets the tony.
the best musical of the season!!! i have yet to see "drowsy chaperone" though, and "the woman in white" is my other favorite, but it will probably be overlooked by the tonys.

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 5/3/06 at 6:08pm

“ONE BIG PARTY! A good-natured, high-energy musical with a happy(-looking) cast. Inventive choreography, satirical costumes. Chad Beguelin’s lyrics find cleverness in surprising places. The sets find both humor and poetry.”
- Linda Winer, Newsday


“The gifted singer-comedian STEPHEN LYNCH plays Robbie Hart in Broadway’s very funny "THE WEDDING SINGER." The show has a great time with ‘80s references from "Flashdance" to Wall-Street greed. FELICIA FINLEY truly rocks. I haven't seen an audience have this much fun since "Mamma Mia." As they said in the '80s, this show is awesome…as colorful, sweet and tasty as a jar of Ronald Reagan's jellybeans.”
- Jess Cagle WCBS-TV/People Magazine


“Get out the confetti for Stephen Lynch and Laura Benanti, Broadway’s hottest new couple!”
- Pat Collins, WWOR-TV


“A LOT OF LAUGHS AND A GOOD TIME! A cheerful, crowd-pleasing new musical with an easygoing story, a zesty stack of songs, lively dancing and bright performances. Writers Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy, director John Rando and their designers deck the proceedings with verbal and visual gags likely to incite laughs of ’80s recognition. Costume designer Gregory Gale deserves applause. Matthew Sklar provides an enjoyable score with neat lyrics by Beguelin. Cleverly orchestrated, the songs tickle up frisky reminders of Duran Duran and Rick Springfield. Perfectly in sync with the mood, Rob Ashford’s bustling choreography drives up the energy level. A GOOD TIME CAN BE HAD BY ALL. ”
-Michael Sommers, The Star-Ledger


“A WINNING YOUNG CAST. Standup comedian/musician Stephen Lynch brings a life-sized humanity to the role of lovelorn crooner Robbie, as well as a throaty belt that may remind you of Jon Bon Jovi. Laura Benanti has a girl-next-door charm and a gleaming soprano. Her playful sweetness is a constant delight. Costumer Gergory Gale and hair designer David Brian Brown contribute some of the tackiest ‘dos and don’ts I’ve seen since my sweet 16 party.”
- Elysa Gardner, USA Today


“THE STAGE ROCKS WITH ENERGY. Stephen Lynch and Laura Benanti are deeply appealing. Lynch is a gifted comedian with a surprising vulnerability. He sings tenderly and dances with gusto. Benanti is a powerful, winning performer. Amy Spanger is hot and funny. Felicia Finley is similarly torrid and Matthew Saldivar has a goofy charm as his best friend. Rita Gardner is endearing as Robbie’s grandmother. One of thE show’s greatest assets is Rob Ashford’s inventive, comic choreography. There’s a similar wit in Scott Pask’s settings, which re-create the glories of suburban New Jersey. The vulgarity of the ‘80s comes through loud and clear in Gregory Gale’s costumes.”
- Howard Kissel, Daily News

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 5/4/06 at 2:23am

this show was absolutely worth my money!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/21/06 at 12:26pm

I saw it yesterday afternoon. In a few words, it's one of the campiest things I have ever seen, and it's silly, but I had a really, really good time. For all the complaining I do about how fluff is killing art, sometimes I find a show that reminds me of the fact that there's something to be said for pure fun. I've been having a bit of a rough time with some stuff lately, and this kind of fun was exactly what I needed. It didn't solve the world's problems, and it sure as hell didn't solve mine, but I laughed and felt like myself again for the first time in a while, and in a very small personal way, there's a lot to be said for that. I absolutely adore the movie, so I expected to like the musical at least a little, but I do feel sort of guilty for really enjoying it.

Given the source material, it had to be campy; the level of camp wasn't surprising, at all. But they made it fun, where it could easily have been annoying. The score is surprisingly memorable, I thought; I've had a lot of the music stuck in my head. The sets and the lights are just sort of there; they do their jobs because they're necessary, but there's not much to be said for them. The costumes are a bit much, but hysterical anyway. Much of the book sounded like it was lifted directly from the movie, which is a good thing, because the movie is fantastic.

The part of the show worth the most discussion is the cast, though.

I had thought it would be difficult to re-create an Adam Sandler role, because he really puts himself into his roles, for better or for worse. I had thought it would be perhaps even more difficult to enjoy a re-creation of a role Sandler did a good job with. But, I think I liked Lynch's performance as Robbie even better; he played the character with more sincerity and less gimmicky comedy than Sandler does, and he has a great voice -- and he's adorable, to boot. He's very charismatic, and gives Robbie a sweeter spin than Sandler did. The performance certainly isn't Tony-worthy, but he's wonderful. He's got enough charm, even, to attempt to help along the scenes between he and Benanti, which otherwise would probably fall even flatter than they do. She's the only one who is sorely, sadly miscast. It's hard not to compare her to Drew Barrymore, but she is the polar opposite of everything associated with Barrymore's work. Where Drew's Julia felt honest and pure drawing up that sort of sweet, wonderful innocence, Laura was forced and stiff. There are supposed to be sparks flying between Robbie and Julia from the very first time you see them together; it feels like the chemistry is coming from Lynch, but not from Benanti, and one-sided chemistry doesn't work at all.

The cast members really worth talking about, though, are the ones in the featured parts. One of the best things about this show, for me, was seeing some of my favorite people do some of their best work. Felicia Finley is Linda, Robbie's fiance-turned ex; she only has two songs, but she doesn't let you forget them. She's more commanding of the stage than I had remembered, and her belt is beautiful, huge, and unique. Richard Blake has finally been cast in a role that allows him to give a performance the audience can buy. He was all wrong for Radames, and a little better for Link, but Glenn is a great role for him. He lacks something in presence compared to some of his castmates, and he's not much a dancer, but he really fits this role; he's a talented guy, so that's good to see. (Eric Summers, who played Mereb when Aida closed is in the ensemble; it was good to see him, because he's great.) Kevin Cahoon and Amy Spanger steal the show. I can't rave enough about the two of them. At all. Amy is gorgeous, sexy, and hysterical; you can't take your eyes off of her. Kevin just... in a nutshell, owns his role. I can't imagine anyone else playing it the way he does; he's so perfect.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 5/21/06 at 12:43pm

I also saw the matinee yesterday.

I agree with what Em wrote.

Richard Blake has finally found his niche in the acting world.
Amy Spanger is probably the greatest part of this show.
Stephen Lynch, Felicia Finley, and Kevin Cahoon are also very impressive.
Special recognition to everyone's favorite rapping granny, Rita Gardner.

Lynch's scenes with Benanti seemed like he was acting against a brick wall. He was trying hard to have fun with her, but she seemed more interested in singing Sondheim (which she does beautifully).

The score is very infectious, as we all know, but I didn't realize how much fun it would be as it rocked the theatre. There were also some interesting and exciting directorial choices and whoever made the decision to have Spanger dump water on herself - is currently my hero.

I really haven't had that much fun in the theatre in a while. Em is right. We go to the theatre or two movies to forget our troubles and, sometime, just have fun. Sure, it isn't perfect, but it's fun.

I know everyone keeps comparing it to Hairspray - and I think there are similarities. But I really had more fun at WS than at Hairspray.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 5/21/06 at 3:10pm

Im glad you guys liked it! I think Amy is god after seeing her in this show. She is so talented.