"Wedding Singer"- 4/19 Mat- SPOILERS *

I assumed the reason 'Love Stinks' wasn't used was because it is a "real" song and Wedding Singer isn't a jukebox musical - the only songs from the movie they used were the ones written specifically for the movie.

---

Technically, not Rear Mezz...

Orchestra: $111.25
Mezzanine Rows A-R: $111.25
Mezzanine Rows S-T: $56.25

It's absolutely ridiculous, but it's true.

I never saw the movie, but I loved the show. And I loved Casualty of Love when I saw it a couple of weeks ago, I thought it was a hysterical number! And I love the cheese!

---

I saw the show last weekend and I thought it was aweful. I mean I thought it was completely unoriginal, and the whole book was taken straight from the movie. Their diction was subpar and Stephen lynch can not act. It was a complete disappointment in my opinon.

---

I just got back from the Wedding Singer and I have to say -- I really enjoyed it. I can be pretty critical but I had a smile on my face pretty much from beginning to end. Everyone did a great job, it was charming, it was funny... what more can I say? Is it Death of a Salesman? No. But it's a really good time.

Quick question -- Since Sandler and Herlihy get credit for two of the songs in the show, does this mean that they will be included in a Best Score Tony Nom or are those songs excluded from the score when being judged? How does this work? Anyone?

I still don't think she's mistcast. I think she plays the perfect girl-next-door and she looks the part as well. She sings with a classical sounding voice, but then again the girl-next-door wouldn't be some belting diva. I think it works.

And the fact that the book is straight out of the movie? Um, no. They've changed a lot from the movie. I think they've made it their own and the audiences seem to like it.

I got my ticket at TDF at the first preview and I was in Row G and paid like $59 or something.

I student rushed and got row B dead-center for $26.25. If I had money (which I really really don't), I would have paid full price. I loved the show. I know it's a big ball of fluff, but sometimes that can be nice...and ridiculously funny. I had a great night. But my taste can be wacky, so don't take my word for it. I also thought the cast, as a whole, was pretty darn good, too. Lynch had that actor/comedian thing which was necessary for the part, Amy always rocks my word, Felicia stole the show, and Laura may have been a little out of place but I love her and she was working it. But, those are just my opinions, so...ok, I'm done.

---

I haven't bothered to say much about what I thought of this show because it's just SO bland and useless all around that it didn't inspire a "review" but I'm tired of it being "ok" that it's "so much fun". It's not even suffering from the "it's SO bad , it's good" syndrome. Having said that, I have to think anyone who tries to say "how much fun this show is" (both here and on ATC) HAS to have some sort of vested interest in this show. I'm NOT talking about the regulars so don't get on me about that but I feel like "they're" trying to concede to it being "funny, fluff" and promoting that angle hard. I'm sorry but, you have to do better than that for $111.00+. If I had paid anywhere NEAR that amount, I would have DEMANDED a refund. What everyone seems to be missing is the blame and fault lies with Rando as much as the ill fated casting.

The whole show is miscast. Not just Benanti. Lynch is as boring as I've ever seen a performer be onstage and while I've enjoyed Spanger in some of the things she's done, I'm growing VERY weary of her strangely accented, baby doll voice she uses to interpret EVERY character she plays, from Lois Lane, to the charcter she played in Reefer Madness, to WS. Enough already. Her singing is awfully shrill as well. Again, not her fault she was cast. A capable director would have been able to get a better, more cohesive performances out of *all* the characters. At times, it's like you're watching 3 different shows. The camp fest, the 80's nostaliga piece and the serious drama. Benanti can't put ONE single line of her songs over the way she sings. It's such an obvious mismatch for the music, it's painful. As for Finley, no matter how "great" her performance was, if the leads were, well, LEADS, no one would be raving about Finley's "cameo".

I really had no burning desire to say anything about this show either way, but one too many "oh c'mon, it's so fun" posts and I had to add my 25 cents. Bad show, poorly cast, unmemorable songs, terrible choreography and VERY bad (mis)direction.

Updated On: 4/23/06 at 10:26 AM

Thanks Bree, that's exactly how I felt but you managed to say it in a factual way rather than with some sort of misplaced passion. It makes me sad more than anything that it is "ok" for people to spend that much money and see total blandness. I'm not a fan of Rando's and going off of WS, never will be. WS is no Hairspray and they should make peace with that fact and quit trying so hard to sell it as something it's not.

Updated On: 4/23/06 at 10:40 AM

EVERYTHINGISRENT, did you actually read my post? I specifically put in a disclaimer about "regulars".

Strange show to polarize this board so, don't you think? If you've seen it, it's hard to deny that everyone else in the theater seems to be loving the show, even if you're not. And there are some "regulars" who did enjoy it. Some even a lot.

I read MargoChanning's review, and she did not like the show. But on March 31, she posted some reviews from the regulars of another board and wrote the following:

"Those are very strong reviews for a first preview and those are some veteran highly critcal theatregoers writing those posts. If Seth (who's in the business) and Krebsman (who sees 100 shows a year, going back to the 60s) enjoyed it so much and are calling it a must-see, it's a great sign for the show."

So for whatever reason, you either love or hate this show. Not a lot of fence sitters. If you can get over the fact that it's not "good" in a critical sense, then you'll probably have A LOT of fun. If not, don't go.

---

Updated On: 4/23/06 at 11:42 AM

I enjoyed the show a lot. I had a lot of fun. I thought the choreography was spectacular. From the opening number I knew it would be a great show.