The Wedding Singer

One of the surprise treats on Sydney’s Community Theatre circuit in 2014 must be Engadine’s feel-good production of The Wedding Singer.

Based on the 1988 movie of the same name, The Wedding Singer is an unpretentious little musical, with an 80s pop style score, which creeps up on you and charms. While it only had a modestly respectable Broadway run in 2006, it’s a terrific choice for a company with young talent to burn like Engadine.

A colourful single setting, with a couple of little surprises which I won’t spoil, enables a fluid production as it becomes all locations, even a revolving restaurant, with no more than the use of simple props. It's complemented by vivid period costumes.

Director Michael Astill delivers a vibrant production, tightly and simply conceptualised. Choreographer Lynley Fuller invents clever, creative movement, well-tailored for the non-dancing ensemble, but with ample scope for her better dancers to display all their panache.

Good casting really is key to community theatre, and Engadine’s casting works throughout, even to many choices for ensemble cameos.

Truthful acting from two attractive young romantic leads in Andrew Fabris as Robbie Hart and Taylor Thomson as Julia makes the path of the central romance engagingly human and credible. A couple in real life, they add genuine warmth and chemistry to their strong stagecraft and vocals.

Fabris comfortably lands the wedding singer persona, assured and capable to begin with, then drunkenly obnoxious and out of control as his life spirals in downward after he’s dumped by fiancé Linda (Lauren Kate Leffler quickly defines her as the wrong girl for the likeable Robbie). He’s well supported by his fellow band members, Julian Batchelor, who really is that blokey, rough diamond type of guy we all know, as Sammy, while Temujin Tera ensures that the androgynous George stops just the right degree short of going over the top.

Emma Etherington is warm, down-to-earth and vivacious as Julia’s best mate Holly. Sue Bunt as Rosie, Robbie’s hip, embarrassing yet loveable grandmother, is a comic treat.

All the Vegas wedding celebrant impersonators at show’s end are fun, with Mark Gardner, in particular, nailing fake Ronald Reagan. In fact, it’s a company where everyone always seems to be in character. Many ensemble members land their cameos beautifully, though I must make special mention of Lisa Eastman, the show’s standout dancer, whose many little character moments, including a Goth wedding guest, are simply delightful.

Onstage placement of the band behind the action facilitates an excellent sound mix without requiring the excellent band to pull back on the sort of 80s sound central to the show, while also allowing the audience to enjoy Musical Director Jennifer Parbery leading the integrated musos from her keyboard with style and gusto.

Why not celebrate community theatre with several weddings and a Bar Mitzvah at Engadine next weekend.

Neil Litchfield

Photographs: Perfect Images Photography