The University of New Hampshire’s (UNH) Theater and Dance (THDA) program performed the romantic musical, “The Wedding Singer,” in the Paul Creative Arts Center Johnson Theatre on March 26. The show, adapted from the classic movie starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, was filled with energy and joy.
If you are unfamiliar with the “Wedding Singer,” the plot follows the love story between Robbie, a wedding singer broken up with before his own wedding, and Julia, a waitress planning her wedding to the wrong man.
The THDA company did a wonderful job of balancing the energy and physical comedy with the serious romance of the classic story.
The set, like snapshots of the 1980s, drew the audience in with its bright colors.
According to the UNH THDA Instagram, the show’s set designer Szu-Feng Chen, “was inspired by the bright colors, reflective surfaces, and geometric shapes of the architecture of the 1980s.” Chen also serves as THDA's Professor of Theatre Design and Technology and the chair of the Theatre and Dance Department.
Most of the set consisted of impressive moving platforms that told the audience where the characters were such as the wedding shop or Robbie’s bedroom. The lights made the setting really feel like it’s part of the decade of colorful eyeshadows and scrunchies.
The soundtrack reflected the upbeat, 1980s feel of the original movie starring Sandler and Barrymore, containing several romantic ballads.
Through their energy-filled music numbers The THDA cast made the audience feel the loneliness and confusion of love.
With each scene the audience seemed to grow more emotionally invested in Robbie and Julia’s romance. This connection was palpable in the show’s second to last song, “Grow Old With You,” which showcases Robbie’s love for Julia before her marriage to the wrong guy.
The cast succeeded in bringing the retro vibes of “Wedding Singer” to the Johnson Theatre stage. Their performances were truly a joy to watch.
