It’s New Jersey in the 1980s, and rock-star wannabe Robbie Hart is all the rage on the wedding circuit. That is until his fiance leaves him at the altar. Post-breakup Robbie is an emotional wreck living in his grandmother’s basement. After a public meltdown at a wedding gig, he is befriended by Julia, a waitress in a wedding hall. While he helps her plan her wedding to a Wall Street broker, they are blind to the sparks between them.
Cheng/Ferrara Productions presents “The Wedding Singer” at Kelsey Theater from Friday, February 11, to Sunday, February 20. A reception with the cast and crew follows the opening night performance on February 11. The production is directed by Frank Ferrara of West Windsor with musical direction by Shannon Ferrara of West Windsor and Nicholas Cheng of Hamilton.
“Frank and Nick chose the musical, but I was completely supportive of the choice,” says Shannon, who is Frank’s wife. “We had this sense that it could be really fun to relive the ’80s on stage and the music absolutely takes us back. We’ve been listening to a lot of ’80s music at home and in the car these days. It’s also fun that some songs from The Wedding Singer are reminiscent of real ’80s tunes. “
The musical comedy is based on the 1998 film starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. With music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and a book by Chad Geguelin and Tim Herlihy, “The Wedding Singer” opened on Broadway in 2006, where it ran for 284 performances and was nominated for five Tony Awards. Subsequent productions have toured the United States, Europe, and Australia.
“It’s a strange feeling having many actors who weren’t alive in the ’80s and don’t feel nostalgic about the music — it’s ancient history to them,” says Shannon. “As far as the dancers go, our choreographer (Dani Tucci-Juraga) runs a dance studio and had previous relationships with a lot of terrific dancers, some of whom were alive in the ’80s and knew what was involved.”
“The Wedding Singer” stars Bill Kamps of Burlington as Robbie Hart; Kelliann DeCarlo of East Brunswick as Julia Sullivan; Kevin Palardy of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, as Sammy; Caleb Whipple of Princeton as George; Christopher Kamps of Somerset as Glen Guglia; Ellen LeCorte of Titusville as Rosie; Heather Santos of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as Holly; and Jennifer Jacober of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, as Linda.
Where does one find clothing from the 1980s? “eBay is a magical place where you can find anything you’re looking for,” says Shannon. “Interestingly, most of the costumes in the show are from Alaska. But seriously, it wasn’t too hard between thrift stores, eBay, and people’s closets to find most everything.”
Although the musical was not chosen specifically as a February production, it’s more of a happy coincidence. “When Kitty (Getlik) knew we were doing ‘The Wedding Singer,’ she planned it for around Valentine’s Day.” When the show was on Broadway there were several on stage proposals arranged by audience members. Arrangements may be made by E-mail to chengferraraproductions@gmail.com.
— Lynn Miller
Tickets are $16 for adults; $14 for seniors, and $12 for students and children. Tickets may be purchased online at www.kelseytheatre.net or by calling 609-570-3333.
