Theater Review: The Wedding Singer at Hart House

Isaac Bell owns the stage as Robbie alongside Ashley Gibson as Julia.

Hart House Theatre’s The Wedding Singer is a joyous burst of youthful vitality. It is an upbeat and dynamic show with great singing and some winning performances. It is the strongest show I have seen from the company.

The Wedding Singer, based on the film of the same name, follows an 80s wedding singer named Robbie Hart as he navigates weddings, friendships and love, both dysfunctional and delightful.

There is so much I adored about this show. Luke Brown made great directorial choices and the show works largely because of the way he chose to shape it. Amanda Nagy’s choreography could hold its own against any big scale production. It was tight, inventive and impressive. Choreographing a twenty-one person cast is no easy task and the cast executed Nagy’s moves flawlessly. Brandon Kleiman’s costumes threw me right back into the 80s. He created a gorgeous landscape of colour and made every performer look fabulous. He worked double duty also creating a flashy, sleek set.

This was definitely an ensemble piece and though there were leads, the ensemble truly made this show shine with great back-up singing and kick-ass dancing. Isaac Bell was a charming and likable Robbie Hart. He brought a lovely sensitivity and vulnerability to the lead character. Ashley Gibson was his love interest and had a lovely, lilting voice. I did find some of her acting flat, so it is too bad she wasn’t directed to give a more layered reading of the material.

Scott Farley and Sarah Horsman gave knock-out performances. Farley played the super diva George. He was absolutely delicious and didn’t miss an opportunity to go hilariously over the top while still staying authentic. Sarah Horsman’s screamingly funny and gloriously sexy performance as Linda will be what I remember most—what a showstopper.

Technically the show was fairly smooth except for the ghastly microphone problems they were having. I commend Romina Cortina, who bravely knocked out the solo portion of her song even though her mic was screeching all over the stage. Hopefully, they get that sorted out, because Cortina gives a strong performance and it is unfortunate that it was marred by technical problems.

The Wedding Singer made me long for the days of my youth. The cast seemed to be having so much fun up there that you couldn’t help getting caught up in that energy. A very enjoyable night at the theatre; I am impressed that a young company was able to bring a significant amount of depth to rather lightweight material.