Rollicking Tale Performed With Spirit and Vigor at Rockwood Summit

By Audrey Lipsmire, Northwest High School

When one thinks of the 80's, thoughts of wild dancing, neon clothing, big hair, and loud music comes to mind.  Rockwood Summit recently took an audience on a trip back to that vivacious decade with their lively performance of The Wedding Singer.

The Wedding Singer's story line mainly follows Robbie Hart, the lead singer of the band Simply Wed, and Julia Sullivan, a waitress at Touch of Class. Based off of the 1998 film, The Wedding Singer includes music by Mattew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and a book by Beguelin and Tim Herlihy. The musical first opened on Broadway on April 27, 2006 ran for 284 performances, and was nominated for several Tony Awards.

Rockwood Summit's performance showcased many adept actors and vocalists. Zack Huels (Robbie) consistently sang with liveliness and often had the crowd laughing during the song Come Out of the Dumpster. Gabrielle Wibbenmeyer (Julia) had a pleasant voice and made it easy to see the transition as the direction of her feelings went from Glen to Robbie. Each cast member was clearly dedicated to their character.

The Wedding Singer required a large cast, and although some roles did not have as many lines as others, the actors were still able to stand out and shine. One of the most amusing characters of the night was George, a band mate of Robbie's, who was portrayed by Spencer Blow. Blow's characterization choices and animated movements were all executed perfectly. Elyse Bertani who played Linda, was another highlight of the night. Powerful vocals were definitely present in her song A Note from Linda. Every scene that included the whole ensemble was filled to the brim with energy as the characters sang and danced the night away!

Costume choices greatly contributed an 80's feel as the cast was decked out in vibrant clothes and leg warmers. The sets were very versatile and allowed for quick scene changes and props added nice detail to the scenes. Unfortunately, there were several sound issues that made it hard to hear the actors throughout the show. Various types of lighting helped accentuate the overall emotions in the scene and several effects added pizzazz.

Rockwood Summit High School's praiseworthy performance of The Wedding Singer was defined by paramount vocals, proficient acting, and endless spirit and vigor. The rollicking 80's tale truly showed that, sometimes, what someone is looking for, is right in front of their eyes.

About The Cappies, from its website: The Cappies is a program through which high school theater and journalism students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools, write reviews, and publish those reviews in local news outlets. At the end of the year, student critics vote for awards that are presented at a formal Cappies Gala.