Sunday Showtunes

Today I saw the final performance of  “The Wedding Singer.”  I had never seen the final performance of a show before, and I was looking forward to it.  Oh my God, it was everything I had imagined it would be and more.  But before I get to that, just in case you have been living under a rock – yes, it’s based on the movie of the same name.   It takes place in 1985.  The sets and staging, as well as the lighting design, were wonderful  What else do you want to know?  I thought the show was great and I am sorry it’s flopping.  It reminded me of similar modern under-appreciated shows like “Big” and “Carrie.”  It also reminded me of the hit show “The Full Monty” in style and sound (including a scene in a women’s public bathroom that immediately recalled TFM).  I had heard the cast album and enjoyed much of the music, but this is one of those shows where seeing it makes all the difference – some songs on the album that are only “okay” are fantastic when seen with the staging.

The best thing though, was that this particular performance was a special one (being the final one) and I am so privileged to have seen it.  It was one of the best times I’ve ever had in the theatre.  There were lots of friends and family of the cast and crew in the audience, as well as many fanatics (mostly screaming young girls) who have seen the show many times – some people even sang along or responded, just like in “Evil Dead” or “Rocky Horror.”  The energy this audience brought was almost unlike anything I have ever known, and the cast was definitely affected by it all.  Just before the music started, the cast did a power circle backstage and yelled in unison, “To The Wedding Singer!”  Since they were in places behind the scrim for the big opening number  “It’s Your Wedding Day,” we all heard it and the audience erupted in cheers, screams, and shouts.  Then the show played the opening bars, the scrim went up, and the sold-out house exploded with a sound I can only best describe as “the Beatles on Ed Sullivan times about six.”  It felt like a bolt of lightning went through the audience, up on stage, and back down to us again.  And the sound was so loud I thought I was going to go deaf.  I don’t know how the building didn’t burst with all that energy.  It was absolutely thrilling and amazing!  This energy pumped the cast up so much (during an already energetic and athletic opening number!) that while they were dancing you could already see that they couldn’t contain their emotions and were thrilled by the response.  They seemed to be giving 200%, dancing furiously like there was no tomorrow, and some of the movements were so “extra forceful and jerky” that I wondered if they would pull something!  Throughout the show, as each character entered and/or started singing, the audience kept exploding in screams and cheers.  Each actor seemed to have their fan club there, not to mention family members – you could tell where their family and friends were sitting, because you could hear  each part of the house cheer where they were sitting.  In addition to the frequent cheers, at  least two numbers stopped the show.  It was incredibly emotional both for the audience and for the actors, who were only two and a half hours away from unemployment and were definitely going out with a bang.

I had the best seat (3^rd row center) and I could see everything going through everyone’s mind during the show.   You could tell they were a close-knit group and there were many actions, reactions, and expressions that normally were not in the performance.  Actors added extra hugs, or clung extra tight to scripted ones, during scenes.   It was clear they were realizing, as they did the show, that each scene was the last, and special.  There were many tears in eyes that were not normally a part of the scene.  (In one scene, the lead actress was really crying – the scene didn’t really require her to cry, just be wistful.  Her friends behind me were moved and started crying too.  “Oh… she’s really crying, look at her,” they kept saying).  During the love song, both leads obviously were moved more than normal and both had tears down their cheeks.

Needless to say, the standing ovation (which has become “de rigueur” these days when the star comes out) began before the lights even faded.  The ovation continuing after the curtain call was long, probably 5 minutes, and nearly everyone on stage began crying by the end of it.  Then the star took the stage to address the audience.  “You’ve been a wonderful audience; this is such fun to do, and we can’t wait to come back Tuesday and do it again,” the star said.  Then a co-star whispered in his ear.  “What?” he said in faked surprise, “I didn’t know!”  He went on to make speeches thanking everyone from house staff to orchestra.  Several people in the house yelled up “thank YOU!”  It was a totally emotional love-fest.  Near the end some family members came up onstage.  Some of them exited backstage with the cast.  Then the final cheers and goodbyes, the drop flew in, and it was over.  What an afternoon!  Absolutely a highlight of the trip.

KSHO broadcasts to the Mid-Willamette Valley in Western Oregon.
Among the communities served are Albany, Corvallis, and Lebanon.