Things aren’t going great for Robbie Hart.
Instead of being an ‘80s rock god, he’s a local wedding singer. Instead of living on his own, he crashes in his grandmother’s basement. And instead of being happily married, he was abandoned at the altar. But with a little help — and a lot of singing — Robbie’s life will be turned right-side up.
This is the plot of the‘90s rom-com, The Wedding Singer, starring Adam Sandler, and later, the Tony-nominated musical, with music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguelin. The movie soundtrack features covers, including hits by David Bowie, Wham!, and Madonna, while the musical has a completely original soundtrack, including songs like A Note From Linda, Someday, and Come Out of the Dumpster. The Theatre Company of BCS will bring the musical version to the stage from Sept. 17 to Oct. 3.
The Wedding Singer was supposed to be the closer for the 2019-2020 season but was pushed until the fall of 2021, according to Adrienne Dobson, executive director of The Theatre Company of BCS. “It’s wild that it will be two years later than when we planned it,” she says.
The show features an all-female production team, Dobson says. The costume maker and tech director are in the process of creating a nostalgic ‘80s feel through costumes, lights, and music, Dobson says.
“People can expect a mental escape from the current times because sometimes you need to get away and relax and laugh,” Dobson says. “This is the perfect place to do that because the show is quite campy, the music is fun, and it’s generally very upbeat and happy,” she says.
Dobson joined The Theatre Company of BCS in the fall of 2002. She was a performer and choreographer for the community musical theater company for several years before its founder and previous executive director, Randy Wilson, passed away in 2016. Dobson took over as interim director for six months before accepting the position full time and has loved every second of it, she says.
“I love that people from all over the community come together to put these shows together,” Dobson says. “I love to see people do that and grow.” She enjoys the family and camaraderie of being in a cast that in some ways feels like a second family, she says.
In order to keep both cast and audience safe, COVID guidelines will be posted and enforced for the upcoming production.
“The cast for this show is fully vaccinated and when we have someone who isn’t vaccinated in a show, we do constant testing,” Dobson says. “Vaccinated individuals can have the option of masks and non-vaccinated individuals will be asked to wear masks,” she says. “We have a large capacity, but audiences are small. So there is plenty of space for social distancing.”
Tickets are on sale now and are $20 for adults, $17 for seniors and students, and $10 for children. theatrecompany.com/tickets
