The Wedding Singer

It’s always difficult to choose the perfect musical for high school students and this year was no exception. We looked at many scores before settling on The Wedding Singer and I’m very happy with the show as it’s funny, poignant, romantic and a full of fantastic songs. The audition period went over two weeks while I put the singers through their paces. It’s always very pleasing to see how seriously our students take the casting process and how much preparation goes into the role they are auditioning for. Following call backs and a few more call backs, I was very happy with our exceptional cast.

The Wedding Singer takes us back to a time when hair was big, greed was good and a pair of parachute pants were de rigueur. Matthew Sklar’s score and Chad Beguelin’s lyrics does for the '80s what Hairspray did for the '60s with The Wedding Singer being nominated for Best Musical in the Tony Awards and becoming hugely successful internationally . The score uses a clever mix of standard 80’s techniques such as rap, power chords and heavy use of suspended chords played on synths in songs with a hint of many a one hit wonder from the period.

The band has been lots of fun putting together as we explored and, for some of us who were teenagers in the 80’s, reacquainted ourselves with playing this style of music. I’d like to thank the students who poured their hearts and souls into the The Wedding Singer. Our students once again worked their magic on what was a wonderful run. 

A big thanks to all of the audience who filled the Phee Broadway Theatre every night and loved the show.

As always we’ve made a show intended for  a small cast  into a large one, which has its challenges ,performed in a venue away from the school campus and managed to fit an exhaustive rehearsal schedule around out already busy lives. The final product was well worth the end result. The cast have had a ball , suffering post show let – down , never wanting the experience to end !

As always, without the huge help from parents, in particular, Tamsin Byrne, the show wouldn’t happen.

Thanks everyone

Darren Lowe