"THE WEDDING SINGER," Hale Centre Theatre, through July 31, 801-984-9000; running time: 2 hours 30 minutes (one intermission).
WEST VALLEY CITY — In 1998, Adam Sandler starred in a movie that lovingly tipped its hat to a decade filled with neon, synthesized music, bad hairdos and shoulder pads, not to mention musical icons such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and Cyndi Lauper.
The local premiere of the musical stage version of "The Wedding Singer" is now open at Hale Centre Theatre.
The show originally opened on Broadway in 2006 and closed shortly thereafter. Though it had mixed reviews, it did get a handful of Tony nominations.
If you're a child of the '80s, you'll likely enjoy the musical, though the script is awfully heavy-handed with its references to the decade, making each obvious joke less funny.
And Hale has cleaned up the script to make it more palatable to its family-going audiences.
In the lead roles are Bryan Matthew Hague (double cast with Derek Smith) as Robbie Hart, the broken-hearted wedding singer, and Ali Bennett (Breanne Briggs, double) as Julia, a waitress engaged to the wrong man.
Both are warm and charming, making it easy to pull for them. "Grow Old With You," a song written by Sandler, is a highlight — Hague's delivery is sweet; he sings it well and he's really playing the guitar.
The other standout in this production is Jennifer Hill-Barlow's energetic and period-perfect choreography. The cast delivered the running man, cabbage patch, snake and even a nod to "Flashdance" beautifully. Especially enjoyable is the "Casualty of Love," with a fabulous "Thriller" sendup.
Leslie Warwood's costumes are so much fun, but there are a few holes. For instance, in many scenes the girls are in character shoes (dance shoes) rather than '80s-era footwear. It just looks strange when everything is of the period, but the glaring modern-day, wearing-the-same-shoes-as-your-mom-and-girlfriends footwear. Where's the L.A. Gear?
Cynthia Johnson's wigs were wonderfully styled, but the quality of the wigs is poor, so anyone wearing a wig sticks out like a sore thumb.
Kacey Udy's set captures the techno feel of the period nicely. Some of the set changes are a bit long, but that will likely fix itself as the run continues.
There is one scene that should be tweaked. Robbie and Julia, who are just friends, are in a bridal shop and Julia's friend encourages her to demonstrate what her wedding kiss will look like — on Robbie.
This is when sparks need to fly, as the two realize they have feelings for one another. But there are set pieces (wedding dresses) in the way that, much to my disappointment, are moved AFTER the kiss. I'd love to see those dresses lifted before their lips touch. No one wants to miss a good kiss — and certainly not one that serves as the turning point in the show.
For the most part, the show is just a light-hearted love story, and it is a fun night out. Director David Nieman has filled the stage with talented performers who are clearly having an awesome time telling the story.
e-mail: ehansen@desnews.com