Theater Glenvar High: "The Wedding Singer"

It was a bit of a drive down to Glenvar High School for their new musical The Wedding Singer after Sandler movie turned Broadway hit, but I knew it would be worth the time. Sure, Glenvar's my old high school, and the drama director Steve Franco is a good friend of mine, but I'd like to think that I would have gone anyway.

Let's just say that I wasn't surprised to learn that Singer enjoyed many months on Broadway: the music and the dancing really are well organized, and this shined through at Glenvar.

Even for someone who doesn't go out of his way to see musicals, I have to say that the songs and the dancing were the best parts of the play. Much of the in-between is a collection of some of the best one-liners from the movie, and - while funny - aren't the meat of the production.

So far as Glenvar's portrayal of it, despite a few technical snafus and a few rushed lines (certainly both of which are pretty common fair at the high-school level) the cast did a great job with all of the very intricate dances, movement, and situations. This was not a static play but as demanding physically as Grease in parachute pants.

The cast was - to say the least - excited by the play and the story, which really came through in the production and which I can attest first-hand makes all of the difference. The house was about two-thirds full on opening night - last Thursday - near as I could tell from about six rows back.

I wish I could say that I wrote this in time for my readers to see it, but - alas - it ended Saturday night. But the chance to check out my old high school's play was a great experience, and one that I'm sure to continue.

Anyone out there still make it to their high school's shows?