‘The Wedding Singer’ delivers rocking good time at NFCT

The curtain rose on the North Fork Community Theatre’s 44th Youth On Stage production, “The Wedding Singer,” Thursday night — and the show, which was packed, got a standing ovation from a cheering crowd.

“The Wedding Singer”, according to NFCT, brings audiences back to 1985, a time when “hair was big, greed was good, collars were up and a wedding singer might just be the coolest guy in the room.”

The plot centers on “rock star wannabe Robbie Hart…New Jersey’s favorite wedding singer, according to the NFCT. “He’s the life of the party, until his own fiancée leaves him at the altar. Shot through the heart, Robbie makes every wedding as disastrous as his own. Enter Julia, a winsome waitress who wins his affection. As luck would have it, Julia is about to be married to a Wall Street shark, and unless Robbie can pull off the performance of a decade, the girl of his dreams will be gone forever.”

A talented cast shines in this production, with John Curtis, a newcomer to the NFCT stage, bringing a haunting beauty to his vocals and an endearing sincerity to his performance. Lily Filippatos, as Julia, offers compelling vocals and a leading lady audiences can fall in love with.

John Bradley, as a cheating, arrogant and self-congratulatory Glen Guglia, is smarmy, smug and utterly contemptuous — in a star turn that propels the actor, who’s appeared in a number of NFCT shows, to new heights.

Sydney Campbell’s Linda, the fiance who dumps the wedding singer at the altar, also delivers a stand-out performance with some fiercely compelling dance moves and a tough-girl persona that captured the essence of her character.

As always, Christina Stankewicz, as a feisty grandma, brings a burst of humor and laugh-out-loud hilarity to the stage.

Also of note, Michael Drozd in a performance that had audiences roaring, Colleen Kelly as a spirited Holly, Ryan Zlatniski, who’s imbued with the essence of a rocker right out of the 80s, and an always noteworthy Marissa Russo as Angie.

Every member of the ensemble delivered a tightly knit performance. James Fink’s magnetic moments as an English Billy Idol are simply not to be missed.

The show’s first-time director Amanda Mouzakes deserves kudos for an incredibly staged piece, and musical directer Jake Boergesson had the audience cheering at a spirited score. Choreography by Megan Schmid is some of the best ever seen on the NFCT stage.

Co-producers Susan Hedges and Cathy Russo have put forth a show that had audiences raving after the performance, and will likely keep the house packed for the remainder of the run.

“The Wedding Singer” is an energetic, hilarious and endearing look at the rocky road to true love in the 80s, and one of the NFCT’s finest shows to date. Don’t miss the chance to see this fun romp.

Remaining erformances will take place on July  31, Aug. 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 and 10. All shows are scheduled for 8 p.m. except for Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased at 631-298-NFCT or by going to www.nfct.com. For additional information call the NFCT information line at 631-298-4500.

Raffles for two tickets to see “Rock of Ages” on Broadway will be sold at each performance.

Student Rush: Student tickets will be available for $15 at the box office beginning 10 minutes before each performance. These tickets are subject to availability and cannot be reserved ahead of time.

To purchase tickets, click here.

The North Fork Community Theatre is located at 12700 Sound Avenue in Mattituck.

RiverheadLOCAL photos by Katie Blasl
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