‘Wedding Singer’ hits all the right notes

July 18, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

By Milan Paurich

It looks like the magic really is back. After closing out the 2009-10 season with its strongest productions in years (“Curtains” and “Blithe Spirit”), the Youngstown Playhouse continues apace with a midsummer musical-comedy so well-tooled and irresistible that it sent an opening-night audience into paroxysms of visible (and audible) joy.

Though lots of shows receive standing ovations, the love fest that greeted the cast and crew of “The Wedding Singer” on Friday night was something else entirely.

Besides acknowledging their obvious delight with the briskly entertaining David Mullane-directed production, it also sent out a signal to Playhouse executive director Mary Ruth Lynn that her patient stewardship is continuing to reap huge dividends.

Like May’s superb “Curtains,” “The Wedding Singer” is another bold YP undertaking since neither show had the name recognition — or obvious marketing hooks — of an “Oklahoma!” or “My Fair Lady.” Entrusting both properties to Playhouse newbies (“Curtains”’ Michael Dempsey and Mullane) showed a leap of faith on Lynn’s part that turned out to be darn-near prescient. After all, it takes talent to know talent.

Based on the same-named 1998 Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore romantic comedy, “The Wedding Singer” may have been designed strictly as a nostalgic 1980s romp, but it’s a surprisingly sturdy vehicle just the same.

New Jersey wedding singer Robbie Hart (Vaughn Schmidt) meets catering-waitress Julia (Canfield High senior Amanda Myhal) a few days before his own wedding. A series of romantic complications/reversals/misunderstandings — Robbie gets jilted by his fianc e (the wonderful Molly Makselan in a tour-de-force musical-comedy performance); Julia accepts the marriage proposal of her overbearing “Master of the Universe”-type boyfriend (Aaron Kubicina) even though she’s not sure if he’s really “the one,” etc. — brings them together, pulls them apart and reunites them just in time for the final curtain.

Mullane, choreographer Katy Schmid, costume designer Candace DiLullo and set designer Jim Lybarger all do a bang-up job of magically transporting us back to the ticky-tacky ’80s. Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin’s score might not be up to Stephen Sondheim or even Kander and Ebb standards (what is?), but ballads such as “If I Told You,” “Someday” and the buoyant opening (and closing) number, “It’s Your Wedding Day,” are as good as anything written for a Broadway musical this decade.

Of course, all the fastidiously catalogued fingerless gloves, bustiers and mullets in the world wouldn’t matter if Mullane hadn’t been blessed with such a talented crew of actors. Playhouse veteran Schmidt (“Jekyll and Hyde,” “The Secret Garden”) wisely avoids doing a Sandler imitation, and instead makes Robbie a classically conflicted musical-comedy hero.

Equally impressive is Myhal, a fresh-faced ingenue in the Stephanie Ottey/Mary Ann Mangini tradition. As Robbie’s sartorially challenged bandmates, incoming YSU freshman Tyler Moliterno (Sammy) and Chris Hawkins (George) both make solid impressions. Boardman High senior Katelyn DeLadurantey (Julia’s cousin/comic relief sidekick Holly), Aaron Kubicina (Julia’s icky fianc Glen) and Anna Marshall (Robbie’s supportive grandma Rosie) are all top-notch. And the spirited ensemble cast — mostly consisting of Playhouse newcomers — provides world-class support.

Advertised as a “special event” in the Playhouse calendar, this is one show that truly lives up to its billing.

“The Wedding Singer” runs through next Sunday at the Youngstown Playhouse. Call 330-788-8739.