Catch the Wedding Singer Until Nov. 14

I was at the Oct. 22 company preview show. The Wedding Singer is awesome! :) You can read my full-length review of this very entertaining musical comedy here.

Press Release:

Get ready to dance the night away and relive the era of the 80’s!

9 Works Theatrical proudly presents The Wedding Singer, a musical comedy based on the 1998 New Line Cinema film of Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. The show opened with a bang last October 23, 2010 at the Meralco Theater, Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City to the delight of hundreds of audiences.

The Wedding Singer takes place in 1985 and rock-star wannabe Robbie Hart is New Jersey's favorite wedding singer. He's the life of the party, until his own fiancée leaves him at the altar. Shot through the heart, Robbie makes every wedding he plays as disastrous as his own.

Enter Julia, a winsome waitress who wins his affection. Only trouble is Julia is about to be married to a Wall Street shark, and unless Robbie can pull off the performance of the decade, the girl of his dreams will be gone forever.

The musical comedy is written by Tim Herlihy. Music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and book by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy.

With a brand new score that pays loving homage to the pop songs of the 1980’s, “The Wedding Singer” takes us back to a time when hair was was high and big, permed and curled; neon was in, greed was good, collars were up, and a wedding singer sporting a mullet just might be the coolest guy in the room.

Plucking on his guitar strings as Robbie Hart is Party Pilipinas’ Gian Magdangal who most recently appeared onstage as Roger in 9 Works Theatrical’s RENT THE MUSICAL. Here, he is reunited with TV personality and MYX VJ Iya Villania who he once shared the stage with in a local production of “Footloose the Musical”.

Iya Villania will play the role of waitress Julia Sullivan, alternating with theater veteran Shiela Valderrama-Martinez who was part of the opening team of Hong Kong Disneyland as the first Asian to play Nala in the Festival of the Lion King and Bebe in the Golden Mickeys.

Singer-actress and TV personality Nikki Valdez, who also shared the stage with Magdangal and Villania in Footloose, returns to the stage as Holly, Julia’s bubbly, uninhibited and lovable cousin. Analin Bantug, who has played a bevy of roles, including Kim in her five-year stint with Miss Saigon UK Tour, alternates with Valdez for the said role.

Completing the stellar cast are actors Jeremy Aguado as Julia’s fiance Glen Guglia, Lorenz Martinez as Robbie’s pal Sammy, Johann dela Fuente as Robbie’s flamboyantly eccentric friend George, and Myrene Santos as Linda.

Other members of the cast who will showcase their mettle in acting, singing and dancing prowess include: Arnold Trinidad, Bym Buhain, Chinie Nepomuceno, Francis Matheu, Harold Cruz, Ikey Canoy, James Stacey, Jenny Villegas, Jonjon Martin, Luau Sablan, Mark Tayag, Mian Dimacali, Miguel Vasquez, Nikki Guevara, Peachy Atilano, Sab Jose, Shelyn Tayanes, and Sylveth Ong-iko.

Robbie Guevara, one of 9 Works Theatrical’s founders, will be directing The Wedding Singer. He has performed in numerous productions both here and abroad, and was the director of Songs for a New World and RENT The Musical (9 Works Theatrical’s first two productions), I Love You Because, A Christmas Carol, Fiddler on the Roof, Gay Birds and Romance, Romance, for Repertory Philippines; Bat Boy for Blue Repertory; Heart & Music and the Rhythm of Life for the Philippine Opera Company.

Incidentally, The Wedding Singer is also the reason that propelled Executive Producer Santi Santamaria and Artistic Director Robbie Guevara to establish their theater company, 9 Works Theatrical. “When we first encountered the material, we knew that we had to do it,” relates Guevara. Santamaria adds, “Wedding Singer is a crazy and energetic musical, and audiences will surely enjoy,” to which Guevara interjects, “One word to describe Wedding Singer? Fun! ”

The artistic production team includes Musical Director Rodel Colmenar conducting the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra, Choreographer Francis Matheu, Musical Director for Vocals Onyl Torres, Scenographer Mio Infante, Lighting Designer Martin Esteva, Sound Designer Chuck Ledesma, and Costume Stylist Rosanna Aranaz.

The production team is composed of Executive Producer Santi Santamaria, Production Manager Sunshine Domine, Technical Director Paul Domine, PR and Publicity Consultant Toots Tolentino. PR Director Christopher de Venecia, PR Manager Jonjon Martin, Marketing Manager Shelyn Tayanes, Stage Manager Lambert de Jesus, Company Manager Anna Santamaria and Photography by Revolution.

The Wedding Singer is brought to you by: Rockwell Club, ABS-CBN Foundation, SM Department Store, MAC Cosmetics, and The Philippine Star.

The show is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI), 421 West 54th Street, New York, New York 10019 - tel.: (212) 541-4684

Playdates of The Wedding Singer: October 23, 24, 29, 30, November 5, 6, 7, 13 and 14, 2010.
Showtime: Friday, Saturday and Sunday shows at 8 p.m. with Saturday matinees at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 4 p.m.

For further details, you may call 586.71.05, 557.58.60, 0917.554.5560, or visit www.9workstheatrical.com or call Ticketworld at 891.9999.