Thursday, Nov 3, 2011
The rollicking musical version of the hit movie!
by Anne Sears
Rider University’s Westminster College of the Arts will present the rollicking musical version of the hit movie The Wedding Singer November 10 through 19 in the Yvonne Theater on the Rider University campus in Lawrenceville. Performances will be Friday, November 11, Saturday, November 12, Friday, November 18 and Saturday, November 19 at 8 p.m. The preview performances will be Thursday, November 10 and Thursday, November 17 at 7 p.m.
The Wedding Singer was nominated for Tony Awards as Best Musical and Best Score during the 2006 Broadway season. It tells the story of Robbie Hart, New Jersey's favorite wedding singer until his fiancée leaves him at the altar. Heartbroken, he’s forced to reexamine the meaning of love and marriage with the help of Julia, a waitress from one of his wedding-singing venues.
The cast is composed of Rider University students. Miriam Mills directs the production, and Louis F. Goldberg is musical director. Robin Lewis is choreographer.
Miriam Mills has directed more than 100 shows nationally, including productions of Extremities, The Pillowman, Rent and Sweet Charity. In 2009 she received the Kennedy Center ACTF Meritorious Directing award for excellence in directing for her production of The Pillowman. Her New York acting credits include leads in such productions as Romeo and Juliet, Hot’l Baltimore and Company.
Louis F. Goldberg has served as music director for Rider’s recent productions of Rent and The Light in the Piazza. He has conducted National and European tours of Man of La Mancha, Cabaret, Chicago, and 42nd Street. His recent projects include playing Ted Shapiro in Red Hot Mama: The Sophie Tucker Songbook at New York’s York Theatre, a role he premiered at the Denver Center For The Performing Arts. In Philadelphia, he has conducted St. Louis Woman and Peter Pan and Wendy at the Prince Music Theater, Dirty Blonde at the Wilma Theatre, and Evita at the Walnut Street Theatre. He is also the resident music director for Gretna Theatre in Mt. Gretna, Pa.
Robin Lewis’ Broadway credits include Fosse, Beauty and the Beast, A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden and the first national tours of Victor/Victoria and The Producers. He appears on the PBS Dance in America movie Fosse: A Celebration in Dance. Lewis' choreographic work includes the Richard Linklater film Bernie (2011) starring Shirley MacLaine and Jack Black. He has choreographed scores of others shows regionally, garnering multiple critical awards, including the Kennedy Center/ACTF Excellence In choreography. He will be direct Legally Blonde in the summer of 2012 with Broadway's Hailey Banks.
Tickets for the November 11, 12, 18 and 19 performances are $20 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. For tickets call the box office at 609-896-5303 or e-mail [email protected]. Tickets for the preview performances on November 10 and 17 are $9 and available only at the door.