Over three nights during the last week of term, Clyde Valley High took its audiences back to 1985 and to Ridgefield, New Jersey, for the school’s 20th Anniversary production of the popular, modern musical ‘The Wedding Singer’.
Ricky Owens was a masterful Robbie Hart, playing the lead role with absolute assuredness. Ricky brilliantly captured the agony and ecstasy of Robbie’s journey and led the audience through the peaks and troughs of his emotional rollercoaster ride to happiness. Kelly Powell, as the other lead, was simply stunning as Julia, the patient and pure-of-heart waitress who inadvertently fell head over heels in love with Robbie. Kelly sang beautifully and with a poignancy that added to the drama of the couple’s troubled journey to wedded bliss.
A group of very talented principals provided wonderful support to the leads. Jon Connelly and Dean Dunn as Sammy and George, the other members of ‘Simply Wed’, produced many of the show’s magically comedic moments. Sammy also brought his own love interest as he tried to win back Holly, his worldly-wise former girlfriend. George’s intensely melodramatic input to every situation evoked roars of laughter from the audience who appreciated his own love interest lay elsewhere.
There were outstanding performances also from James Da Costa as Glen Guglia, Laura Kilpatrick as Linda, Eleanor Histead, Caitlin Smith, Heather Waugh, Rachel Moon and Samantha Rae. Even Clyde Valley History teacher, Andrew Keating prompted great hilarity in his twin cameo roles as the bar drunk and as the Elvis impersonator.
A chorus of almost 50 other young people brilliantly supported the lead characters. Each and every member of the chorus contributed so much to the success of the show, their energy and charisma shining through.
‘The Wedding Singer’ was undoubtedly a 20th anniversary triumph for the school. Much of the credit for the success of the show lay with the Production Team: Mrs Debbie Taylor, Miss Stefanie Frame, Mrs Joyce Halliburton and Mrs Mari-Claire Barclay. Mrs Anne Traynor, as Musical Director, masterminded a show that clearly demonstrated the enormous musical talent in the school.
