F.U.D.G.E. stands for Friends United Developing Genuine Entertainment, and by simply walking into the Arsenal Center For The Arts to attend The F.U.D.G.E. Theatre Company’s recent production of The Wedding Singer, it isn’t hard to see why the acronym rings true.  My companion and I were greeted by a warm and gracious staff that was friendly with one another and with most of the guests.  We were shown to our seats, and you could feel the positive and happy energy emanating from the crowd.

I have had the great pleasure of attending each and every F.U.D.G.E. production since the company’s inception, and watching the company grow from a spastic group of college students to a well-organized crew of sophisticated adults has been a real treat.  I was truly looking forward to attending this summer’s musical, on the heels of their spring production of Neil Simon’s Fools. The stage was simply dressed with clean lines and techno-brite colors.  The band, which was placed live on stage, had an excellent balance, never overpowering the actors and actresses, which I consider a great feat in such an intimate space.
From the first note of the opening number, there was no question in my mind that the ensemble was going to steal the show.  With dance moves that would rival a professional production (expertly choreographed by Trevor Efinger), the eight person ensemble, made up almost exclusively by F.U.D.G.E. regulars, was vibrant, quirky, and full of life.  The principles really had to stay on their toes in order to win the audience’s attention away from a motley crew of 80’s dancers, waitresses, downtrodden wedding guests, and hysterical 80’s artist impersonators (Christopher Smith as Tina Turner was possibly the highlight of the entire production, not to mention Kacee Staiti as Cyndi Lauper and Tom Rimer as Mr. T).  The ensemble transformed themselves dozens of times and never entered the stage looking the least bit winded or rushed.  Each fabulous 80’s inspired costume (the work of Kaitlyn MacPherson) brought back a whirl of nostalgia and the spot-on execution of each ensemble member made it even more acute.

While the strong ensemble work clearly topped the chart for me, the principle players also gave solid, entertaining performances.  Chris Bott, who headlined the production as Robbie Hart, evoked the spirit of Adam Sandler while still making Robbie his own.  Kira Cowan as Julia Sullivan absolutely bloomed in the second act, where her solo in the “If I Told You Reprise” was the most beautiful of the night.  Samuel Moscoso seems to be born to play the role of Glen Guglia, his smooth style and voice adding a level of authenticity he never reached in last season’s production of bare.  I enjoyed every moment he was on stage.  Paige Maclean gave a cameo as Linda that was both terrifying and strangely delightful- it is hard to imagine that someone who only lived one year in the 80’s could capture such a full picture of the debauchery and exhibitionism that defined the decade. Newcomers Katie Presig and Justin Colombo had great chemistry as Holly and Sammy, and were full-body committed to their performance.  Presig’s New Jersey accent was spot on (and her earrings were a trip).  A special shout out must also be given to Sara Brodsky, who played Rosie, Robbie’s grandmother, with style.  Her rap and dance in the second act, “Move That Thang” got the most laughs of the night, and her wide-eyed sweetness was the perfect touch.
While some moments in the show lacked the vocal finesse that I have come to expect from a F.U.D.G.E. production, the movement never looked crowded, and that is quite a feat considering that the cast of seventeen were sometimes all on the stage together.

All in all I considered the show to be solidly entertaining. Acting was fairly good, overall, with the cast doing their job of moving the piece along at a break-neck pace.  And though the content of the show was light-hearted, the commitment level of the majority of the performers to live inside their “world” no matter how far-fetched, was clearly illustrated.

I look forward to the upcoming F.U.D.G.E. season, filled with new works, as they begin their residence at the Arsenal Center.  Hopefully, Director, Joe DeMita, will feature some of this brilliant ensemble in more prominent positions in the season to come, I would really like to see some of them come out of the background.  Bravo, F.U.D.G.E., thanks for giving me a fun, light, summer-vacation musical to end your season- it was just what the doctor ordered.

An 80’s style happy ending.