The Voorhees Theatre Company went out on a limb this summer, choosing to perform “The Wedding Singer” rather than some of the more established musicals other theater companies are performing. The musical will open on Aug. 7 at the Voorhees Middle School.
“We were looking to do something fresh this time around,” Robin Darrow, chair of marketing and public relations, said. “This musical just felt right. It hasn’t been done by many of the other surrounding communities, so it hasn’t been overdone.”
The VTC allows performers to have a say in what musical they do. But, it wasn’t even close when they got input from the performers this year.
“We always give the performers a chance to decide what musical we choose,” Darrow said. “This year, they made it quite clear that they were looking to do something different, and I think everyone will benefit from it.”
The musical, which ran on Broadway in 2006, follows roughly the same plot as the 1998 movie that stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. And while there are a few differences, Darrow knows the draw of the play comes from the movie.
“Adam Sandler is still making movies,” she said. “The kids know him and that’s why they’re so excited we are doing this play.”
The musical is also more energetic than most others, according to Darrow, which should allow more performers to get involved and give them more opportunities to showcase their talents.
“A musical like this is much different than most other musicals,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun and that translates to the kids having more fun, too.”
“The Wedding Singer” isn’t the only musical the VTC will be performing this summer. “The Little Mermaid Jr.” will open on July 30 at the middle school.
“The Little Mermaid” performance will include more than 150 performers from the VTC summer camp. The musical will include two casts, which will allow more kids to get involved.
“We are very lucky to get so many kids who want to be a part of the musicals,” Darrow said. “We also have a great technical crew that is able to learn how to build and set up the sets and that really helps us put on both of these shows.”
The technical crew is responsible for building all the sets for both shows, which is unique to this year.
“In the past, we have gotten away with using some of the same pieces in both sets, but this year we had to create two completely different ones,” Darrow said. “Luckily, the technical crew has done a great job and the sets look fantastic.”
But, while the cast, the musical and the crew are all wonderful, none of the performances would be possible without the Voorhees Middle School stage, which Darrow feels is one of the best in the area.
“Having access to that stage allows us to do a lot of things that other theater companies just can’t do,” she said. “It is definitely one of the most professional stages in the area, and we’re very lucky to have access to it for both of our summer performances.”
For a complete listing of performances or to purchase tickets, visit www.voorheestheatre.org.
