Stage: A 1980s-style 'I do'

‘The Wedding Singer,’ a musical comedy based on the hit Adam Sandler film, plays next week at the Cohan Center

By Sarah Linn

Out of all of the possible movies to bring to the Broadway stage, “The Wedding Singer” — you know, that goofy comedy starring Adam Sandler as a lovelorn loser — seems like an odd choice.

For starters, it’s a romantic comedy set in the 1980s, the age of Michael Jackson, mullets and “Miami Vice.”

The cast includes a Madonna- obsessed cousin, a junk bonds trader and a Boy George wannabe. And how many musicals feature a rapping grandma?

“We call it our little party,” said Erin Elizabeth Coors, who plays love interest Julia in the national tour of “The Wedding Singer.” “It’s not one of those shows where you need to sit still and be quiet …We welcome people to get a little crazy.”

Coors and company bring the party to San Luis Obispo early next week.

Although “Wedding Singer” may not have the heft of your typical Broadway drama, cast members promise an entertaining show.

“We have a fun time with it,” said Merritt David Janes, who plays the wedding singer, Robbie. “It was a fun decade.”

Like the 1998 movie, the stage version of “The Wedding Singer” centers on Robbie Hart, a sweet-natured singer whose band plays wedding receptions at a local banquet hall.

After Robbie’s fiancée, Linda, leaves him at the altar, he finds himself falling for his friend Julia, a waitress at the same hall. Problem is, she’s engaged to a Wall Street broker who’s more interested in chasing tail than tying the knot.

Broadway’s take on “Wedding Singer” keeps the same setting—suburban Ridgefield, New Jersey, circa 1985—and drops a couple characters. It also adds several songs including “It’s Your Wedding Day,” “It’s All About the Green” (channeling Gordon Gecko’s “greed is good” philosophy), and one of Coors’ favorites, “Come Out of the Dumpster.”

According to Coors, Janes is the ideal Robbie.

“Merritt is one of those people who right off the bat everybody loves,” Coors said. “He’s sweet. He’s charming. He’s the favorite leading man I’ve ever worked with.”

Janes, who studied music at the University of Maine, said he’s lucky to be playing Robbie. He snagged the role immediately after graduating from the Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York.

“I’m a fan of all of Adam Sandler’s movies. When you’re on the road for a year, you want to try and choose something you like,” Janes said with a chuckle.

Plus, he’s got experience — having sung at a couple of weddings himself.

Coors, a musical theater veteran who recently appeared as Barbie in “Barbie Live! In Fairytopia,” said she and Janes had instant chemistry as Julia and Robbie.

She describes her character, played by Drew Barrymore in the movie, as a sweet, innocent girl who’s relied on her mom and her boyfriend, Glenn, for guidance for far too long.

“It’s only when she starts thinking for herself that, ‘Uh-oh, I might be marrying Glenn for the wrong reason,’ ” Coors said. “She can’t beat these feelings that she should be marrying for love, not money or the bottom line.”

The dilemma is just as great for Robbie, a decent guy who knows Julia’s making a mistake.

“We try to make the moments as real as possible in terms of the love affair,” Janes said. “The story helps us through the simplicity.”

According to cast members, “The Wedding Singer” is replete with references to the 1980s, from pastel and piano-key neckties to Pat Benatar and Prince. There’s even a host of ’80s celebrity impersonators, including Cyndi Lauper, Ronald Reagan, Billy Idol and Mr. T.

“It’s a big part of the comedy,” Janes said.

One cast member spends “The Wedding Singer” with a Flock of Seagulls hairdo. “It’s gotten to the point where, if I don’t see him in his wig, he doesn’t look normal,” Coors said with a laugh, adding that she’s also grown accustomed to seeing co-workers in mullets and parachute pants.

According to Coors, audience members also get into the act with 1980s prom dresses and cream-colored suits.

“It’s less embarrassing when the audience looks ridiculous too,” the performer said. “We say, ‘Have a couple drinks, come to “The Wedding Singer” and enjoy yourself.’ ”