Photo courtesy of PEMCo
Pasquerilla East Musical Company (PEMCo) will perform its spring musical,“The Wedding Singer,” at Washington Hall this weekend.
“The Wedding Singer” follows Robbie Hart, New Jersey’s favorite wedding singer, as he intentionally ruins weddings after his own fiancée leaves him at the altar. He falls in love with Julia, a waitress, who is already engaged and has to pull off the “performance of a decade” in order to win the girl of his dreams.
Sophomore Maggie Moran, an actor in the show, said Notre Dame audiences have a lot to look forward to with the upcoming run of the musical.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69VDCge-F5M
“From neon sets to catching music to ‘80s hairstyles, it really is the full experience,” she said. “And I don’t think people understand exactly how funny this show is — we’re talking out-loud, possibly rolling-on-the-floor laughter.”
PEMCo is run entirely by students, and according to Moran, this is the best part about working with the group.
“What begins as one student’s vision is brought to life by a collection of driven individuals who are able to pool their talents and create something truly special," she said. "Leadership is always changing, bringing a new energy to each production and giving opportunities for students to try different roles.”
Senior Shannon Kirk, the musical’s producer, said PEMCo is special because students from all fields contribute.
“Of course, some members of the team study [Film, Television and Theatre], but where else would you find the lead actors of a production be a civil engineer and a theology major?” she said.
Moran said she loves the variety of the cast and crew.
“The group is a mix of all majors, talents and types of experience,” she said. “As a non-FTT major, I feel incredibly lucky to work with this group of people who have a diversity of gifts and interests, but share a passion for theater and a desire to grow and learn from one another.”
Senior Caitlin Schlehuber directs the musical, with sophomore Sonia Urquidi as the music director and senior Maggie Miller as the choreographer. Senior Chris Siemann plays Robbie and sophomore Victoria Pereira plays Julia.
Auditions were held at the beginning of the semester, and rehearsals were held for several hours each week. Moran said the time the cast and crew invested in the production will be well worth the effort.
“The time and talent that has gone into bringing this musical to the stage has truly paid off, and I can’t wait to join this cast and crew in showcasing it,” she said.
“The Wedding Singer” will be performed Friday in Washington Hall at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $7 for students and $10 for non-students, and are on sale at the LaFortune Box Office and at the door.
