IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU

A Jewish girl, a Catholic boy, their overbearing mothers,  the girl’s older unmarried sister and a wedding make for a very funny night on Broadway.   The show is clean, solid and humorous  with absolutely perfect direction by David Hyde Pierce.

The plot centers around the wedding day of Rebecca Steinberg (Sierra Bogess) and Brian Howard (David Burtka) but is really told through the eyes of Rebecca’s older sister, Jenny, played passionately by Lisa Howard.   While Jenny is a successful business woman, she is  reminded a few times by her mother (Tyne Daly) that she is overweight and single.   Daly’s character is not totally happy with the wedding but like many suffering mothers, will bear it.  Brian’s mother (Harriet Harris) imbibes a bit too much, and, like her counterpart, is also not thrilled that her son is marrying outside the fold. Jenny’s mission is to make sure that nothing comes between her sister’s happiness and the wedding celebration,  which includes the sudden appearance of Rebecca’s ex-boyfriend, Marty, played with great fervor by Josh Grisetti.  The supporting players – the fathers, the wedding planner, the hotel catering staff and a gossipy aunt on the bride’s side all add to the humorous plot.

As the wedding day progresses, things seem to go as planned – despite the objections and concerns of the two mothers and the ex-boyfriend.   However, while the wedding goes off without a hitch, what comes after the nuptials and before the reception is where the shocker  comes.   This witty twist was absolutely unexpected.   While some critics have called it predictable,  I did not see it coming and neither did anyone else in our group.  The twist was fresh and funny. However, enough said about the plot since any more would spoil the fun.

This is a highly entertaining show from start to finish.  The score is light and easy and moves the plot along nicely. The highlight of the show was Lisa Howard, who should have been nominated for a Tony.  She shines as the sister, trying to please everyone, except of course, herself.  She is beautiful and talented and brings so much warmth to her role that you cannot help but love her.    Daly, as usual, is the classic in her role as the Jewish mother and Harris is just as funny as the Catholic mother.  David Hyde Pierce is a comedy genius.  He moves the characters through each scene flawlessly and I laughed from start to finish.   This show is a must see.

The show was not nominated for any Tony Awards …but  I am hoping that it remains going longer based on word of mouth.    So here are my words — DON’T MISS THIS SHOW!!!!