Review: Theatre in the Park's Funny IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU Rides on the Coattails of Standout Comedic Performances

You are cordially invited to Theatre in the Park (TIP) for the wedding of Brian Howard and Rebecca Steinberg. But before you pop the cork on that bottle of champagne, or dance the Hora, the bride and groom may have something to share, and it's not necessarily what you might think.

IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU opened on Broadway in 2015, after a 2011 run at The George Street Theater Playhouse in New Jersey, where it was the highest-grossing production in the theater's 40-year history. And that's because although the musical rom-com is somewhat hokey and formulaic, it is also very funny.

TIP's cast effortlessly sing their way through Barbara Anselmi and Brian Hargrove's catchy and cheery score. But it's the standout comedic performances of the overbearing mothers, flawlessly played by Alison Lawrence and Sandi Sullivan, the nuptial-Houdini wedding planner, comically played by Brian Fisher, the bride's ex-boyfriend, fervently played by Greg Toft, and the bride's sister, superbly played by Elizabeth Hankla, that make TIP's production work.

Notable too is Bradley Barefoot's choreography, which shines during a delightful soft-shoe number performed by the groom, played by Tyler Graeper and his estranged father, played by Bobby Kaufman.

Ultimately, IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU is about family and the craziness that ensues when you bring two families from different backgrounds together through wedded bliss. And judging by the glowing response of the audience opening night, TIP's walk down the aisle is sure to be the social event of its season.

IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU runs through July 1st at Theatre in the Park. For more information visit:

www.theatreinthepark.com

Photo by Catherine Davis Photography

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