Review: FOUR WEDDINGS AND AN ELVIS at The Belmont Theatre

How is it that I have never heard of Four Weddings and an Elvis? This comedy gem produced by The Belmont Theatre left audiences in stitches.

Written by Nancy Frick, Four Weddings and an Elvis tells the story of four unique couples getting married at Sandy's Las Vegas wedding chapel. Using a clever four act structure, audience member's meet Bev (Faith Brown) and Stan (Joey Miller) using marriage as an act of revenge, Vanessa (Colleen Mundis) and Bryce (Bob Haag) employing a wedding as a publicity stunt to revitalize their acting careers, Fiona (Amber Gamber) and Marvin (Dylan Webb) who are oddly but truly in love, and finally the chapel proprietor Sandy (Heather Stoll) finding love for the fifth or perhaps the second time.

The Belmont Theatre's Grumbacher Studio provides an intimate blackbox experience. Sitting reaching distance from the performers, audience members easily feel like guests at the wild events that unfold. With an authentic feel provided by a slot machine, fancy folding chairs, and plenty of glitter, co-directors and set designers Rick Osborn and Andrea Stephenson transport theater goers to a realistic (and wonderfully tacky) Las Vegas chapel.

While Sandy is the main character whose role drives the action and Stoll's performance was spectacular, the star of the show was the hysterical and witty script. Each wedding became more ridiculous and outrageous until culminating in a sweet and satisfying resolve. This, of course, could not have been accomplished without some wonderful performances and stand-out moments.

Some of the night's greatest laughs came from actors who not only understood their character, but performed them with great comedic timing. Mike Ausherman's Lou was fun to watch as his facial expressions added such depth to the lines. Jaime Elizabeth's John and vocals were a hysterical portrayal of the King. Perhaps the most fun to watch was the wedding of Fiona and Marvin due to the wonderful performances by Amber Gamber, Dylan Webb, and Charlie Heller. Gamber embodied the bad girl persona with effortless vulgarity matched only by Heller's Fist, an escape convict and all around thug. Balancing the two was the straight man, Dylan Webb's Marvin.

The wonderful script, stand out performances, and the audience members still laughing in the parking lot, makes Four Weddings and an Elvis at The Belmont Theatre in York a show you'll want to see. For more information visit: https://thebelmont.org/

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