Musical Comedy

Lovers of legitimate musical theater and lovers of Adam Sandler: We come to you today to heal the bitter wounds that divide you. To the former: We understand that there is a certain poetic beauty in a world where feelings are expressed in rapturous song, and, yes, urinating on oneself is stooping a bit low for a joke. To the latter: We agree that people should just lighten up and concede that a 10-minute fistfight with Bob Barker is pretty funny, and we will allow that three hours of prancing can get damned annoying. But both camps can still be friends! Did not Sandler himself, in the surrealistic masterpiece Happy Gilmore, serenade his true love after she betrayed him? Come see that your worlds are not so different when the musical version of Sandler's movie The Wedding Singer opens at Shawnee Mission Park's Theatre in the Park (7710 Renner Road in Shawnee, 913-831-3359). The show debuts tonight, with additional performances Saturday and Sunday and July 23-26. The box office opens at 7 p.m., gates open at 7:30, and the show starts at 8:30. Tickets cost $8 for adults and $6 for kids ages 4-10, and are free for children 3 and younger. See theatreinthepark.org for more information.
Fri., July 17, 8:30 p.m.; Sat., July 18, 8:30 p.m.; Sun., July 19, 8:30 p.m.; Thu., July 23, 8:30 p.m.; Fri., July 24, 8:30 p.m.; Sat., July 25, 8:30 p.m.; Sun., July 26, 8:30 p.m., 2009