'Father of the Bride' reincarnated in play

Most girls have had their wedding planned out since they were five. They have everything picked out … well, everything but the groom. And every father of that little five-year-old in pigtails regrets that day when she finds the groom, comes home and says, "Daddy, I'm getting married." Then the sweat beads begin to form every time he thinks about the new man that has entered into his daughter's life and he watches as his bank account drops lower and lower. He has rightfully earned the title of "Father of the Bride" by the time the big day comes.\nThis popular movie, first made in 1950, stared Spencer Tracy as Mr. Banks, the father, and Elizabeth Taylor as Kay, the daughter and the bride. It was then remade in 1961 and again in 1991 with Steve Martin, Martin Short and Kimberly Williams. Short played the ever-hilarious wedding planner while Martin tried to keep his sanity as he gave away his on-screen daughter, played by Williams.\nThe Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis has been showing the play "Father of the Bride," which is more like the 1950 movie version than the popular 1991 version. \nI was surprised when I looked through the program and noticed the names were different as was the setting. \nThe production took place inside the Banks' home, and the set never changed. People would come and go, but everything took place in the living room. Kay opened the act by announcing her engagement to Mr. and Mrs. Banks as soon as she entered the room. Kay's fiancé, Buckley, was portrayed differently than he was in the movie. Here, Buckley wanted a small wedding and wanted to elope with Kay so that "50 people would not be staring at him." Buckley was a bundle of nerves throughout the whole thing and, after some sense was knocked into him, he realized that having a larger wedding would not be so bad.\nMr. Banks, on the other hand, carried the humor and wit that all are used to after watching Martin perform. He gave an excellent performance that kept my spirits high and the laughter rolling. The dialogue that he shared with Buckley after a fight with Kay perfectly explains what a woman goes through on her wedding day. "Her groom wears a sign," he explained, "ten feet wide that says 'this man is mine, look but don't touch and if he is lost, return him to me,' while she is wearing a sign, ten feet wide as well, that says 'I am beautiful, everyone is looking at me, and I am worth it!'" This line clearly rang in my head throughout the rest of the play as I had tears of laughter streaming down my face. \nTo bring more comedy into the play was the wedding planner, Mr. Massoula, played by Short in the 1991 film. Yet, the actor over did his comedy routine and tried too hard to be funny. He played a very comedic role, but it was just too much and at times unnecessary. The play was perfectly hilarious with Mr. Banks making comments about how "women belong to a tribe that men will never understand." \nThe final scene of the show consisted of Kay spending some last precious moments in the house with her father. As her father pushed her to take that final step towards her new life, she freaked out at the last second. I found myself completely breaking down into a fit of tears (for a second time but a different reason) thinking of the day that I will be turning my own father into a "Father of the Bride." \nI had never been to a dinner theater before. I thought the food was superb and the show was excellent. Although the performance was different than the movie, I thought that the script was well-put together and was acted well.\n"Father of the Bride" plays at the Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre, located at 9301 N. Michigan Road in Indianapolis, through Feb. 9. For ticket information, call 317-872-9664 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.