The Stagecoach Players’ production of musical comedy “It Shoulda Been You,” directed by Jan Kuntz, was a delightful romp that kept the audience laughing for the full duration of the show. Cultural clashes, intertwined love stories and misunderstandings packed this 90-minute show with excitement that ceased only for touching, quieter moments of sincerity.

The Stagecoach run of this show began on July 12, and the story takes place in the St. George Hotel, just before the wedding of Rebecca Steinberg to Brian Howard. As the families frantically try to keep everything in order for the ceremony, relations between the mother-in-laws grow tense, the bride’s ex-boyfriend makes an appearance in an attempt to stop the wedding and the bride’s sister struggles with her own sense of self.

The show speaks to both romantics and cynics as frustrations of wedding day fear eventually give way to the prosperity of true love. Though it can be considered a feel-good story, the production is not without its emotional moments.

In one of the subplots of the show, sister Jenny finds her family continuing to bring down her self-confidence as they make remarks about her weight and how she has been unable to find a husband of her own. Though from the beginning of the play, she expressed disdain for the institution of marriage, in a standout performance of a song titled “Beautiful,” she secretly laments she wishes she were more desirable.

The large cast of roles featured a slew of vocal and comedic talent, bringing characters to life in a way both hilariously exaggerated as well as wholly believable. The fast-paced nature of the show kept all of the actors on their toes, but the show never lost its footing.

The Stagecoach Players demonstrate one does not have to travel far to experience the magic of live theatre. “It Shoulda Been You” is only the most recent success of the company, which has been bringing live theatre to the community for over seventy years, according to the Stagecoach Players website.

More information about upcoming Stagecoach productions can be found on the official Stagecoach Players website.