Breaking Up is Hard To Do, a musical comedy told through the verses of legendary musician Neil Sedaka’s classics, is playing at St. Croix Off Broadway Dinner Theatre located in the Hudson House Grand Hotel, Hudson, WI.

The stage is set in the eclectic lounge of a summer resort called “Esther’s Paradise.” On stage is their Elvis wannabe singer Del Delmonaco, played by the vocally gifted and St. Croix Off Broadway favorite Joe Keith. As he belts out “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” all the ladies swoon.

In the audience are two young ladies on the first night of their honeymoon vacation – this after Marge’s fiancé leaves her at the alter and her best friend Lois convinces her the two of them shouldn’t waste the trip. Marge, the lackluster, brainiac half of the duo, is played by Jennifer Jacober, a newcomer to the dinner theatre stage who fits in swimmingly with this veteran cast. Playing the confident, provocative, and impulsive Lois is Lydia Olson, who proves once again her pipes are as good as her character interpretation.

Rounding out the cast is Gabe, the clumsy and shy guy who keeps the resort glued together, the widowed owner Esther, and the king of clowns himself, played sequentially by Greg Lund, Jessica Breed, and Wayne Peterson – all faces that you’ll recognize from this stage

What ensues (via the vehicle of Sedaka hits like "Where the Boys Are," "Sweet Sixteen," "Calendar Girl," and "Love Will Keep Us Together") is a comedy of errors in and out of love the characters have, and don’t have, for each other.

I’d recommend a romp with these crazy love-stricken characters and the hearty earworms that Sedaka first made unforgettable 40 years ago.

What’s for dinner? You get your choice of tenderloin beef in a mushroom red wine sauce, chicken in a marsala sauce, parmesan crusted pork chop, broiled walleye pike, or four-cheese tortellini. No matter what you order, make sure to save room for dessert!

The musical runs Fridays and Saturday evenings through May 29 with noon lunch matinees on March 14, 21, May 16, and 30. The price of $58 includes dinner with nonalcoholic beverage, show, tip, and tax/handling fee. Noon lunch matinees are $44 with a Stay & Play package including dinner theatre and a room at the Hudson House Grand Hotel with breakfast for $176.95/couple. Get your tickets by calling 715-386-2394 ext. 333 or order them online at www.stcroixoffbroadway.com.