Interactive wedding is a bridal shower of laughs

  Photo from Henry Fonda Theatre Tony
smooches Tina in a scene from the comedy, "Tony n’
Tina’s Wedding." It will be playing at the Henry Fonda Theatre
until Jan. 28.

By Barbara McGuire
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Family gatherings are so often riddled with unwelcome surprises
that many come to dread the annual reunion or the wedding of some
long lost cousin.

But what if it was possible to be the guest at a wedding where
you would have absolutely no relation to anyone there? Would the
haphazard drama that sprung up actually be amusing?

Though it may seem like a strange idea, “Tony n’
Tina’s Wedding,” an interactive marriage celebration
which plays at the Henry Ford Theatre through Jan. 28, proves that
when family issues aren’t personal, the results are nothing
less than hilarious.

Having played in over 100 cities around the world in countries
such as Japan and Holland, “Tony n’ Tina’s
Wedding” has been in production since the couple first tied
the knot in 1988. The production is the longest running comedy on
or off-Broadway ““ proof enough that the show is worth the $75
ticket.

The evening begins as guests are escorted to their seats in an
imitation wedding chapel. The cast members are already in position
from the moment the doors open, and they never break character
throughout the evening. There is no traditional ending with the
cast taking a bow. Instead, the production welcomes guests to come
and go as they please, just as if they were attending a real
wedding.

The interaction between guests and cast members begins during
the ceremony as Sister Albert Maria (Iris Bahr), Tina’s
cousin, has everyone sing “Sons of God.” Afterward,
attendees are escorted out to the front part of the theater for
drinks at an open bar. Here, cast members socialize with each other
and guests, pretending as if they’ve been friends
forever.

Though the thought of interaction with complete strangers may
not seem like fun, the cast members seem to have received training
in making conversation. It’s almost as if the guests become
actors themselves as they play along with the cast members, asking
questions like how they’ve been all these years and if they
plan on getting up and singing later in the evening.

Next, the guests of the wedding are ushered back into the main
room that has been transformed into a reception hall. The dancing
begins as a live band, “Fusion,” begins playing songs.
Families of the bride and groom, the Nunzios and the Vitales, give
toasts and Vinnie Black (Christopher Cause), “The Cadillac of
Caterers,” announces an Italian cuisine buffet.

The rest of the hilarious evening is played out here, as issues
occur among various members of the wedding party. For instance,
Connie Macogni (Betsy Moore), the enormously pregnant maid of
honor, gets in a semi-brawl with Tina (Jackie Tohn), the bride. The
argument ensues because Tina doesn’t approve of Connie
drinking alcohol, since it could cause harm to the baby she is
carrying.

Another hilarious moment occurs when Tina and her bridesmaids do
their own karaoke version of *NSYNC song “Bye Bye Bye,”
complete with dance moves choreographed by Tina’s
stereotypically gay brother, Joey (Michael Bommarito).

On the serious side, tensions continue to mount between the
newlyweds as the wedding progresses but are broken after the
bouquet and garter belt are thrown. In the end, the couple manages
to work everything out and leave for their happy honeymoon in
Laughlin, Nevada.

“Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding” is truly unique
in that the audience does not feel like inactive spectators at a
theatrical production of a flamboyant Italian wedding; it truly
feels like audience members are guests. The fact that the only
other person you might know is the date you came with is not at all
relevant.

Cast members are integral in creating this interactive
atmosphere through their constant conversational manner with
guests, as well as through their overall cheerful attitude towards
even the most somber guests. Amazingly, they never come out of
character, even when a guest may not play along with the charade.
Throughout the evening the actors even make a point to get people
up to dance for such songs as “YMCA” and “The
Chicken Dance.”

“Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding” seems like the
perfect mix for a great wedding. It has all the drama anyone can
ask for without the sticky personal involvement and all the comedic
moments which may be absent at a standard wedding.

One thing is for sure, it’s a rare wedding. Where else
would caterers perform a Star Wars type ritual dance, complete with
light sticks, prior to toasting the champagne, just because
it’s fun?

THEATER: “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding” is on
stage at the Henry Fonda Theatre, 6126 Hollywood Blvd., through
Jan. 28. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at
7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.Tickets are $75 and can be purchased
by calling 1-800-660-TINA.