Tony n' Tina's Wedding

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Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding is one of the longest-running comedies in American theatrical history. Credited as the originator of the “environmental theatre” craze, Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding stages a traditional Italian-American wedding and reception with the warm and intrusive stereotypes pushed to the limit. Audience members are treated as guests at the wedding by the interactive, improvisational comedy cast.

Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding opened February 14, 1988, in New York City and has expanded its run to over 100 sites worldwide, including cities in Canada, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, and Australia.

1 History
2 Prehistory:
3 See also
4 Notes
5 External links

[edit] History

The interactive, environmental comedy Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding was the creation of the Artificial Intelligence comedy troupe. Thirteen members share copyrighted authorship: Thomas Michael Allen, James Altuner, Mark Campbell, Nancy Cassaro, Patricia Cregan, Elizabeth Dennehy, Chris Fracchiolla, Jack Fris, Kevin Alexander Leonidas, Mark Nassar, Larry Pellegrini, Sue Varon and Moira Wilson.

Original production was produced by Joe and Dan Corcoran and enjoyed steady word of mouth growth, spawning a handful of productions in other cities. Celebrities such as Frankie Avalon,^[1] soap opera actor Jeff Trachta, Rosa Blasi, radio host Scott Nevins,^[2] American soccer goalie Tony Meola, John Melendez (of the The Howard Stern Show), and New York Mets player Lee Mazzilli have appeared in productions.

Permanent productions of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding have been hosted in many cities including New York City, Las Vegas, Toronto, Montreal, Detroit, Dallas, Orlando, San Francisco and Chicago.

The Chicago production, now in its 15th year, is produced by Anthony Tomaska at Pipers Alley where Frankie Avalon visits annually. Other former Chicago cast members include Brother and Sisters and Everwood creator Greg Berlanti, and Paul Stroili^[3], whose one man show "Straight up with a Twist" began an Off-Broadway run on January 17, 2008.^[4]

There are similarities to an earlier, Australian work called "Dimboola", by Jack Hibberd. It surrounds a country wedding in Australia in the 1960s with audience interaction and a breaking of the "fourth wall".

As of May 2006 Tony n' Tina's Wedding on tour is represented exclusively by Mills Entertainment of Ballston Spa, New York.

[edit] Prehistory:

The original showcase production premiered November 11, 1985, at an American Legion Hall on West 14th Street. The house band for the production consisted of members of noted downtown rock band Mildred Pierce (in their alter ego form: Las Puertas), fronted by East Village performance artist Howie Solo, with Otis Jah Baker on keyboards, David Cappello on drums, David "Bird" Hollander on saxophone, and Ted Sputnik on occasional clarinet. Solo and Baker had performed frequently with Cassaro and other cast members in cabaret acts, starting at the Lower East Side's Darinka.

Of the band members, Howie Solo (Howard F. Seligman) went on to achieve renown as an economist, singer and scholar; Otis Jah Baker (Bob Goldberg) later formed the authentic Italian wedding band Le Nozze di Carlo, as well as the semi-legendary Washboard Jungle; Cappello continues to perform as a drummer; Hollander is active in New Jersey music circles, and Sputnik (Ted Goldberg) went on to form the Ted Sputnik Experience.