An April Wedding

Today I was lucky enough to witness the beautiful ceremony of Anthony Nunzio and Valentina Vitale. It was Tony n' Tina's Wedding. One of the girls I work with, Lisa, had access to free tickets and asked me to go with her. I couldn't resist! I have now seen this audience-interactive play once before but it was a smaller venue. That one was funny and this one (which had approximately 520 spectators!) was as good if not better! Read below for a complete list of characters. (click on the program for easier viewing)

Every character was perfectly suited to each actor. The whole concept is that they all mingle with the audience and talk to everyone as if they have known you forever. The bride's mother is a widower and the groom's father has never been married. So he brings a girlfriend to the big event. The maid of honor is very pregnant, the brides brother is gay and has a relationship going with the videographer, the caterers have a daughter that works with them and buses table whilst trying to hide her bag of "pot"! It actually showed up on our table for awhile. We tried to hide it from her but she had her eye on it and managed to get it back!

Meanwhile, the Father is drinking himself into oblivion, the bride and groom end up fighting during the reception and the bride's ex-boyfriend has arrived and is sorely depressed about the entire celebration! The groom's father is calling the bride's mother names, the bride's aunt, who is a nun, has recently joined the convent and is trying to act proper. However, the caterers daughter, whom has dressed herself in the look of goth, has persuaded her to wear some makeup in hopes that it will make her come out of her shell, if you will! I told her that she should just take off her habit and relax. She wouldn't. During this entire evening, the characters are roaming around and finding audience members to dance. I myself was asked by the videographer to show him how to line dance. Very interesting to say the least! At one point while dancing, one of the bridesmaids, whom was dancing on my right side, told me not to listen to anything the nun told me because it was all lies! At the same time, the nun, whom was dancing on my left side, told me that the bridesmaid was a slut and she was full of lies as well! I was laughing so hard!
Throughout the entire wedding and reception, we were served a salad, chicken Parmesan over a bed of pasta, and fried zucchini with a dinner roll. Dessert was obviously, wedding cake! We were each given a half-glass of champagne for the toast to the couple as well.

Rose Domenico, Aunt of the bride, saying hi to some people at my table. Rose

Father Mark

The wedding ceremony.

Father Mark, performing the ceremony. Notice the very pregnant maid of honor? And all the bridesmaids are carrying plastic bouquets of flowers...each a different color!

The lighting of the unity light bulb, courtesy of Council Bluffs electric company! On the bottom left, the man wearing a hat is the wedding photographer, Sal Antonucci.

Wedding party group photo.

Donny Dulce, the wedding singer.

Donny Dulce

Donny....again.

Line dancing...

I'm out on the floor (orange shirt) giving it a try. Rich DeMarco (in the snakeskin dinner jacket) wanted me to show him how to line dance!

The groom's father on the right, Anthony Nunzio, Sr.

Sister Maria, the videographer, Rich Demarco (whom happens to be gay!) and the bride's gay brother, Joseph Vitale.

I'm barely showing up in the photo...

My back to the camera.

Several cast members along with a couple of people from the audience doing the YMCA dance.

Tony n' Tina dancing.

Sister Albert Maria, cousin of the bride and Madeline Monroe, girlfriend of the grooms' father. The Sister is getting into the spirit. Her dress is going higher and she now has makeup on!

Sister Maria showing off the new facial makeup that Madeline applied for her in hopes that she will have a little more confidence!

Nikki Black, daughter of the caterer.

If you haven't witnessed this chaotic comedy, you're missing out on great entertainment! Hilarious would be another perfect verb to describe the off-broadway hit, Tony n' Tina's Wedding.