Food, Family and Laugher in ‘Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding’

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Photo via tonylovestina.com

Tony N' Tina's Wedding cast

The cast of ‘Tony N' Tina's Weddingæ

The nuptials and noshing of Tony N' Tina's Wedding may be set in Italian American culture, but its immersive improv comedy knows no bounds of nationality. 

“The show is basically a satire of any ethnicity whose culture revolves around food and family,” explains Tony Lauria, the director of and wedding singer in the touring production of the play-with dinner whose latest stint—its first since 2017—in Milwaukee goes from Friday Feb. 2 to Sunday Feb. 11 at The Fitzgerald. Italians are very passionate about those two things. It's a story that has been told thousands of times. Two families with strong patriarch/matriarchs joining into one family, somewhat reluctantly. The Hatfields and the McCoys. The Montagues and Capulets. In this show. it's the Nunzios—Tony's family—and the Vitales, Tina's family." 

Per the parallels of inter-familial tensions historic and dramatic, there are, thankfully, no armed feuding nor suicides in Tony and Tina’s tying of the matrimonial knot. But there are plenty of laughs, as an improv production should have. Because of its impromptu nature, the bits getting the chuckles from performance to performance can change. But other elements have varied since the show’s premiere as experimental collegiate production in the mid-1980's, too. 

Changing with the Times

“Because the show is supposed to reflect the current reality in 2024, the production has had to change and grow with the times. Some of the ways we have updated the show is by constantly adjusting the song playlist to reflect the music that is being played at weddings in 2024," Lauria says. And just as there are some set lines, such as the vows, in an actual wedding, Tony N' Tina's has some unchanging formality before the improv commences.

“The ceremony, Act 1, is scripted like any other play,” Lauria reveals. “The improvisation happens before the ceremony starts and right after the ceremony ends. Act 2 works off of a timeline of events that revolve around the set list of music. While there are still some scripted lines in the second act, this is where the actors really get to dig in to long form improv with the guests and other characters. A great night’s performance always relies on the response from the audience.

“Some audiences are harder than others. We are trying to create a party atmosphere as if they are attending their family members’ or friends’ wedding,” Lauria insists. But, as with less immersive improv productions, those buying the tickets to do well to spur on the fun. “It’s always a great show when the audience is eager to dance and behave as if they are at a wedding. That said, our actors are very good at getting the audience involved and on the rare occasion the audience is less enthusiastic, we work harder to get the laughs and the smiles.” 

Rated PG-17

Some of those grins and guffaws may be courtesy of dialogue bluer than that experienced at a wedding where children may be present though. Lauria describes the maturity of the show’s content as PG-17, adding “The actors are very good at reading the guests, and they know who they can have less than PG-17 conversations for funny bits per se.” And, as noted by the noshing mentioned earlier, most any wedding worth attending has food at its reception; Tony N’ Tina’s is no exception. 

Of the meal shared by audience and cast at every Wedding, Lauria explains, “The local presenters generally hire a local Italian restaurant to cater the food. The show has traditionally served some kind of pasta with salad and bread. The preparations are what go into all good Italian meals: Quality ingredients, the right spices, and a lot of passion and love!

“I have performed in the show over 2,500 times,” Lauria contiuess, “and I still find new ‘moments.’ Just when I’ve thought I’ve heard every possible choice a specific actor can make for the one of the characters, a new young cast member discovers a new cherry hanging high the tree. That’s what has kept it fresh for me as a director and performer in the show.” His experience with the high-grossing immersive production is of such uniqueness as to give Lauria pause to reflect on his life and the play that has provided him consistent employment for so long.   

“I’ve had the rare life experience of living in this play and world of characters for the majority of my adult life. I’ve made lifelong friends. I’ve cast former castmate's children in roles. We’ve had many castmates marry and have children. The show is a living a breathing artistic and humorous living organism. We think it's aging beautifully!”

In Memoriam

Las Vegas may not have been an ideal place for a comedian given to boozing and gambling binges. But Shecky Greene negotiated his addictive tendencies to become one of the most popular casino showroom headliners on the city’s famed strip during the height its 1950s and ‘60s glamor.

But, the Chicago native born Fred Sheldon Greenfield, who died at 97 of natural causes in late December 2023, also became an influential voice in comedy outside Sin City. He scored guest spots and hosting gigs on “The Tonight Show,” “The Merv Griffin Show” and other talk and game shows; roles in movies such as Mel Brooks’ History Of The World Part 1; the occasional stand-up album, and roles in TV series going at least far back as ‘60s war drama “Combat!” to a late ‘90s episode of the sitcom “Mad About You.” 

And, apart from Greene's stature as a comic versatile in storytelling, impersonations and one-liners, he was a picture of perseverance as well. He was infamously the subject of a physical beatdown by members of Frank Sinatra’s entourage after he told a joke at Sinatra’s expense; Arguably more debilitating was Greene’s battle with stage fright, which he first experienced in 2003 as an effect of manic depression. He last performed in 2009.