June 10th was declared Tony n' Tina's Wedding Day in New York in celebration of the show's landmark 18th anniversary; a wedding reception was also held on that day outside the Edison Hotel in which members of the cast mingled with the public.
During the
festivities, Julianne Cho, Assistant Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, presented the proclamation to the show's producer, director, and past and present cast members. The
official proclamation, signed by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, quoted the
pundit William Feather who once said, "An invitation to a wedding
invokes more trouble than a summons to a police court." The
proclamation continued, "Never has this been more true than when
applied to Tony n' Tina's Wedding, the longest running comedy in
Off-Broadway history, where the trouble is unending and uproarious."
Jeff Gitlin, who produces the show with Raphael Berko, described the acknowledgment as "a wonderful tribute to all of the talented people who have worked on this show over the past 18 years." He added that the proclamation further cements the show's relationship with New York City, noting that "Tony n' Tina's Wedding remains popular with both local residents and tourists who seek us out as part of their visit."
Tony n' Tina's Wedding
is
directed by Larry Pellegrini. The show, which was conceived by Nancy
Cassaro and written by Artificial Intelligence, currently runs at Vinnie Black's Coliseum
at the Edison Hotel with
a cast of 27. It opened at St. Luke's Church on February 14th, 1988 and
closed there on May 18th, 2003 before transferring. The interactive show gives audiences a chance to attend an actual Italian-American wedding. As "invited guests," the audience begins the evening by witnessing the nuptials, followed by a rousing reception featuring a full Italian dinner, wedding cake, champagne toast and dancing to a live band. Gitlin has also produced the show in Las Vegas, Maui and Bermuda. Tony n' Tina's Wedding performs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7PM at the Edison Hotel, 221 West 46th Street in New York City. For tickets and information, call TheaterMania at 212-352-3101 or visit www.tonyandtinanewyork.com.