BY MARK KENNEDY
The Record
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
THEATER REVIEW
MY BIG GAY ITALIAN WEDDING
Off-Broadway production at the St. Luke's Theatre, 308 W. 46th St.
Directed by Teresa A. Cicala. Written by Anthony J. Wilkinson.
With Anthony J. Wilkinson, Daniel Robinson, Brett Douglas, Tricia Burns, Randi Kaplan and Joe Scanio.
Schedule: 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Tickets: $29.50 and $69.50.
Telecharge: 212-239-6200 or telecharge.com.
More information: biggayitalianwedding.com.
Whether you'll want to see "My Big Gay Italian Wedding" or not may depend on how you react to the title.
Feel like a bawdy, big-haired romp? Well, come on down. Don't care if it's a bit derivative? You've come to the right place. Mind enough stereotypes to make an Italian-American anti-defamation activist weep? Hop over to St. Luke's Theatre.
"My Big Gay Italian Wedding" is a comedy that's got beefcake and an over-the-top wedding planner, pouffy bridesmaid dresses and hyperventilating parents, boisterous dancing, a licentious Catholic priest, a hip-hop version of "Ave Maria" and heaps of fa-bu-lous voguing. What were you expecting?
And yet, deep down, it's got heart. This off-Broadway production is really just a big, sloppy same-sex smooch, wrapped in a gooey cannoli.
It works because it winks at the very people it lovingly mocks. And, judging from the audience's reaction at a recent performance, no offense was taken; roars of laughter greeted even the lamest joke.
The original production, which first debuted in 2003, was written by Anthony J. Wilkinson, who also stars. He has since revised the comedy's script, bringing it up to date on the current debate about same-sex marriages.
But while there are a few digs at anti-gay marriage advocates such as Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee, this isn't a politically strident or preachy work. The only on-stage anguish is about getting everyone to the altar on time.
The 16-character play opens with Anthony (Wilkinson) informing his parents he wants to marry his boyfriend Andrew (Daniel Robinson).
"I want to be committed in the eyes of God," Anthony tells his parents.
"Oh, you should be committed all right," his mother shoots back.
Anthony's Italian-Catholic parents agree only on two conditions:
The family priest must perform the ceremony, and Andrew's estranged mother must attend the ceremony. Both will be tough to pull off, especially with a secret affair threatening to ruin the special day. Cue the shenanigans.
Much of this will be familiar: There are echoes of "Tony n' Tina's Wedding" with a dash of "La Cage aux Folles" and, of course, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," the smash 2002 film. The show recently got a little verisimilitude when Dina Manzo, a former cast member of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," signed on as a producer. Manzo's fellow "Housewives" — Teresa Giudice, Ashley Holmes, Jacqueline Laurita, Caroline Manzo and Lauren Manzo — will appear in the production Sept. 1-4.
Standout performers include Brett Douglas, as the insanely fussy wedding planner, who seems to single-handedly lift the show whenever he appears; Tricia Burns as Anthony's squeaky-voiced sister; Randi Kaplan and Joe Scanio as Anthony's parents; and the quite appealing Wilkinson.
Some of the best bits occur when the cast interacts with the audience. One night, Kaplan spied someone in the crowd her character deemed underdressed: "You wore shorts to my son's wedding?" she roared. "I'll get you a 20 percent discount at Macy's!"
Teresa A. Cicala directs this frantic confection and choreographer J. Austin Eyer keeps the action percolating on an impossibly small stage. And when it's all over — uneven, goofy and yet sweet, just like a real wedding — the two grooms meet you at the exit and thank you for coming.
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