For the creators of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, happenstance bred imagination: Two drama students were practicing their chops by having a mock argument as a young couple. They clashed with enough verisimilitude that their dorm master thought it was real. Soon enough, the talented improvisers brought their friends onboard and created a faux wedding lampooning Italian-American stereotypes, with the titular couple at the center and a range of outsized characters — a drug-dealing best man, a pregnant maid of honor, a stripper-courting father of the groom — creating havoc around the fringes. The audience at each performance makes up the rest of the cast, interacting with the actors and helping to shape the direction of each show. Since its 1985 debut off-off-Broadway, Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding has been performed more than 3,000 times worldwide at cabaret-style venues. The Broward Center’s recently renovated Abdo New River Room fits the bill perfectly: For its upcoming performances, cast members will be seated alongside ticket holders, creating an immediately immersive ambiance.
Tickets include a full Italian dinner, champagne toast, and wedding cake; all things considered, it’s a bargain at $65. The show runs Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 1 and 7 p.m., and Sundays at 1 and 6 p.m. from Thursday through February 22 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, located at 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-462-0222, or visit browardcenter.org.
Thu., Feb. 12, 2015