Hoarse Raven TheatreAfter fourteen years of being married, over and over again, Tony and Tina will finally be able to take their honeymoon as Western Canada's longest running production comes to a close in the spring of 2009.
In Tony and Tina's Wedding, coined as an "interactive environmental comedy", the audience is treated as wedding guests as the entertaining experience begins at Vancouver's historic St. Andrew's Wesley Church. A hilarious evening ensues as this live comedy hit goes from vows to dancing over at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre where guests enjoy an Italian buffet, and a Vegas-style lounge act.
The next day Tony and Tina wake up and do it all over again for a whole new set of wedding guests.
"Tony and Tina’s Wedding is a Vancouver institution," said Rebecca Coleman, theatre publicist who has paid her dues in the industry over the years. "If you are an actor in Vancouver, you have been through TnT at some point. It’s a great training ground—every night is a different show, because every night is a different audience. It hones your improv skills like nothing else."Over the last decade and a half if you were to check out any "guide to Vancouver" or ask any local for advice on how to spend an entertaining evening, chances are you would be directed Tony and Tina's way.
Not only is it a staple of Vancouver entertainment, Tony and Tina has also become America's longest running off Broadway show."I feel sad. I think Vancouver is going to miss Tony and Tina, but I also look forward to whatever Michael and Tanja (Directors) are cooking up next. ‘Cause you know it’s gonna be good," noted Coleman.
This season will be party goers' last chance to catch this Vancouver classic, as Tony, Tina, Connie, Domini, Barry and the rest of the wedding party will be retiring their corsages come spring.
GUEST BLOGGER: Rebecca Bollwitt has been blogging about Vancouver since 2004 on Miss604.com, co-hosting two podcasts since 2005 and in 2008 she co-founded sixty4media, a social media consulting firm.