Drama Department Announcement
First of all, I would like to thank everyone who came in and auditioned for the spring production. We had a wonderful turnout and it's great to see students have such an interest in the performing arts. That said, after some careful consideration, the roles for the spring show have all been casted and the performance dates have been set. April 27-29 will be our performance dates, so be sure to mark your calenders. We are going to be in need of an excellent crew. So if you are interested, the details are in this post behind the cut. So now that the casting portion has been completed, I can now reveal what show we will be performing as well as other very important details.
After some consideration, it was decided that we go a different route this spring. My experiences here this fall made me feel confident enough that we could more than pull off a dinner theater show that relies a great deal on improvisation. And that we would have one hell of a good time doing it. If you are not familiar with the show, here is a summary of the plot.
Plot:When the two stereotypically Italian families get together at the wedding and reception, it's fodder for "America's Funniest Home Videos," complete with drunken guests (including the priest), family bickering, a pregnant maid of honor, bridesmaids with big hair and tacky red dresses and a flamboyant brother of the bride.
From the beginning at Tony n' Tina's Wedding, the guests are asked to be part of the show by singing along with a hymn at the wedding. Then, it's off to the Tony n' Tina's Wedding reception where a wedding singer and band entertain guests and encourage everyone to dance to standard wedding fare like the infamous chicken dance, the dollar dance and "YMCA."
An Italian buffet-style dinner features salad, lasagna, ravioli and chicken parmesan. There is also a wedding cake at Tony n' Tina's Wedding and a champagne toast made by a less-than-eloquent best man.
As at any wedding, there's also the bouquet toss, the throwing of the garter and the ubiquitous wedding photographer snapping photos at every opportunity.
Whether you choose to participate by talking and dancing with the family (who are all actors that are never out of character) or you just sit back and watch the comedy unfolding, "Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding" is a show that anyone who has ever attended a wedding can relate to.
The theatrics begin before the audience even enters the theater, with cast members (who never break character throughout the evening) talking to ticket holders as if they are friends and relatives of one of the two feuding clans drawn together by two star-crossed lovers. Once inside Tony n' Tina's Wedding and seated, the audience is slowly introduced to members of the families as they arrive and take their seats in the middle of the theater, which serves as a wedding chapel, dance floor and reception hall.
At Tony n' Tina's Wedding there is an army of supporting characters in this ensemble production, among them a young nun who discovers she loves to dance, sleeze-ball photographer Sal Antonucci, an alcoholic priest and Anthony Nunzio's ditzy, long-legged, big-breasted showgirl girlfriend Madeline Monroe.
Cast and Character Info
Cast: Tony (The groom): Milo Romano Tina (The bride): Dani Jenkins Maddy (Mr. Nunzio's girlfriend): Katherine Evans Mr. Nunzio (Tony's father): Matthew Percy Father Mark (Drunk priest): Bryan Green Michael (Tina's ex-boyfriend): Liam Rudd Mrs. Vitale (Tina's mother): Alicia Relm Johnny (Tony's brother): Zac Austen Sister Claire (Tina's cousin): Hayden Anderson Vinnie Black (Caterer): Matthew Miller Zeppo the bartender: Dane King Connie (Maid of honor) Hilarie Taylor Donnie Ducle (groomsmen) Aaron Endlsey Barry (Best Man, Connie's husband) Chad Lucas Dominic (Groomsmen) Dan Jobs Donna (Bridesmaid, Dominic's girlfriend) Alexis Romano Marina (Bridesmaid) Joanna Krzyzewski Joey Vitale (Tina's flamboyant brother) Joe Reynolds Grandma Nunzio Evanna Grey Raphael (Flamboyant videographer) Emma Arlington Sal (photographer) Rupert O' Hare
Character Info: Anthony "Tony" Nunzio Jr.: He is the young, Italian-American groom. Has been with Tina for a long time and is in love with her. His goal is to make it through the wedding and the reception without any problems, something which will be difficult, given that his and Tina's families hate one another. His relationship with Tina will be tested throughout the show as they fight over their families. He also hates Tina's ex-boyfriend Michael.
Valentina "Tina" Vitale: Tina is the Italian-American bride. She grew up in the suburbs, so she feels that she's a bit classier than Tony's family. All she wants to do is marry Tony without too much interference from her controlling mother. She will be at odds with Tony over the course of the production and there will be a huge blowout in which she walks out on him. She will also argue with him over the gift her father in law has given them and fight with her maid of honor during the toasts. Doesn't care for Michael and doesn't really count what they had as much of a relationship. They were not together long and he called her several times after they broke up. Then he drunkenly went to her house because he knew she was there and drove his car into her home accidently.
Mr. Anthony Nunzio: Tony's father. He is the owner of a popular strip club and his girlfriend in fact is a "dancer". He wants Tony to follow in his footsteps and he demonstrates this by offering him and Tina his most prized possession, the strip club, as a wedding gift. He proudly shows off his girlfriend. And most importantly, he hates Mrs. Vitale. They grew up in the same neighborhood and had a thing in high school until Mrs. Nunzio meet Mr. Nunzio and fell for him. Moving to the suburbs when they got married. He feels that she thinks she's better than him because of this and he voices his opinions on her with no problems. He also publicly claims that her husband leaped to his death to get away from her. He is very outspoken and crude. He along with the other men, spend the ceremony attempting to listen to a Met game and get the scores.
Madeline "Maddy" Monroe: Mr. Nunzio's girlfriend. She is the best "dancer" at his club. She is young, tacky, loves attention and is quick to defend the Nunzio's. Does not care for Mrs. Vitale.
Grandma Nunzio: Old school Italian woman. Doesn't understand Tony or Tina. Loves attention. So much so, that she pretends to faint at the wedding reception. She is angrily called out by Tina for faking and taking the attention away. Is dotted on by her son and grandson, Tony. As well as Maddy.
Mrs. Vitale: The mother of the bride. She is controlling over Tina, her only daughter. Hates Tony's family and would rather that Tina not be associated with them. She does on the other hand love Tina's ex-boyfriend, Michael. She despises Mr. Nunzio with a passion and is disgusted by him and his girlfriend. Thinks that they lack class and does act superior to them. She often speaks of her deceased husband, saying how wonderful he was and how much he would have loved to be there. She claims that her husband died stringing Christmas lights up on the roof during a blizzard and that it was his choice because he loved Christmas and couldn't wait. She is outraged by Mr. Nunzio's claims that she forced him to do it and that he leaped to his death to get away from her and died with a smile on his face. She is very dramatic.
Joey Vitale: Tina's very flamboyant brother. He is a bit of a momma's boy and is most definitely the source of comic relief in his family. Has a crush on the videographer.
Sister Claire: Tina's cousin. She is a nun and is very reserved, the total opposite of everyone else. She is a prude, Tina does call her out for it and she does stick out from the rest of her family. However, she discovers that she is a nun who loves to dance and cannot be kept off of the dance floor.
Michael: Tina's ex-boyfriend. Bursts into the chapel during the wedding to object because he is still in love with her. He is obsessed with her to be exact. His is intercepted at the chapel by Dominic, who grabs him by the neck and forces him to sit down when he stands to object to the nuptials. He is only supposed to stay for the ceremony, but is invited by Mrs. Vitale to join them for the reception. He is cool with Barry, the best man, the only member of the wedding party, aside from Tina that he can stand. Thinks Barry is too cool for the other guys. Eventually finds himself intoxicated and under the influence, the latter due to Barry attempting to get him to chill. He will go on to be out of control.
Johnny: Tony's little brother. He is younger and he is shyer as a result. The older guys are always teasing him, meaning well. He is one of the boys and his friends, the groomsmen do try to set him up with a guest at the wedding, egging him on.
Barry: Tony's best friend and the best man. He is the most mellow of the groomsmen, but that is due to his being under the influence. Swears to Tony to make it through the ceremony sober, but the reception is something else entirely. As the best man, he takes it upon himself to try to get rid of Michael in a non violent way by getting him high and bringing him back out to his van, only to forget to lock him in. And as a result, a high Michael goes on to further disrupt the wedding. Barry is also married to Connie, the pregnant maid of honor. They argue over to course of the show.
Connie: Tina's best friend and Maid of Honor. She appears to be about 8 months pregnant and despite that, she does drink. She is resentful about being pregnant and it is very obvious. Argues with her husband Barry a bit. Refuses to give a toast at the reception, claiming to be tired, which results in a blow out with Tina where she is fired from her position as maid of honor and replaced by Donna. She does not like being told what to do and is very loud and crude.
Dominic: Groomsmen. Spends a chunk of his time manhandling Michael, physically keeping him in check, so as not to ruin his friend's wedding. He is very jealous and this results in many outbursts with his girlfriend, Donna, who is a shameless flirt. Ironically enough, he gets pushed around some by her. Spends a lot of time talking smack about marriage and how he doesn't want to get married, only to realize that he wants to marry Donna by the time the reception is complete.
Donna: A friend of Tina's who is serving as a bridesmaid. She also happens to be Dominic's girlfriend. She is very flirtatious and will flirt with every cute guy that she sees. Like dominic, she has a violent temper and she does physically push him when the two of them argue, which is often. Swears that she will never get married, especially not to Dominic. The two eventually make up and decide to get married by the end of the night.
Donnie Dulce: Another one of Tony's friends and groomsmen. He is the only single groomsmen and flirts with the women at the reception.
Marina: The only unattached member of the bridal party. After a few drinks, this fact comes to depress her and she tries to make a move on the priest and forces him to dance with her. She is not as outspoken as her counterparts, but Marina can still hold her own with them and be just as flashy.
Father Mark: The priest who marries Tony and Tina. Starts the night off well, declining to drink at the reception and keep his vows. However as the scene unravels, he hits the bottle and becomes drunk. Turns out he is an alcoholic. He drunkenly sings prayers and thinks that this is possibly the craziest group of people that he has ever met and wonders how he came to associate himself with them.
Vinnie Black: Owner of Vinnie Black's Coliseum, the site for the wedding. His hall is a very gaudy attempt at replicating ancient coliseums. He is a sleazy business man who is friends with the Vitale family. Acts as the MC for the night. Tells corny jokes. Mrs. Vitale finds him to be hilarious and he is a known member of his community.
Zeppo the Bartender: Bartender at Vinnie Black's Coliseum.
Raphael: Film student hired by Mrs. Vitale to film the ceremony and the reception. He is very flamboyant and he goes around asking people what they think of the nuptials. Whenever drama occurs, he is quick to try and catch it all on film
Sal: The wedding photographer. Falls asleep during the ceremony and spends the reception, mingling. He is sleazy and does not appear to be too good of a photographer.
We had more people auditioning than we did available roles. So if you did not make the cast, I'm sorry and I hope that you do try out for our show next fall if you can. However, there are many positions available in the crew. So if you would like to be a member of the crew, please let me know. We have many positions available and if you are interested, please let me know.
Crew: Jamie Esposito-Master Stitcher Anna B-Assistant Master Stitcher (job info) Master Stitcher • coordinate with costume designer to implement design within budget • organize all required measurement of cast members • oragnize all required costume fittings • assist as needed with 'quick' costume changes • maintain the integrity of the costumes through the run of the show • ensure that all borrowed or rented pieces are returned
Publicity Manager:Taylor Palmer • develop publicity plan & schedule • arrange for reproduction and distribution of posters • arrange for production of T-shirts; solicit & process orders • arrange for preparation & hanging of drop poster
Properties Manager: • coordinate with director and stage manager to determine what props are necessary • rent, borrow, or build props as necessary to fit within budget • instruct cast in proper handling of delicate items • prepare props tables backstage, and work with ASMs or cast members to make sure that props are in place before the show and replaced properly afterwards • maintain the integrity of the props through the run of the show • ensure that all borrowed or rented props are returned House Manager • prepare and train ushers before each performance • ensure that programs are available for each performance • coordinate with stage manager to determine when to open theater doors, and keep box office managers informed of status changes • assist box office manager with crowd control if necessary • after doors are open, assist ushers with crowd management • coordinate with stage manager on closing house and starting performances Set Designer • requirements of script, director, music director, choreographer • location of orchestra/accompaniment • floor plan; use of space • set changes -- moving pieces • furniture • special effects • construction drawings Music Director (come speak with me if you're interested in this position because the responsibilities will be a bit different):Anna Cooper Make-up:Summer James
We have a few other available positions, so if these fill up or you do not get the job that you would like, again I ask you come and see me.
Now this is very important. THERE WILL BE A MEETING FOR CAST AND CREW MEMBERS ON JANUARY 28TH AT 3:30PM IN THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. This meeting will be a chance for us to discuss the show in and of itself. I'll try and answer any questions you may have and address any concerns. I will also be explaining the way our unique rehearsal schedule will work and laying some things out. THE MEETING IS MANDATORY.
I will go into this further at the meeting, but our first number of rehearsals will be workshops on improvisation. The first two workshops will take place on Wednesday, February 13th and Wednesday February 27th in the Performing Arts Center. I will tell you know that you are going to get to know one another very well, if you don't already. It is inevitable if you are going to be able to play off of one another during a live show.
So that said, if you need to speak with me for any reason, feel free to stop by my office, drop me an email (send a pm) or contact me at katherinexevans. Thank you.