The Mafia Factory's Joey & Maria's Comedy Wedding
(out of )Mark S.P. Turvin
(home office) (602) 912-0117
I can be reached for comment via e-mail at: mspt@goldfishpublishers.com
Reviewed 12/19/98
(out of )There have been many types of Dinner Theatre in the Valley of the Sun over the past ten years. Few have lasted. Needed for their success are an interesting show, the right amount of audience involvement, a pleasant atmosphere, and good food. Last season, the touring company of Tony and Tina's Wedding blew through ASU and the Gammage Valley Broadway Series, giving audiences a taste of the current trend of shows. Upstart company Darlyne Franklin Productions and the new restaurant The Mafia Factory have joined forces to present the Boston smash hit, Joey & Maria's Comedy Wedding.
Ms. Franklin created the show in Boston near the beginning of
the decade, and did the Tony and Tina's crew one better:
not only do they recreate a typical Italian wedding (trust me,
I've been to hundreds of them, and this is typical), but they
include food worth the price of admission, something sadly missing
from the other show. After a visit to Scottsdale, the Franklin's
decided to move the company, lock, stock and barrel, down to the
Scottsdale Center for the Arts plaza, and settle in Arizona. Thank
heavens for small miracles, because this company and this show
have raised the bar for Dinner Theatre productions. No longer
will the "rubber-chicken-and-a-show" fly anymore, and
I, for one, couldn't be happier to see it go.
The evening begins upon entering the restaurant, and doesn't stop
until final bows. Joey Gnocchi, a small-time East Boston thug
and Italian Stallion, is marrying neighborhood girl Maria Cavatelli.
Everyone's there, from the inlaws to the groomsmen and bridesmaids,
to Pastor Fasioule and Sister Mary Toretllini. Joey's ex, the
shapely Viola, even drops in unannounced. From vows to dinner
to dancing, the evening is no different than a real East Boston/Italian
wedding, with a guest appearance by Don Ziti himself near the
end of the evening.
I, personally, have been directly involved with many interactive
dinner theatre productions, and a few important things set this
one apart from any others you might have attended. As mentioned,
the meal, served family style, is multo bella. No aluminum
pans of overcooked baked ziti or bowls of limp iceberg lettuce.
The appetizers are good and plentiful, the pasta and veggies are
firm, the chicken Marsala is impressive, and the cannolis are
what you would expect to find in a North End of Boston Pastry
Shop. The atmosphere is also important, and the theatre is made
to look like a backyard overlooking Boston Harbor, with a full
service bar at the front. Most importantly, though, there is a
polish among the actors, and the uncanny ability to get everyone
involved just as far as they feel comfortable. This is a very
important and distinguishing aspect.
I came dressed for the role, and fully intended to get actively
involved and put the actors through their paces, checking their
knowledge of Boston (where I lived for several years) and Italian
customs. Suffice to say I was actually stumped by Boston native
Joey Todesca, playing the groom, and had to concede the
preparedness of the company. My companion, though, has never been
a fan of these interactive productions, and had no intention of
involvement. Yet, by the end of the evening, she was drawn from
her shell, and was dancing, sassing and flirting with the entire
cast. Her total and vocal enjoyment of the show was the greatest
compliment this company could ever have had.
Not only was Mr. Todesca's performance right on the mark, as was
Monica Salipante as the Italian princess Maria, but every
member of the cast was dead-on. Other standouts in this standup
cast included Mary Ann Asciuto as mother of the groom Netta,
Pat Grover as the mother of the bride, and the energetic
and hilarious Paul Franklin as the Emcee and Joey's older
brother, Giovanni.
The opinions at the table we were seated at were unanimous. From
the extroverts to the introverts, everyone was pleased with the
production. Even those who seemed ill-at-ease at first about such
direct involvement were happy that they were brought into the
proceedings up to their level of comfort. Some people simply danced
and sang, some talked with the actors, and some became characters
themselves, and the company seemed able to figure which audience
members were which.
There are some slight hesitations, but minor ones. As is true
with these type of shows, the stereotypes of Italian mothers,
goodfellas and Italian-American princesses are the only character
choice available, and the automatic association with Italians,
handguns and the Mafia is unavoidable. Of course, as my sainted
mother is prone to say, "Stereotypes are stereotypes because
they're true" Also, this type of show thrives on double entendre's
and sexually graphic material, so those with hangups or small
children may need to be warned. Other than these very minor quibbles,
Joey & Maria's Comedy Wedding is the best of this type
of theatre I've seen. Salut!
The doors open at 6:30 pm for a 7:30 start on Friday and Saturday
nights. The price is $39.99, which includes the tasty three course
dinner and the show. The Mafia Factory, 7373 Scottsdale
Mall (behind the Center for the Arts) is also a full-service restaurant
open for lunch and dinner when the show is not going.
I highly recommend this show for out-of-town guests, birthday
and anniversary celebrations, or just a night on the town. Oh,
and one last thing: Make sure to join the Conga line at the end
of the evening for an added insight into the Family!
Production Details:
Joey & Maria's Comedy Wedding by Darlyne
Franklin
The Mafia Factory, Scottsdale
425-8829
Open-ended Production