Vancouver production of Tony n' Tina takes its final bow after 18 years
The Province / Writer: STUART DERDEYN
We all know a story or three about people hooking up at someone else's wedding and then getting married. Tony n' Tina's Wedding is no different, as these stories of guests and cast members finding their dream mate at the show do testify. A total of 18 weddings have come out of the Vancouver run. Among them . . . - Don and Dawn: Dawn worked costumes and props when she and Don started dating in 1996. The following Valentine's Day, she was working one of her final shifts on the show and Don wasn't supposed to see her that night. What she didn't know was Don had a ring and, with the help of some cast members, got Dawn on stage under the pretense of it being a goodbye moment. "What I failed to realize, was that I was proposing in front of a packed house, including the bar crowd, of about 200 people," says Don. "When she said yes the establishment erupted in a big cheer." - Giovanni and Ashlee: These two met on her first night at the show. Ashlee was lined up to play Sister Maria; Giovanni was Tony. They were friendly castmates, but not close. But Ashlee was attracted to Giovanni right away. She was eventually asked to play Tina. - There was a big industry party at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre the week before she was to start playing Tina and it turned out to be the couple's first date. This past Christmas, they had been together for 21/2 years. They'll tie the knot on July 10, 2010. Tanja Dixon-Warren took a timeout from her workouts to look great in her dress for the final performance to share some favourite stories: - "When we performed at Chardonnays, a couple of scenes were out on the sidewalk, including fights between the groomsmen and Tina's ex-boyfriend. Kudos to our actors -- they made it look very realistic. We had to field a number of police arriving after getting 911 calls. We have to thank the VPD for being very patient and tolerant. In the end, I suspect, they simply asked the caller if the fracas involved an enthusiastic bridal party." - "A couple came for their 70th wedding anniversary who were pushing 90 and dressed to the nines -- with corsages, boutonnieres and their entire bridal party in tow; all eight of them. They danced all night and were the last to leave." |
