My Big Gay Italian Wedding

at St. Luke's Theatre PHOTO CREDIT Carol Rosegg Dina Manzo, one of the producers of "My Big Gay Italian Wedding," is a star of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey"—she even wedges a plug for that reality TV series into Anthony J. Wilkinson's script. Therein lies a clue as to the play's ambiance. Ethnic and sexual stereotypes, extreme behavior, big hair, excessive jewelry, and loud sitcom situations fill the stage. Character development, not so much. Wilkinson's comedy dates back to 2003. For this production, he has updated the cultural references and included a few nods to current gay-marriage legislation. But don't expect any actual social commentary. We're stuck in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn—not the real Bay Ridge, but the one portrayed in "Saturday Night Fever," full of pizza parlors, nail salons, and overemoting Italians. Anthony (Wilkinson) and Polish boyfriend Andrew (Reichen Lehmkuhl, a winner of "The Amazing Race") wish to marry, but first they must deal with Anthony's apoplectic parents (Joe Scanio and Randi Kaplan), the pedophile family priest (Chad Kessler), Andrew's treacherous ex-boyfriend (Fabio Taliercio), a flamboyant wedding planner of indeterminate European accent (Brett Douglas), and a network of gay- and Italian-stereotype friends. Never mind that, with gay marriage nowhere near legal in New York, the wedding won't be recognized; to move it to Massachusetts or Iowa would deprive Wilkinson of the chance to wallow in overemphatic local color. Though insecure Anthony and shy Andrew are a cute couple, Wilkinson and Lehmkuhl (who may be an actual actor; with this material, it's hard to tell) haven't much to play. Besides, they're too often elbowed aside by a large supporting cast directed by Teresa A. Cicala to play broad, broader, and broadest. Amid so much shouting and Italian curses, Scanio is an island of relative calm—especially opposite Kaplan, who overplays unforgivably—as is Bryan Anthony, as the butchest of Anthony's pals. What little narrative there is comes to a dead halt in the second act so that we can witness the wedding, with the hideous bridesmaids' gowns (Philip Heckman's costumes are suitably over the top), a guest in drag, and a hip-hop "Ave Maria," which Tricia Burns, as Anthony's stage-struck sister, does well. There is also much dancing, including a tarantella that drags an unfortunate couple from the audience onto the stage. Gay marriage affords plenty of opportunities for interesting and/or amusing playwriting, but Wilkinson merely announces pop-culture names (Tiger Woods, Ann Coulter, Adam Lambert) in order to get laughs. It should be added that many in the audience at the performance attended did provide those guffaws. Perhaps live theater was a welcome change for them after a steady diet of reality TV. Presented by Dina Manzo and Sonia Blangiardo in association with Anndee Productions at St. Luke's Theatre, 308 W. 46th St., NYC. Opened May 22 for an open run. Wed.–Sat., 8 p.m. (212) 239-6200, (800) 432-7250, or www.telecharge.com. Casting by Daryl Eisenberg.

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