Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...But this is one of those shows that the actors — and they really are a warm, fun crew, many of them having graduated to the oldsters after playing the kiddos years ago — deliver to the paying customers one soul at a time. It's a rough, tough, divisive world out there. Here, everyone was having fun. Go in a group."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...From Micah Spayer as singing sensation Donny Dulce to Billy Minshall as a sauced Father Mark, the cast fires on all cylinders throughout the evening, playing out larger-than-life Italian family drama with as much audience participation as guests can handle. For a guaranteed good time, bring your dancing shoes and 80s nostalgia."
Windy City Times - Recommended
"...The key to bringing off this kind of immersive effervescence is to keep everything in motion at a velocity that doesn't permit us the leisure of considering the fundamental silliness of the entire venture. The 23-member cast-which includes many veterans of earlier incarnations, notably director Paul Stroili-propel the action while maintaining crowd control to ascertain that shy or improv-challenged visitors are never overwhelmed by the surrounding mayhem."
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...Running through 2016, Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding works on as escapism, jollity, or therapy. If you’re planning your own knot-tying, it instantly lowers the bar for future weldings (I mean weddings): Instantly, event-planners get a bottom-diving benchmark for fiasco-plagued yokings that they can industriously avoid. As earlier mentioned, you get to rent two families, then abandon them forever. You can play along, choose sides, catch a garter, and maybe meet the real deal for a not so virtual ceremony not so long from now."
ChicagoCritic - Recommended
"...Under the fine direction of Paul Stroili, the large Chicago cast of 23 is
terrific — capturing all the nuances of a family gathering, complete with
vulgarities and squabbles. Stroili was a member of the Original Chicago
Company. Vinnie (Brian Noonan) is a very believable restaurateur, hosting
the gathering, touting its virtues as he tries to promote future business,
and emceeing the various entertainers. A good time was had by all."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Unlike many of my contemporaries, I'd never seen "Tony n' Tina's Wedding" during its long run at Piper's Alley, so I can't make any comparisons. After attending the retro wedding and reception, I completely understand why it was such a hit. It had everything you could want in a wedding - on steroids! The cast worked the room (I think every cast member stopped at our table to talk) improvising freely. My friend Nancy and I were seated with lovely people so we had a wonderful time laughing and talking with them."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Recommended
"...Given the nature of the show, it’s difficult to assess acting skills, but the ensemble commitment to raising the roof has got to be admired. There were ethnic jokes aplenty to go with the Italian caricatures, but the show doesn’t have an offensive bone in its body, possible exceptions being some gross sexual gestures and a few words of profanity. But if “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding” was a motion picture, it would get an innocuous PG-13 rating. The show is staged in an efficient 150 minutes, including the church ceremony, the walk to the reception, and the reception itself. Maybe the show won’t run 16 years but it will provide plenty of fun for visitors who want an evening short on decorum and long on in-your-face fun."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...Finally, a wedding you actually want to go to. The perennial favorite Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding makes a triumphant, uproarious return to Chicago to delight a new crowd of revelers, presented by the original New York producers in conjunction with Chicago Theater Works."
Third Coast Review - Highly Recommended
"...The 1980s setting definitely made the event more frivolous and fun, but it might have been interesting if they'd updated the premise to today. What does a tacky wedding look like in 2016? Would the sound of the bride taking a selfie interrupt the groom's "I do"? Even if they stuck to the Italian wedding stereotype, it might be worthwhile to update the stereotype. There were a few jokes that worked as references to jokes that would have been made 20 years ago because they don't make much sense any more. Having children out of wedlock isn't taboo anymore. Premarital sex is a given. The allusion to these topics being classless and embarrassing is a harbinger of the 1980s setting just like the puff sleeves on Tina's wedding dress."
Picture This Post - Somewhat Recommended
"...Overall, the vibe of the event is what attracts you and pulls you in: that drama of family tensions bubbling beneath the surface, the happy love between Tony and Tina, and the welcoming actors encouraging you to get up and dance. While there's not much in terms of plot, Tony and Tina's Wedding is a great way to have the experience of a wedding without it being your own crazy family."