ju s t o u t ▼ nowem bor 7, 1997 ▼ 33
INTERVIEW
A
s you 've maybe already heard, this
isn ’t your typical piece of theater.
T im m y ’ n ’ J o e y ’ s H e d g in g
When the farce hits your eye like a
big pizza pie, that’s Tony ’n’ Tina’s
Wedding. A slice of the Portland’s
Broadway Theater Season, the show is being
touted as "an unforgettable nuptial celebration
in which audience members literally become
by Suzanne Sigmund
invited guests, as they participate in all aspects
of the wedding. ”
First, there’s the surprise-filled ceremony at jazzed up with a multicolored scarf, Joey gives the anywhere. [His hands sculpt the air expressively]
outfit an instant fashion approval rating.
I went for an off-the-shoulder thing. There’s a
slope on the hip line...
Joey Vitale: I love that combination! I always
say, “It’s not what you wear, it’s the flair!” You
Sounds great. I understand you work as
can wear an all-black outfit like that but spruce it head teller at U.S. Bank, Joey, but given the
the First Unitarian Church, 1011 SW 12th Ave., up with a hat or a scarf; it just brings out an outfit, fact that you love to choreograph local theater
then the "guests ” join the wedding party for a it brings out your personality.
shows, have a terrific flair for color and a
quick and easy journey to the Commandery Room
penchant for designing beautiful clothes, is
at the Portland Art Museum’s North Wing, where
Suzanne Sigmund: Well thanks, Joey. Now, working in a bank hard for the creative you?
they’ll greet the newlyweds, participate in the tell me about your interest in design. I under-
Joey: Well you know, especially after we
champagne toast during the reception, en­
joy a fully catered Italian dinner, dance to
live music, and help Tony, Tina and their
wild, wacky relatives celebrate this mo­
mentous occasion in an evening of sponta­
neous fun and hi-jinks.
The show has had successful runs in
Seattle, Atlantic City, San Francisco, Phila­
delphia, Toronto and San Juan, Puerto
Rico, and productions are still running in
Chicago, Minneapolis and New York, where
the show opened in 1985.
OK, we just celebrated Halloween,
right? A time when legions of us closet
exhibitionists don other identities, along
with wildly improbable costumes, briefly
transforming ourselves into that inexpress­
ibly satisfying someone else—and that’s
the frame of mind for this interview.
A ctors Paul-A nthony Navarro and Mark
Gowers talked with Just Out about their
part in Tony ’n’Tina’s Wedding. Only they
spoke not as their real-life selves, but in
character as Joey Vitale (Navarro), brother
of Tina, the soon-to-be bride, and his good
friend Timmy Sullivan (Gowers), owner of
an offbeat, more-fun-than-your-typicalcard
shop in Beaverton.
Tony V Tina’s Wedding manager,
(left) and Joey
Blake Hambrick, has come along for our
double espresso meeting at Coffee People and stand you had a big hand in creating designs moved out here [from New York] and dad died
takes me aside, explaining a little family back­ for the wedding?
[like a good Italian son, Joey genuflects, raising
ground info. Even though just about everybody
Joey: Oh yes, I designed all the wedding his eyes heavenward] I really had to buckle down
knows that Joey is gay, he has not come out to his dresses. I helped design the hair and makeup and help take care of the family.
very traditional Italian family and keeps his "spe­ schemes for the bridal party and my sister. We’re
cial” friendship with Timmy under the macho doing a lot of fuchsia, a lot of bright pinks. They
I understand. Now tell me you two, what is
guise of we ’re-just-good-buddies. The only way supplied us with these drab black wash ’n’ wear your relationship?
he can bring his friend to the wedding is to give tuxedos and I thought I’d spruce them up with
Joey: [A pregnant pause ensues as he and
him a prop, an excuse, a role and voilà/ Timmy is some pink ruffles and pink bow-ties, but I’m the Timmy eyeball each other for a long moment]
the official videographer.
only one wearing pink socks—the other guys We’re just good friends.
During introductions, while 1 remove my drip­ wouldn’t wear them. The dresses are beautiful;
Timmy Sullivan: We met each other at the
ping raincoat to reveal an all-black ensemble they’re dresses the girls can wear, you know, Chevron station down on Burnside. I was in there
Two close friends, not quite ready to out themselves to the
world, collaborate on Tony ’n’ Tina’s Wedding
heatei
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and we just started talking.
Joey: Yeah, we started talking about cars... and
all sorts of manly things. And we just hit it off and
became very close friends after that; that was three
months ago.
hile Joey seems to be the most effusive
one of the pair and does most of the
talking, Timmy comes off as a kind of
youthful Spalding Gray, delivering up his wry
observations in a flat monotone, as though the
next phrase is going to be either wildly funny or
drop-dead remarkable. He talks about his card
shop, his favorite card being one with an owl on
the cover and on the inside, the same owl with
beak ajar, saying "Have a hoot!”
W
Timmy: I’m basing a line of cards on that, it’s
called Express Yourself cards. That’s the name of
the shop. I’m going to make an entire line of cards
based on that wacky surprise concept when you
open them up. I have one that says, “Who’s
better, Judy or Liza?” and it has a picture on
the cover of them standing together, but
when you open it up it says, “Barbra.” Isn’t
that clever?
That’s great. T ell me about your grow­
ing up years and about your sexual ori­
entation, Joey. Have you come out to
your family yet?
Joey: [RecoilingdefensivelyJ Why does
everybody always question that? You have
a certain joie de vivre and all of a sudden
everybody starts jumping to conclusions! I
just don’t understand that. I’m just as manly
as the next guy; I’m a man’s man.
OK, let’s return to a more comfort­
able subject, like choreographing shows.
Joey: [Lighting up again like a string of
Christmas tree bulbs] I did the musical
version of A Clockwork Oran gel I choreo­
graphed a great dance piece for when they
go in and murder the family. The woman
gets beaten up but she’s laughing; every­
body ends up hugging and kissing and
apologizing at the end. It’s all very Italian:
the flare-up and the big apology at the end.
Uh-hunh, 1 see. With Joey Vitale we ’re
going way beyond anything resembling ’90s P.C.
and straight into theater of the absurd.
Tony ’n’ Tina’s Wedding runs through Feb.
1. The ceremony begins at 7 pm Tuesday
through Friday, at 5 and 8:30 pm Saturdays
and at 1:30 and 5 pm Sundays. Tickets are
$40-$55 and are available from G.l. Joe’s
TicketMaster outlets (charge by phone at
224-4400), the Portland Center for the
Performing Arts and the Portland Opera office,
1515 SW Morrison St.
Open Tuesday-Sunday
230-7723
2025 SE Hawthorne
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