As "My Big Gay Italian Wedding" celebrates 20 years, creator Anthony Wilkinson reflects on how the message has stayed the same
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- "My Big Gay Italian Wedding," the popular off-Broadway comedy that satires the controversy surrounding same-sex marriage while highlighting the chaos behind planning for a wedding, is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
The show originated here in New York City, then made its way to theaters worldwide, with shows in China, France, Australia and Italy, where it was turned into a movie.
Over the years, it featured stars like Chris Evans' brother, Scott Evans, as well as the Real Housewives of New Jersey.
The play was created by Staten Island-native Anthony Wilkinson.
"Being a young Italian American, growing up and coming out, I had such a big family. I had always loved going to weddings and I had dreams that one day I could get married. So I thought it would be funny to tell a story through comedy that would actually enlighten people," Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson said enlightening people back in 2003 about same-sex marriage was a tough task because, at the time, it wasn't legal. The first state to make it legal was Massachusetts one year later.
In 2015, a Supreme Court ruling made same-sex marriage legal nationwide, but Wilkinson said the play is still just as important as ever.
"When we first did this show 20 years ago, we had to be in the Village, because you couldn't even have a gay title in the Broadway box," Wilkinson said. "There's still so many parents and still so many people who are not educated and need to understand why the kids are the way they are and why young adults are the way they are."
Wilkinson told CBS2 he kept his script exactly the same since he first wrote it, opting out of adjusting to the times. Instead, he wrote sequels, including "My Big Gay Italian Funeral" and "My Big Gay Italian Midlife Crisis."
"I think it's very important for us to remember where we were at that time and in 2003. It wasn't as easy or as accepted as it is today," Wilkinson said. "So what I want people to take away from the wedding is really just the fact that it's OK for two people to get married, no matter who they are. Love is love, always"
To celebrate the play's 20th anniversary, there will be a one night only performance of "My Big Gay Italian Wedding" at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey on October 7th.