‘Joni and Gina’s Wedding’ no longer alternative but still fun

It’s alternative. And also an alternative.

But how much of either is “Joni and Gina’s Wedding”?

The first depends on how you feel about same-sex marriage.

“Can I get an A-woman!” declares the Rev. Pat Miass (Andee Gibbs), who oversees the vows of Joni (Tala Marie) and Gina (April Needham) “on this loving and legal day. Legal!”

If you applaud, welcome to the party. If you feel more comfortable around shouting Italians, head over to “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding,” the interactive dinner show that spawned this and other copycats all over the country.

Beyond the obvious twist, however, this one really isn’t as big an alternative to “Tony” as you might have hoped. But it does have its own charms if you just can’t get enough of fake weddings, partly improvised, with the audience talking to both the characters and new friends at their table.

“Joni and Gina” had time to coalesce in Los Angeles, before Las Vegas producer-director Troy Heard teamed with the original writers, Ann Lippert and Marianne Basford, to bring it to a tourist market. The producers are still playing it cautious, with only four more performances this year before they plan to step up to a bigger rollout next year.

They should have a fighting chance. Yes, they’re up against a proven and durable version of “Tony n’ Tina” at Bally’s, but they’ve done it better on a couple of fronts.

First, the perfect venue: Ron Decar’s Events Center, a recent addition to the Viva Las Vegas wedding chapel.

We first head into a real chapel — complete with fog machine! — to see the happy couple exchange vows in front of their not-so-happy extended family. Then we head around the corner for dinner, dancing and dysfunction in the room Decar has refashioned as a vintage supper club.

The show itself features more age-appropriate actors than sometimes seen in the Las Vegas “Tony.” They play it a little more grounded, and get more time performing to the entire room.

Because this show isn’t yet doing big numbers, it’s good that it’s fairly tight, with more scripted one-liners than its inspiration. A small audience can stay collectively tuned, while “Tony” has fewer moments of convergence and everyone getting a different piece of the story puzzle as the actors visit the tables.

But as the toasts and speeches go on, it’s disappointing just how many of the characters turn out to be as familiar as the wedding rituals.

As in “Tony,” we have the obnoxious divorced dad (here given real heart and humor by Lou De Meis) who would have been the life of the party in the disco era. And the repressed sister, this time not a nun but an orthodox Jew (Amy Solomon), who won’t touch the silverware because it’s not kosher.

And, key to what little story tension we have, is the bitter ex, this time “best woman” Maureen (Amanda Kraft), who makes it pretty clear from the get-go — in a country song, no less — that she wishes she was the one stepping up to the altar with Gina.

Even with other assorted oddballs, you end up wishing a little more would happen in 110 minutes, a wish that might not hold true if you are new to this stuff, or if you really love to do the Electric Slide.

The play was said to be a little more agitated and message-driven before the recent same-sex rulings made it more of a celebration. It’s a good problem to have, if an ironic one. The eyebrow-raiser that set it apart from “Tony” became the new normal so quickly, the title couple becomes just as secondary to the action in terms of depending on the rest of the wedding party to provide the tension.

We’re left with a kinder, gentler approach to stereotypes, and plenty of pop-culture references: The minister stops midway through the vows to ask if we’ve all seen the latest “Orange Is the New Black.”

But it’s hard not to leave this one with the warm fuzzies, and the feeling that it’s not our place to judge, that we should respect every person’s choice when it comes to partly improvised, interactive, Electric-Sliding wedding spoofs, buffet included.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.