Dina Manzo & NJ Real Housewives Host MY BIG GAY ITALIAN WEDDING Benefit 6/24

Dina Manzo, Caroline Manzo, Teresa Giudice, and Jacqueline Laurita, stars of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," will host a special performance of the Off-Broadway hit comedy My Big Gay Italian Wedding, benefiting Marriage Equality New York and their work for marriage equality here and throughout the nation. Ticket price includes admission to the show and a rooftop after-party with the My Big Gay Italian Wedding and "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" casts at Press Lounge at Ink48, 653 11th Avenue (at 48th Street). Additional special guests will be announced shortly.

A well-known champion of marriage equality, Dina Manzo is one of the producers of My Big Gay Italian Wedding, the acclaimed comedy by Anthony J. Wilkinson, featuring "Amazing Race" winner Reichen Lehmkuhl, now Off-Broadway at St. Luke's Theatre, 308 West 46th Street.

Founded in 1998, Marriage Equality New York (MENY) is the oldest organization in the state of New York to advocate exclusively for full and equal gender-neutral civil marriage. MENY is a grassroots not-for-profit organization whose dedicated volunteers are devoted to ending discrimination in civil marriage through education, awareness and media campaigns, political action, and coalition building. "MENY is excited to be part of this great show which really illustrates that all marriages are equal in joy and in planning chaos and--more importantly--that love is love, " said Ron Zacchi, Executive Director.

Planning a wedding can be hell... or a hell of a lot of fun! Two handsome grooms, one overbearing Italian mother, a jealous ex-boyfriend, the wedding planner from Hell, and an assortment of kooky family and friends all gather together for Off-Broadway's newest laugh-out-loud comedy with a heart. When the original production of My Big Gay Italian Wedding premiered in 2003, the idea of GAY MARRIAGE was a fantasy. In 2010, the International debate on Gay Marriage reaches new heights: Gay Marriage is now legal in eight and a half countries (Belgium, Canada, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and parts of Mexico) and six states in the US (Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and District of Columbia). So playwright Anthony Wilkinson has gone back to the typewriter and brought his acclaimed comedy into this new era of hope and optimism for same sex marriage.

Tickets for the benefit are $200 (including hors d'oeuvres and one drink at the after-party) and available through Telecharge.com or by phone at 212/239-6200.

My Big Gay Italian Wedding is performed at St. Luke's Theatre (308 West 46th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues). Regular priced tickets are $26.50 to $69.50, including $1.50 restoration fee, and are available through Telecharge.com or by phone at 212/239-6200.

For more information visit www.BigGayItalianWedding.com

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