A Bronx Tale (play)
Encyclopedia
A Bronx Tale is an autobiographical
one-man show written and performed by Chazz Palminteri
. A Bronx Tale tells the story of Calogero Anello, a young boy from a working class
family who gets involved in the world of organized crime
. Calogero's father is a bus driver who tries to instill working class family values in his son. As Calogero gets older, the aura and mystique of the Mafia
, and the charms of Sonny, the local mob boss who befriends Calogero (and ends up becoming a father figure to him), become difficult to resist. As Calogero comes of age, he must struggle with the choice of following his beloved father's values or submitting to the temptations of the life of organized crime.
A Bronx Tale premiered in Los Angeles
in 1990, achieving great critical success. Palminteri, then moved the show to New York City
, where it had a critically and commercially successful, four off-Broadway
run.
Academy Award winning actor Robert De Niro
attended a performance of A Bronx Tale in New York City and offered to buy the film rights to the show. Palminteri agreed to sell the film rights on the conditions that he would be able to write the screenplay and that he be cast as the role of Sonny. The film version of A Bronx Tale
premiered in 1993. The film version marked the directorial debut of De Niro and helped catapult Palminteri's film acting career.
. The Broadway production began previews on October 4, 2007, and premiered on October 25, 2007, at the Walter Kerr Theatre
. The show closed on February 24, 2008, after 108 performances and nineteen previews. It was directed by four-time Tony Award
winner Jerry Zaks
and the set was designed by Jim Noone. It recouped its capitalization and was followed by a national tour.
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
one-man show written and performed by Chazz Palminteri
Chazz Palminteri
Calogero Lorenzo "Chazz" Palminteri is an American actor and writer, best known for his performances in The Usual Suspects, A Bronx Tale, and his Academy Award nominated role for Best Supporting Actor in Bullets Over Broadway....
. A Bronx Tale tells the story of Calogero Anello, a young boy from a working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
family who gets involved in the world of organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
. Calogero's father is a bus driver who tries to instill working class family values in his son. As Calogero gets older, the aura and mystique of the Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
, and the charms of Sonny, the local mob boss who befriends Calogero (and ends up becoming a father figure to him), become difficult to resist. As Calogero comes of age, he must struggle with the choice of following his beloved father's values or submitting to the temptations of the life of organized crime.
A Bronx Tale premiered in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1990, achieving great critical success. Palminteri, then moved the show to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where it had a critically and commercially successful, four off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
run.
Academy Award winning actor Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
attended a performance of A Bronx Tale in New York City and offered to buy the film rights to the show. Palminteri agreed to sell the film rights on the conditions that he would be able to write the screenplay and that he be cast as the role of Sonny. The film version of A Bronx Tale
A Bronx Tale
A Bronx Tale is a 1993 American crime drama film set in The Bronx during the turbulent era of the 1960s. It was the directorial debut of Robert De Niro, and follows a young Italian-American teenager as his path in life is guided by two father figures, played by De Niro and Chazz Palminteri...
premiered in 1993. The film version marked the directorial debut of De Niro and helped catapult Palminteri's film acting career.
2007 Broadway revival
In 2007, Palminteri decided to revive his one-man show on BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. The Broadway production began previews on October 4, 2007, and premiered on October 25, 2007, at the Walter Kerr Theatre
Walter Kerr Theatre
The Walter Kerr Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre. Located at 219 West 48th Street, it is owned and operated by Jujamcyn Theaters. One of the smaller auditoriums in the theatre district, it seats 975....
. The show closed on February 24, 2008, after 108 performances and nineteen previews. It was directed by four-time Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
winner Jerry Zaks
Jerry Zaks
Jerry Zaks is a German-born American stage and television director, and actor. He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play and Drama Desk Award for directing The House of Blue Leaves, Lend Me A Tenor, and Six Degrees of Separation and the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical and Drama...
and the set was designed by Jim Noone. It recouped its capitalization and was followed by a national tour.
Sources
- Sandra Brennan. "Chazz Palminteri Biography", Allmovie.com, October 2007. Accessed October 2007.
External links
- Official website of A Bronx Tale 2008-2009 National Tour
- "A Bronx Tale To Remember", New York PostNew York PostThe New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, 27 August 2007 - "A Bronx Tale To Open on Broadway", CBS News, 8 August 2007