Based on the critically acclaimed play that inspired the now classic film, this streetwise musical will take you to the stoops of the Bronx in the 1960s- where a young man is caught between the father he loves and the mob boss he'd love to be.
A Bronx Tale is directed by two-time Academy Award winner Robert De Niro and four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, written by Academy Award nominee Chazz Palminteri, with songs by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken and three-time Tony Award nominee Glenn Slater, choreography by Tony nominee Sergio Trujillo, and produced by music mogul Tommy Mottola, The Dodgers (Jersey Boys, Matilda) and Tribeca Productions.
Cordero is good and sleazy enough so that we never miss the original too much. He lacks Palminteri's heavy elegance, but his is an understated performance that gives the musical a solid foundation. Also very fine is the delectable Ariana Debose, who plays the love interest, and a gifted child actor named Hudson Loverro. The huge obstacle to overcome in putting 'A Bronx Tale' on stage is finding the right kid for the early scenes. Problem solved: Loverro brings real street edge to the young Calogero, who prefers being feared, like Sonny, to being beloved, like his financially struggling father (Richard H. Blake).
A Bronx Tale is unlikely to work without a strong performance in the central role of the gangster Sonny. (Palminteri played all the roles in the one-man show; he was Sonny in the film version.) Fortunately, Nick Cordero carries the musical with aplomb. This is the actor who appeared out of nowhere in 2014 and practically nabbed a Tony in the Woody Allen-Susan Stroman Bullets on Broadway, as the bodyguard Cheech. (Not incidentally, this role was created in Allen's 1994 film version by: Chazz Palminteri.) Last season Cordero appeared as the villain-of-a-husband in Waitress, a role with which he could not do much. In Bronx Tale, Cordero is smooth as glass with a jagged edge, with charm to spare.
2016 | Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
Paper Mill Playhouse World Premiere Production Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
2016 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2018 | US Tour |
US Tour US Tour |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Nick Cordero |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Nick Cordero |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Chazz Palminteri |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | A Bronx Tale |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Alan Menken |
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