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Chazz Palminteri

Chazz Palminteri debuts in his own Broadway musical A Bronx Tale

A Bronx Tale scribe Chazz Palminteri debuts as Sonny at Broadway's Longacre Theatre tonight.

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

Academy Award nominee Chazz Palminteri makes history tonight, as he assumes the role of Sonny in the Broadway production of A Bronx Tale, becoming the first actor to have ever played the same role in a play, film and stage musical. Mr. Palminteri, who also wrote the book of the musical, will play the role for performances from Tuesday to Friday, whilst original cast member Nick Cordero will continue in the role on Saturday and Sunday performances, allowing him to shoot a film during the week. Mr. Cordero previously commented: "I'm thrilled to be sharing the role of Sonny with Chazz, who created this remarkable character. And I am grateful to the team at A Bronx Tale for the flexibility in allowing me to shoot a film over these next months and still remain with my family at A Bronx Tale on the weekends."

Chazz Palminteri originally wrote the one-man show A Bronx Tale and first performed it in 1989, before moving to off-Broadway. He later revived it on Broadway in 2007 and in a National Tour from 2008. He also starred as Sonny in the 1993 film adaptation of A Bronx Tale alongside Robert DeNiro (who also co-directs the current stage musical). He earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Cheech in "Bullets Over Broadway" in 1995 and other notable screen credits include "The Usual Suspects," and "Legend," among many others.

The principal cast of A Bronx Tale currently includes Adam Kaplan (as Calogero), Chazz Palminteri (as Sonny for Tuesday-Friday performances), Nick Cordero (as Sonny for Saturday-Sunday performances), Richard H. Blake (as Lorenzo), Lucia Giannetta (as Rosina), Hudson Loverro (as Young Calogero), Bradley Gibson (as Tyrone), Christiani Pitts (as Jane), and Levi Smith (as Young Calogero alternate).

Co-directed by two-time Academy Award winner Robert De Niro and four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, A Bronx Tale began previews at Broadway's Longacre Theatre on November 3, 2016, and officially opened on December 1.

A Bronx Tale features a book by Chazz Palminteri, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater.

Synopsis: "Based on the one-man show 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. Featuring an infectious doo-wop score, this is a tale about respect, loyalty, love, and above all else: family."

The creative team behind A Bronx Tale features choreography by Sergio Trujillo, scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Gareth Owen, hair & wig design by Paul Huntley, makeup design by Anne Ford-Coates, and fight co-ordination by Robert Westley.

Music supervision and Arrangements are by Ron Melrose, with orchestrations by Doug Besterman and musical direction by Jonathan Smith.

A Bronx Tale is produced on Broadway by Tommy Mottola, the Dodgers, Tribeca Productions, and Evamere Entertainment.

The world premiere of A Bronx Tale - The Musical was staged at the Tony Award-winning Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey in February 2016.

A Bronx Tale Tickets are available now for performances through to November 18, 2018.

Originally published on

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