Chazz Palminteri
Joins the Cast of
A Bronx Tale
In the Role of Sonny
Beginning May 24
First Time an Actor has Played the Same Part
in a Play, Film and Stage Musical
Academy Award nominee Chazz Palminteri will join the cast of his new hit musical A Bronx Tale in the role of Sonny beginning May 24. Written by Palminteri, A Bronx Tale features music by Oscar, Grammy, and Tony Award winner Alan Menken, and lyrics by Grammy Award winner and Oscar and Tony Award nominee Glenn Slater, directed by two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro and four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, with choreography by Tony nominee Sergio Trujillo, is now playing on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48th Street). The show began previews Thursday, November 3, 2016 and opened Thursday, December 1, 2016.
Palminteri will perform on Tuesdays at 7pm, Wednesdays at 2pm and 7pm, Thursdays at 7pm and Fridays at 8pm.
Tony Award nominee Nick Cordero (Waitress, Bullets Over Broadway), who will play the role of Sonny on Saturday and Sunday performances, said "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 (Sonny) wrote and performed his one-man show A Bronx Tale for the first time in 1989 before moving it off-Broadway. Mr. Palminteri went on to write the screenplay and co-star in the screen adaptation of A Bronx Tale alongside Robert De Niro. Mr. Palminteri has more than 55 movies to his credit as an actor, writer, and director, including The Usual Suspects, Bullets Over Broadway (Academy Award nomination), Analyze This, Hurlyburly, Mullholland Falls, Faithful (also written by Mr. Palminteri), A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Yonkers Joe, Jolene and most recently Legend starring Tom Hardy. Mr. Palminteri has had a recurring role on the hit show “Modern Family” and has starred in “Blue Bloods.” Mr. Palminteri directed the HBO series “Oz,” Showtime’s “Women vs Men,” and the feature film Noel.
A Bronx Tale’s Original Broadway Cast Album is now available on Ghostlight Records in digital formats, with CDs in stores and online.
A Bronx Tale stars Tony Award nominee Nick Cordero (Waitress, Bullets Over Broadway) who will play the role of Sonny on Saturdays and Sundays, Richard H. Blake (Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde, Matilda The Musical) as Lorenzo, Adam Kaplan (Newsies, Kinky Boots National Tour) as Calogero, Hudson Loverro (A Bronx Tale) as Young Calogero, Lucia Giannetta (Les Misérables – Broadway and 25th Anniversary Tour, A Bronx Tale at Paper Mill Playhouse) as Rosina, Bradley Gibson (Rocky, Chicago national tour) as Tyrone, Levi Smith as the Young Calogero alternate, and Christiani Pitts (Broadway debut) as Jane.
The ensemble features Gilbert L. Bailey II, Joe Barbara, Michael Barra, Brianna-Marie Bell, Jonathan Brody, Ted Brunetti, Brittany Conigatti, John Gardiner, Rory Max Kaplan, Charlie Marcus, Janelle McDermoth, Shannon Mullen, Robert Neary, Brandi Porter, Paul Salvatoriello, Joseph Sammour, Joseph J. Simeone, Joey Sorge, Dani Spieler, Cary Tedder, Kristin Tucker, Keith White, and Christopher Henry Young.
The show is produced by Tommy Mottola, the Dodgers, Tribeca Productions and Evamere Entertainment.
A Bronx Tale premiered at the Tony Award-winning Paper Mill Playhouse to critical and popular acclaim February 4, 2016, through March 6, 2016.
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. Featuring an original doo-wop score, this is a tale about respect, loyalty, love and above all else: family.
The design team for A Bronx Tale includes Beowulf Boritt, Scenic Design (Tony Award nomination for Thérèse Raquin, Tony Awards for Act One, The Scottsboro Boys); William Ivey Long, Costume Design (six-time Tony Award winner, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Grey Gardens); Howell Binkley, Lighting Design (Tony Award for Jersey Boys, Tony Award nomination for Hamilton); Gareth Owen, Sound Design (Tony Award nominations for A Little Night Music and End of the Rainbow); Paul Huntley, Hair & Wig Design (Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre, Fun Home, The Visit); Anne Ford-Coates, Makeup Design (On Your Feet!, Disaster!); Tara Rubin Casting, Casting (Aladdin, Les Misérables, Jersey Boys); and Robert Westley, Fight Coordinator (Hand to God, Important Hats of the Twentieth Century). Music Supervision and Arrangements are by Ron Melrose (Jersey Boys), Orchestrations are by Doug Besterman (three-time Tony Award winner, It Shoulda Been You, Bullets Over Broadway) and Musical Direction is by Jonathan Smith (Jersey Boys).