Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director) is proud to announce complete casting for the world premiere musical A Bronx Tale: The Musical. The musical will be co-directed by two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro and four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, with choreography by four-time Drama Desk Award nominee Sergio Trujillo. A Bronx Tale: The Musical features a book by Chazz Palminteri, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater.
Leading the company are Jason Gotay as Calogero, Joshua Colley as Young Calogero, Nick Cordero as Sonny, Richard H. Blake as Lorenzo, Coco Jones as Jane and Lucia Giannetta as Rosina. A Bronx Tale: The Musical will run at the Millburn, New Jersey theater from February 4, 2016, through March 6, 2016. The official press opening night is Sunday, February 14, at 7:00 pm. A Bronx Tale: The Musical is proudly sponsored by Bank of America and generously supported by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation. Paper Mill Playhouse's 2015-2016 Season is proudly sponsored by Investors Bank.
Based on the real life story by Chazz Palminteri‚ A Bronx Tale: The Musical is set against the backdrop of racial strife and organized crime in the 1960s. It is the story of an Italian-American teenager finding his path in life as he must choose between the father who raised him and a mob-boss father figure who fascinates him.
A Bronx Tale: The Musical will be performed at Paper Mill Playhouse eight times a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Performance schedule: Wednesday at 7:30pm, Thursday at 1:30pm and 7:30pm, Friday at 8:00pm, Saturday at 1:30pm and 8:00pm and Sunday at 1:30pm and 7:00pm. Tickets are on sale now starting at $32. Tickets may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online at www.PaperMill.org. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express accepted. Groups of 10 or more can receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680. College students may order $20 rush tickets over the phone or in person at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office on the day of the performance.
“A Bronx Tale has always had a very special meaning to me," commented co-director Robert De Niro “The story is so rich and I look forward to working with Jerry, Chazz, Alan and Glenn to bring it to the stage in its latest incarnation.”
“I’ve been in love with the story of A Bronx Tale ever since I directed Chazz Palminteri’s one-man show on Broadway a few years ago,” remarked co-director Jerry Zaks. “A Bronx Tale: The Musical is a universal story and I think it’s going to be a real treat for audiences to experience. I’m really looking forward to working on this new musical at Paper Mill Playhouse this winter.”
“There are only three things you can do to an audience - make them laugh, make them cry or you can scare them. In A Bronx Tale: The Musical we do all three,” commented book writer Chazz Palminteri.
“I’m truly excited to be returning to Paper Mill Playhouse with this musical of A Bronx Tale,” said Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken. “As a longtime fan of Chazz Palminteri, I have treasured the opportunity to bring his incredible story to life through songs that are inspired by the Bronx neighborhood he grew up in, the unique world of his formative years and the rich sounds of late 50’s and early 60’s pop music. Besides reuniting me with longtime collaborators like Glenn Slater and Jerry Zaks, I have had the amazing honor of getting to know and work with a legend like Robert DeNiro.”
Jason Gotay (Calogero) was seen on Broadway in Bring It On: The Musical and Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark. Mr. Gotay appeared in regional productions of Into the Woods, Rent, Shenandoah and The King and I. Mr. Gotay was seen in NBC’s Peter Pan Live!
Joshua Colley (Young Calogero) recently played Gavroche in Les Misérables and Les in Newsies on Broadway. Mr. Colley appeared in national tours of Elf: The Musical and the 25th Anniversary Production of Les Misérables.
Nick Cordero (Sonny) was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance as Cheech in Bullets Over Broadway. Mr. Cordero was also seen on Broadway and on tour in Rock of Ages. Off-Broadway, Mr. Cordero appeared in The Toxic Avenger.
Richard H. Blake (Lorenzo), a resident of Clifton, New Jersey, starred in many Broadway shows including Jersey Boys, Wicked, Legally Blonde, Hairspray, Aida and more. Mr. Blake appeared in national tours of Wicked, Saturday Night Fever, Footloose and The Sound of Music.
Lucia Giannetta (Rosina) returns to Paper Mill Playhouse where she was last seen in The 25th Anniversary production of Les Misérables. Ms. Giannetta was seen on Broadway in Les Misérables and Leap of Faith.
Coco Jones (Jane) starred in Disney Channel’s #1 film of 2012, Let It Shine, Coco has gone on to sell more than 200k tracks on iTunes, including her debut single Holla' At The DJ which peaked at #2 on Radio Disney. She has performed on Good Morning America as well as making high profile appearances at The U.S. Open, The Rose Parade, BET’s 106’s and Park, and The Radio Disney Music Awards.
Rounding out the ensemble are: Gilbert L. Bailey II (The Book of Mormon), Joe Barbara (Jersey Boys, Las Vegas) Michael Barra (Man of La Mancha tour, Law & Order), Isaiah Tyrelle Boyd (Spring Awakening, Center Repertory Theater), Jonathan Brody (Spamalot), Ted Brunetti (Assassins, Plawrights Horizons), Eean Sherrod Cochran (Mamma Mia tour), Philip Colgan (West Side Story, Skirball Center), Brittany Conigatti (Matilda tour), Kaleigh Cronin (Cabaret), Kim Dodson (A Christmas Carol, McCarter Theater), Trista Dollison (The Lion King), Vincenzo Faruolo (A Christmas Story; The Musical, Paper Mill Playhouse), David Michael Garry (The Phantom of the Opera), Aisha Jackson (Beautiful), Jess LeProtto (Newsies, So You Think You Can Dance), Carlos Lopez (Grease), Corey Mosello ((We Will Rock You tour, One Life to Live), Dominic Nolfi (Jersey Boys), Paul Savlatoriello (Tony N' Tina's Wedding), Christie Schwartzman (Rock of Ages tour), Joey Sorge (Nice Work if You Can Get It), Kirstin Tucker (Cinderella) and Keith White (Jersey Boys tour).
Robert De Niro (Director), considered one of the greatest American actors of all time, produced, directed and starred in many iconic films. Mr. De Niro won the 1974 Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role in The Godfather: Part II and the 1980 Academy Award for best actor for his role in Raging Bull. Mr. De Niro received Academy Award nominations for Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Awakenings, Cape Fear and Silver Linings Playbook. Mr. De Niro is a four-time New York Film Critics Circle Award winner for his work on Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas and Awakenings. In addition to winning the 1981 Golden Globe award for his work on Raging Bull and winning the 2011 Cecil B. DeMille Award, Mr. De Niro was nominated for a total of seven Golden Globe Awards. Mr. De Niro was nominated for six British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards. Mr. De Niro starred in many other films including Mean Streets, Bang the Drum, Analyze That, Meet the Fockers and more. Mr. De Niro made his Broadway debut in the 1986 play Cuba & His Teddy Bear. Mr. De Niro founded his own production company, Tribeca Film Center, and made his directorial debut in 1993 with A Bronx Tale.
Jerry Zaks (Director) won four Tony Awards, four Drama Desk Awards, two Outer Critics Circle Awards and an Obie Award. Mr. Zaks directed many Broadway shows including Sister Act, The Addams Family, Guys and Dolls, Six Degrees of Separation, Lend Me a Tenor, House of Blue Leaves, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Anything Goes, La Cage aux Folles, Little Shop of Horrors and more. Mr. Zaks received SDC’s Mr. Abbott Award for lifetime achievement and an honorary doctorate of fine arts from his alma mater, Dartmouth College. Mr. Zaks is a 2013 inductee to the Theater Hall of Fame.
Sergio Trujillo (Choreographer) is a four-time Drama Desk Award nominee who choreographed the Broadway productions of On Your Feet!, Memphis, Jersey Boys, Leap of Faith, The Addams Family, Next to Normal, Guys and Dolls and more. Mr. Trujillo choreographed off-Broadway productions of Invisible Thread, Saved, The Capeman, Romeo and Juliet, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Kismet.
Chazz Palminteri (Book) 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 had a recurring role on the hit show Modern Family and has starred in Blue Bloods. Mr. Palminteri directed the HBO series Oz (episode “Unnatural Disasters”), Showtime’s Women vs Men, and the feature film Noel starring Susan Sarandon, Paul Walker, and Robin Williams.
Alan Menken (Music) composed the stage and film musicals Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Newsies, Aladdin and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Mr. Menken’s other stage musicals include God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, A Christmas Carol, Sister Act and Leap of Faith. Mr. Menken’s film musicals also include Life With Mikey, Pocahontas, Hercules, The Shaggy Dog, Enchanted, Tangled and Mirror, Mirror. Some of Mr. Menken’s television credits include Galavant, The Neighbors, Lincoln, Sesame Street and more. Mr. Menken won eight Oscar Awards, 11 Grammy Awards (including Song of the Year), seven Golden Globe Awards, a Tony Award, an Olivier Award, a New York Drama Critics Award, a London Evening Standard Theatre Award, induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Some of Mr. Menken’s other awards and honors include Billboard’s #1 single and album, Disney Legend, and honorary doctorates from NYU and the North Carolina School of the Arts.
Glenn Slater (Lyrics) won the 2011 Grammy for his work co-creating Disney’s Tangled. Mr. Slater is a two-time Tony Award nominee who wrote the lyrics for School of Rock, Sister Act, The Little Mermaid and Leap of Faith on Broadway. Mr. Slater received an Olivier Award nomination for his work on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies.
Ron Melrose (Music Supervisor & Vocal/Dance Arranger) served as musical director and supervisor for Doctor Zhivago on Broadway. Mr. Melrose worked on many other Broadway productions including Wonderland, Jersey Boys, Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel and more.
Jonathan Smith (Music Director/Conductor) serves as the associate musical supervisor for Jersey Boys and has worked on productions across the world. Mr. Smith was co-creator of the Tony and Grammy-nominated Broadway musical Swing!. On Broadway Mr. Smith also worked on Thoroughly Modern Millie and Imaginary Friends.
Doug Besterman (Orchestrator) is a three-time Tony Award winner for best orchestrations for his work on Fosse, The Producers and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Mr. Besterman provided orchestrations for many other Broadway shows including It Shoulda Been You, Bullets Over Broadway, Aladdin, Elf:The Musical, Seussical and more.
The A Bronx Tale: The Musical design team includes:
Beowulf Boritt (Scenic Design) won the 2014 Tony Award for best scenic design of a play for his work on Act One. Mr. Boritt designed sets for many Broadway and off-Broadway shows including The Scottsboro Boys, Thérèse Raquin, Hand to God, On the Town, Sondheim On Sondheim, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Chaplin and more. Mr. Boritt received the 2007 Obie Award for sustained excellence in set design.
William Ivey Long (Costume Design) won six Tony Awards for best costume design and currently serves as elected chairman of the American Theatre Wing. Mr. Long designed costumes for many Broadway shows including Chicago, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Cabaret, Grey Gardens, The Boy from Oz, Hairspray, The Producers and more.
Howell Binkley (Lighting Design) won the 2006 Tony Award for best lighting design of a musical for his work on Jersey Boys. Mr. Binkley served as lighting designer for many Broadway shows including Hamilton, Allegiance, Honeymoon in Vegas, After Midnight, Lombardi, West Side Story, Guys and Dolls and more.
Gareth Owen (Sound Design) received Olivier Awards for Merrily We Roll Along and Memphis and Tony Award nominations for A Little Night Music and End of the Rainbow. Mr. Owen designed more than 250 commercial musicals including worldwide productions of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Sister Act, Hairspray, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Singin’ in the Rain and Paper Mill’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Paul Huntley (Hair & Wig Design) won the 2003 Tony Award for excellence in theatre and the 2002 Drama Desk Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Huntley provided hair and wig design for many Broadway shows including Fun Home, The Visit, Big Fish, Gypsy and more.
Robert Westley (Fight Coordinator) recently served as fight director for Hand to God on Broadway. Mr. Westley’s off-Broadway work includes Important Hats of the Twentieth Century, Verité, Things of Dry Hours and Butcher of Baraboo.
Tara Rubin Casting (Casting) is a leading New York casting firm whose Broadway credits include Aladdin, Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Jersey Boys and Mamma Mia! among others. Tara Rubin Casting’s regional credits include Yale Repertory, Westport Country Playhouse, Bucks County Playhouse and more. The lead casting directors on this project are Tara Rubin, CSA and Merri Sugarman, CSA.
The Production Stage Manager is Beverly Jenkins.
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