{"id":68917,"date":"2018-02-06T08:00:11","date_gmt":"2018-02-06T16:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vivaglammagazine.com\/?p=68917"},"modified":"2020-05-26T14:33:28","modified_gmt":"2020-05-26T21:33:28","slug":"behind-the-scenes-of-broadways-a-bronx-tale-cast-interviews-and-backstage-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vivaglammagazine.com\/behind-the-scenes-of-broadways-a-bronx-tale-cast-interviews-and-backstage-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the Scenes of Broadway’s ‘A Bronx Tale’: Cast Interviews and Backstage PHOTOS"},"content":{"rendered":"

From a play to a film to a Broadway show, “A Bronx Tale” is not to be missed!<\/h3>\n

Since its release in 1993, “A Bronx Tale” has been considered one of the greatest gangster films every made. Naturally, this was the perfect story to add a bit of song and dance. What could go wrong? Well, instead of a theatergoer’s worst nightmare of gangsters prancing around on stage with a gun in one hand and a drink in another, this musical used the music to highlight the most poignant parts of the story and left the drama intact for a major thrill and tearjerker of a show.<\/p>\n

The brilliant minds behind the film, Robert De Niro and Chazz Palminteri, both took a creative role in the production, with De Niro as Co-Director and Palminteri as the Book Writer. Add in the iconic Alan Menken (the composer behind almost every Disney movie since 1989) and Glenn Slater (the lyricist behind “Tangled” and “Galavant”) and you’re destined to have an absolute masterpiece on your hands.<\/p>\n

As of December 1st, “A Bronx Tale” survived a year on Broadway and is still going strong. We talked to Christiani Pitts, who plays the lead role and love interest, Jane; Nick Cordero, who plays the mob boss, Sonny; and William Ivey Long, the head of costume design and Broadway legend behind the wardrobe in “Chicago”, “The Producers”, “Grey Gardens”, and “Hairspray”, just to name a few. We took a tour of William’s studio in Tribeca to take a look at his original sketches, and interviewed Christiani and Nick backstage at the Longacre Theatre. Christiani reveals how she changed her mindset when promoted from the chorus to the lead, Nick reveals what really drew him to the role, and William talks about working with De Niro and the intricate details involved in this production’s costumes.<\/p>\n

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The cast of “A Bronx Tale”<\/p><\/div>\n

A Conversation with Christiani Pitts<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Christiani Pitts as Jane and Bobby Conte Thornton as Calogero in A Bronx Tale.
Copyright: Joan Marcus<\/p><\/div>\n

“A Bronx Tale” is your Broadway debut. How has that changed your life? <\/b><\/p>\n

It was nice, a smooth transition. It’s so crazy, too. Everyone was so supportive.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

When did you find out you were going up from the chorus to the role of Jane?<\/b><\/p>\n

It was about a month before I went up. Everyone from the creative team was so casual about it. I was freaking out! A month went by figuring out what I could contribute and what makes her different for me. Then it was go time!<\/span><\/p>\n

How has it changed the way you perform now that you’re a lead?<\/b><\/p>\n

It’s definitely changed the way I viewed what I was doing. Starting as Denise, a character in the ensemble, my goal was to figure out where I fit in the world, and how I could help progress Jane. I realized more eyes were on me and my development. It was scary because I wasn’t used to it being about me. So that has changed the way I look at trying to perform it, not in a selfish way, but to make sure I stand out and make sure my presence is there.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jane is sweet and smart, but also very aware of the prejudice that exists between the neighborhoods. It takes a lot of strength to break free from the status quo. How did you tap into that? <\/b><\/p>\n

It has definitely, and unfortunately, not been very difficult. Any time I step out into the real world, I’m forced to look at myself in the mirror and realize that I am a black woman and responsible for fixing what’s happening right now. Unfortunately, it’s not hard to get back here and do a period piece and hear things that you can hear on the news. The timing is unreal.<\/span><\/p>\n

What do you love about playing Jane? <\/b><\/p>\n

So many things. I love that she’s very sweet and kind, but she is completely aware of who she is. She knows her world in the Bronx is against her, and if she doesn’t stand up for what she believes in, than nothing will ever happen. That is so brave and so much braver than I was. <\/span>I like doing [the role] because it’s not who I was; it’s fun figuring out where the strength comes from in a 17-year-old girl.<\/span><\/p>\n

What do you think the audience can learn from Jane?<\/b><\/p>\n

I think the audience can learn that you have to know who you are so that no one can tell you anything different. Who you are is perfectly enough. What anyone has to say about that, it’s their own insecurities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Has playing Jane helped you learn anything about yourself?
\n<\/b><\/p>\n

Yes, it’s helped me learn a great deal of confidence that I never thought was missing. I thought I felt good about myself, but in rehearsals, when they were trying to get me to break out, I realized I much more enjoyed supporting someone else. I didn’t feel like I was good enough to do [the lead]. Playing this role has made me feel like I am enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you think the clothes make Jane come to life?<\/b><\/p>\n

First of all, they’re gorgeous! Oh my goodness. I love that they are so completely in line with Jane’s journey. She just blossoms in that blue dress. That’s a dress she has not taken out of the closet, [waiting for something] special. At the end, her burgundy dress is so mature and so strong; at the end, that’s where her head is.<\/span><\/p>\n

What has been your favorite part about the “Bronx Tale” experience?<\/b><\/p>\n

One hundred percent, the people on and off stage. It blows my mind. From the moment I walk in the building, to the fans at the stage door, everyone is so invested in the process. In rehearsals, everyone is so great and kind, [especially] when you get to these moments where we have to express severe racial tension. To see the way that everyone handles it so professionally and make sure we have conversations before and after, that we’re on one accord, that we’re doing a job, and that we’re a family. It sets a precedent for the rest of the process. <\/span><\/p>\n

De Niro was the kindest and we’ve just been so blessed to have this pocket of people that are so compassionate and care about the work so much. I know I’ll be able to take this on to whatever my next project is. I may not get it [again], but at least I know I had it.<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Bfq-74tAz36\/?taken-by=christianiworld<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A Conversation with Nick Cordero
\n<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Nick Cordero as Sonny and Will Coombs as Young Calogero in A Bronx Tale.
Copyright: Joan Marcus.<\/p><\/div>\n

Your character has a lot of layers. He trusts no one but he seems to love C (a.k.a Calogero). He’s not a father but takes C under his wing. He is feared and violent, yet we see a gentle side of him, too. How did you go about portraying both his tough and gentle side? <\/b><\/p>\n

That dichotomy is what’s really interesting about the role. I like to show people a side of him that’s unexpected. I like to portray him as a little more complicated than one might expect. I think he’s a guy that’s at a period in his life that sees C as a chance for redemption. He’s not as young as he used to be, and looking back with some wisdom, he’s made some choices he wouldn’t make again; so you’re seeing him grapple with that when we meet him in the show. He’s the personification of the light and dark that is in everybody, just a little more intense in him. He’s acquainted with the full spectrum of life; he’s able to have great sensitivity in a weird way, because he can go into the dark a little bit. He’s got a pretty wide margin when it come to life. What he’s teaching C is that you can go to the dark side but it comes at a cost.<\/span><\/p>\n

Singing anything by Alan Menken is a dream but you sing “One of the Great Ones” which also shows Sonny’s gentle side. How did you go about your performance for that song? <\/b><\/p>\n

Looking
\nback, it’s what hooked me into the show. When I was approached about it in 2014, I just finished playing Chazz Palminteri as a gangster in a musical, so I was a little weary. And then I heard that song. It was an opportunity to show a playful, romantic side of this guy, to share a tender, fatherly moment between him and this kid. I instantly recognized the song as one of the classics. I wonder if, in decades to come, it might become that. The message is beautiful, the lyrics support the message perfectly and simply, and the melody just sails.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you think Sonny’s wardrobe brings the character to life?<\/b><\/p>\n

Well, I think the clothes are a big part of why people think I’m older than I am. He also doesn’t have to do a lot because so much is said about him. He has a soft power in that way. The shark skin suits and the colors are perfect. William Ivey Long has done a great job telling these people’s stories through clothes that’s very authentic. He also had an unlikely collaborator in Robert De Niro who’s a stickler for detail. I have shirts that the material is from 60s, with patterns that don’t exist anymore. The devil is in the details. Cumulatively, it’s really done a good job to help make our show authentic. The people who come see the show are who the show’s about, in a large part. We wanted to make it feel and look like home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is the audience comprised of locals or tourists, a good mix of everyone?<\/b><\/p>\n

A good mix of everyone. A lot of fans of the film, but a lot of people from New York and the surrounding areas who grew up with the story, and it’s a big connect to it. A lot of people [come to the stage door and say] “I proposed after the door test.” This film has become a cultural landmark.<\/span><\/p>\n

Has playing Sonny helped you learn anything about yourself?
\n<\/b><\/p>\n

Like I said, he’s in the process of wishing that he had made some other decisions in his life. I feel like I can relate to his time of life. I may be 10 years younger than he’s supposed to be, but I think the reason that I connect to this character is that there’s a little bit of him in me. His journey has been my journey, in a way.<\/span><\/p>\n

As you’ve now done a couple hundred performances, how have you tweaked your character? <\/b><\/p>\n

I think so, probably. If you do a role for a while, it naturally evolves. The reason I love it is because this character allows me to bring the temperature of how I’m feeling to that day. It’s not evolving on an arch, but I can bring my temperature.<\/span><\/p>\n

What has been your favorite part about the “Bronx Tale” experience?<\/b><\/p>\n

It’s all been pretty great. Two things that stand out broadly, developing it even before we got to Broadway. Then to see it find an audience, which is not guaranteed as you know, and to have that audience to be showing up has been great. It’s great to have a year on Broadway.<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BXxrN0KnSRo\/?taken-by=nickcordero1<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

A Conversation with William Ivey Long<\/h3>\n
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William Ivey Long<\/p><\/div>\n

What’s the first thing you do when you find out you got a show? Sketch, source potential fabric, read into the story? What’s your process?<\/b><\/p>\n

I think we all do the following, but I’ll tell you what I do. First, I say “yes”, and then I start assembling. I ask [the director] “What’s the world, so I can research things?” In this, it’s close to the period. It’s 1962 and 1968 on Belmont Avenue in the Bronx. Very specific. It’s also the film. Many things we do in the arts is we take one thing from one medium to another. I’ve been lucky enough to have many of my things turn into movies, but not by me. Like “Chicago” and “Hairspray”, they were turned back into other movies. Each of us asks, “Should we refer to it, should we ignore it, are there nods?” There are various answers. Then I surround myself with references in the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

He points to his sketches for “Beetlejuice” on the walls, some which are sketches by Tim Burton. “Beetlejuice” is his current project.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I give my director [post-its] and say “Put these on your favorite things.” Then I do my sketches and I make samples. Robert De Niro came with Co-Director, Jerry Zaks, and we spent two hours the first day going through everything. The third time De Niro came, we were zeroing in on the neck collars. In 1968, the men’s collars weren’t buttoned down and were very pointed. They have stays in them. We hadn’t quite gotten them right in the first samples, but we did the final time. We did three versions.<\/span><\/p>\n

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William Ivey Long’s studio<\/p><\/div>\n

This show is its debut. You had a clean slate to create. Is that harder or easier for you to design? How much freedom did you have? <\/b><\/p>\n

It’s hard to say which is which. I think you want to make your own experience unique, no matter what you do. I did “Grease: Live” two years ago. I had nods to Danny and Sandy in the gym, and at the very end. For the rest, we mixed it up. And this is my rule of thumb. It’s a little cheeky. If there is a Halloween costume based off the movie, that means it’s so iconic you better do a nod to it. I mean it. I think the audiences want to see several touchstone images, at least a nod to it.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show is set in the 60s, mainly 1968. Did you choose to design vintage-inspired with modern fabrics, did you modify existing pieces, or did you use vintage fabrics to create new?<\/b><\/p>\n

When we have people who play store owners, most of those are vintage, for the texture. Certain fabrics are unavailable, shark skin for instance. I have a few crossovers, especially in the early scenes without dancing. But then all of the dancers, you can’t do splits in [vintage].<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sketches from “A Bronx Tale”<\/p><\/div>\n

A lot of people don’t realize certain fabrics, colors, and styles are off limits for the sake of movement on stage and lighting. What do you have to avoid using for a show like this? <\/b><\/p>\n

I design to show who the lead is. <\/span><\/p>\n

He points to his sketches. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

That’s the mother. She’s soft in pink and she’s in a romantic image. Then these girls are doing the sexy dancing. This is all made because they do splits and are thrown in the air. I have a little more color in it. But the set is not colorful. In order for [the story] to be horrifying and almost heartwarming, we need it to be appropriate. As for what we don’t use, is pure white. If we’re making them, we start with an off-white. Otherwise, it bleaches your eyeballs with the light. In life, you don’t have huge lights aimed at you.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Some of the girls in the ensemble<\/p><\/div>\n

Then, for the date, I always use blue. Blue and red are the two most interesting colors. I like to say there’s only one red dress per show on the leading lady and that’s the big moment. Sometimes those moments are not red dress moments. On the date, it wasn’t a red dress moment because she’s a high school girl. Red says many things, but innocent is not one of them. Her big deal is that turquoise, which is beautiful for her skin. It’s a very romantic moment that turns into horror and tragedy. She’s a very focused, grounded young lady, but it’s also her date.
\n<\/span>At the end, she comes back in a version of a red dress. It’s a mature red to show that she’s left the neighborhood and has grown up.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you have a favorite look or palette that you have for the show?<\/b><\/p>\n

I like my Wise Guys all lined up, but I’m fond of all of the palettes. They work together.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can’t really tell, but all of these are different colors. Sonny has two blue suits. One is brighter and one is more mature. I have the brighter one because it’s an eight-year old’s imagination. He’s in that glowing shark skin blue. But then we get down the business, it’s [more subtle]. Believe it or not, [the Wise Guys] are all different colors. They’re not all grey suits. I love creating a stage picture. There’s every color up there, but they’re muted. It’s a very controlled color palette, and I make Jane stand out in contrast.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sketches of “A Bronx Tale”<\/p><\/div>\n

What have you liked most about working on this show?<\/b><\/p>\n

Each of these Wise Guys has a name, [like] Vinnie the Whale. In film, you can do a lot with close-up. So the details can be smaller. On stage, I have to make it a little broader so they read to the back of the house. I [liked] working with the actors and making sure Robert De Niro and Chazz Palminteri feel like we got the characters right.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sketches of the Wise Guys<\/p><\/div>\n

You’ve done over 75 shows in a span of 35+ years on Broadway. What do you still get excited about with this job? What do you look forward to? <\/b><\/p>\n

Interpreting Tim Burton’s sketches (for “Beetlejuice”), fabricating new fabrics. I’m working with fiber optics. I love making clothes and I find things to be excited about. The minute you’re no longer dissatisfied, you hang it up. When you’re dissatisfied, you haven’t quite gotten it right. Satisfaction is not a good thing because it means you’re done.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the words of Sonny, “This one could be one of the great ones. This one could be one of the ones you won’t forget.” Take his advice and reserve your tickets to see “A Bronx Tale” today<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n

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\"Jasmine,<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From a play to a film to a Broadway show, “A Bronx Tale” is not to be missed! Since its release in 1993, “A Bronx Tale” has been considered one of the greatest gangster films every made. Naturally, this was the perfect story to add a bit of song and dance. What could go wrong? […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":244,"featured_media":105534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,68,7680],"tags":[46014,4922,35560,35559,46038,5912,403,7683],"yst_prominent_words":[46026,46019,46022,46039,46035,46020,46025,46007,46029,46031,46015,46016,46032,37117,46011,46005,46028,46010,28373,46018],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vivaglammagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68917"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vivaglammagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vivaglammagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivaglammagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/244"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivaglammagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68917"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivaglammagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68917\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivaglammagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/105534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vivaglammagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivaglammagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivaglammagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68917"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivaglammagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=68917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}