Last night I had the good fortune of attending the Los Angeles premiere of A Bronx Tale, starring Chazz Palminteri at the Wadsworth Theatre. I was invited by one of my dear friends, R, who was asked to walk the red carpet before the show… she is an actress on a very prominent Disney show and has lots of devoted fans. The night was a glamorous affair, although I found it odd that it said “business casual” on the invitation. R and I were musing over this strange request. “Business Casual” evokes images of khakis and button down shirts…not quite what I think of wearing when attending an exciting premiere. I interpreted business casual, connoisseur-style, as buttery Ferragamo pumps, a simple black dress and for scent- Narciso Rodriguez For Her.
But enough about fashion- back to the play! Palminteri, of The Usual Suspects and A Bronx Tale (movie) fame, wrote and starred in this powerful one-person show. The play was inspired by an incident that Palminteri witnessed first-hand as a child- the shooting of an innocent man outside of the doorstep in his 1960’s Bronx neighborhood. The semi-autobiographical storyline that then ensues is enthralling.
The show runs for 95 minutes and Palmenteri is on stage the entire time. His storytelling is so engaging that you almost forget that this is a one-man show. The transitions he makes from him as a young boy, to his father, to the gangster, Sonny to the colorful characters of Sonny’s posse are flawless.
Touching on themes of lost childhood, love and the quandaries of a young “working” man, A Bronx Tale is an engaging and moving piece, definitely worth seeing.
Arriving home that evening I felt a sense of satisfaction that I always get after seeing a good play. I love the coming together of people- the ceremony beforehand, the party afterwards and the collective feeling of unity after witnessing a truly original work of art.
This Saturday- it's on to the opening gala at the Taper- such an exciting week in theatre!
A Bronx Tale is directed by Jerry Zaks and runs at the Wadsworth Theatre in Los Angeles from September 10th through 21st. For tickets: www.ticketmaster.com
Image courtesy of: http://calendarlive.com
lucky you. I wish I went to the theater more often, but it rarely happens. And NR is a perfect choice, I always use when going out at night.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jena-
ReplyDeleteI feel really lucky this week for getting to go to two great shows. I don't usually go that often but when I do it feels like an event!
Narciso never lets me down... it always smells divine...