Behind The Scenes Of 'A Bronx Tale' On Broadway
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Bronx has come to Broadway.
Billed as a mix between "Jersey Boys" and "West Side Story," "A Bronx Tale," had a solid opening on the Great White Way in December 2016, CBS2's Mary Calvi reported.
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Bobby Conte Thornton makes his Broadway debut as a young Chazz Palmintieri.
"I got a call from Chazz saying 'I'm taking you to the Bronx, I'm taking you to sit on my stoop,'" Thornton said.
Palmintieri's real-life story about growing up in the Bronx started as a one man show in a small theater, then became critically-acclaimed film, which he says almost didn't get made.
"Guy got a piece of paper, he rolls it towards me and says 'Chazz, you sign that paper, you'll have a check for $1 million tomorrow," Palmintieri said.
Palmintieri said that unless he wrote the screenplay and got to play a main role, he wouldn't take the deal.
It was Robert De Niro who made an offer to make the movie -- a deal Palmintieri could not refuse.
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CBS2 got exclusive access as the cast recorded the soundtrack for the musical -- songs composed by a man whose work you will instantly recognize.
Oscar, Grammy and Tony award-winning composer and native New Yorker Alan Menken wrote music for Disney classics, like Beauty and the Beast.
This story, though, is close to his heart and his home.
" I love the Bronx,"
Broadway just had a record-breaking week, with sales nearing $50 million between Christmas and New Years.
Last year's Broadway season was also a record breaker, with $1.37 billion in sales.
For more information on "A Bronx Tale," click here.
