Belmont Avenuuuuuuuuue

Hey all! I apologize for the lack of content within the past few months, but my goal for the new year is to try and blog waaaay more than I did last year, and hopefully I can, because I'll most definitely be seeing lots of theatre this year! 

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a performance of A Bronx Tale (and I scored front row for $25!!) at the Winspear Opera House on January 5, 2018. I wanted to talk about my thoughts, so let's

jump right in! A Bronx Tale tells the story of a young man named Calogero (Joey Barriero), who's growing up in the Bronx during a time when racial division was much more prominent than it is now, and he's torn between a relationship with his father, Lorenzo (Richard H. Blake), and a mentorship with a local mob boss, Sonny (Joe Barbara). I thought the performances in this show were great! Every cast member had so much personality and I think that personality, in fact, is a great word to use when describing this show; that's just what it is! I was generally impressed by everybody's work and it was very evident that everyone was having the time of their life onstage. I went into the show knowing only the names of the characters, and that there was supposedly, a big twist-- that's it! Overall, the show was enjoyable for me. I think that what I saw was great, but it's what I didn't see that made the show lack some power.  If you're unaware of A Bronx Tale, Calogero falls in love with a young black woman named Jane (Brianna-Marie Bell) and due to the racial climate, the romance between them isn't received positively. The way their romance was set up was essentially like: Boy meets girl-they meet up-problem occurs-love rekindles-they can't be together. It wasn't very believable that their relationship was already on its feet by the second time that they'd met and their story was a little bit of a cliché. I think their story was rushed and that there wasn't enough put into the book to make it feel full and rewarding, and I could say the same for another thing in the show. SPOILER ALERT! At the top of the show, a young Calogero sees Sonny kill a man and passes the opportunity to turn Sonny in to the police, sparking their friendship. The whole debacle is forgotten throughout the show and it doesn't come back until near the end. As Calogero goes to meet Sonny at a party at the town bar, Sonny is shot and killed by get this- the man Sonny killed at the top of the show's son. I, myself, wasn't even shocked, and I was front row! I feel like there should have been more in the book to make the show stronger and that was a very prominent weak link! I did enjoy the music, I must say! There were several songs that I was humming on my way out and I thought that what the show had was very strong and there were several funny and genuine moments. If I had to rate the show, I would give it a 3/5 because of how short the show was and the wasted potential. But as I previously stated, I enjoyed it and I would be glad to see it again. If you're interested in checking out A Bronx Tale, check out their website.

Thanks for reading. Peace & Love.

- Evan