Review: A BRONX TALE in Minneapolis

A BRONX TALE recently played the Orpheum in Minneapolis. Billed as a cross between JERSEY BOYS and WEST SIDE STORY, this original musical was definitely one that borrowed from those narratives but did not have the heart of either.

It is almost a rare treat to go to the theatre and see a new, original show in a world where often stories are borrowed from other media more often than not. In that way, it was fun to not know what was coming and be able to take in a new show.

Act one was enjoyable enough (despite a gunshot that startled me) with doo-wop music and a talented, strong cast, including 10 alumni from the Broadway production, led by Joe Barbara as Sonny, Richard H. Blake as Lorenzo and Joey Barreiro as Calogero, Michelle Aravena as Rosina, Brianna-Marie Bell as Jane, Antonio Beverly as Tyrone, Frankie Leoni as Young Calogero, and Shane Pry as Young Calogero Alternate. The story engaged me enough; thought I was concerned about the young Calogero falling in with the wrong crowd, there was still time for him to redeem himself.

Act two, however, felt like the storyline went into a rushed overdrive trying to make sure that everything happened in time and never felt grounded at all. The young lead rushed to romance with a girl from the wrong neighborhood, and the WEST SIDE STORY kicked in, but had not spent time developing the relationship enough to invest the audience in its outcome, nor apparently the young man. The relationship ends as fast as it begins: almost with a shrug from Calogero. The whole of the act felt forced, rushed and unnatural. And like they were trying to copy the same Romeo & Juliet story but without time to develop it properly.

The fact that the most sympathetic character was the bad guy was disconcerting. Barbara's Sonny was a gangster who ruled by fear and killed without much more than a blink, yet the young man was drawn to learn from him and do his bidding, despite a father who he originally looked up to and respected for his steadfast work ethic and honesty. Barbara was smooth, charming and wicked as Sonny. But the hero treatment he got was not earned by the character's actions.

What started out with promise of a doo-wop themed show did not result in any tunes that stuck with me. The mechanics of the show were all there -- a good cast, good set and costumes, and decent choreography. But in the end, the tune fizzled. The book ultimately was the failure of the piece, along with rushed direction and overused devices. It was not a total failure by any means, but it didn't uphold the promise it held and promoted.

Photo: Joe Barbara (Sonny, left) and Joey Barreiro (Calogero, center), with the Touring Company of A BRONX TALE. Photo by: Joan Marcus.

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