When A Bronx Tale opened on Broadway November 14, it was a who’s who of Hollywood and Broadway. The creative team alone includes four-time Tony-winning director Jerry Zaks, two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro, Oscar nominee Chazz Palminteri, Tony-winning composer Alan Menken, Tony-nominated lyricist Glenn Slater, and Tony-nominated choreographer Sergio Trujillo.
It marked the Broadway debut for its star, Bobby Conte Thornton, who plays Calogero—the character based on Palminteri in the autobiographical show. The show also marks the Broadway debut for Christiani Pitts, an ensemble member in the show and daughter to Nightline co-anchor Byron Pitts.
Pitts put his journalism skills to work in a profile piece about A Bronx Tale and its journey from beloved film to Broadway musical.
Sitting down with Zaks and De Niro, he asked the question so many have wondered: With such talented co-directors, were there any clashes?
“It’s an impossible situation that we’ve made work,” said Zaks, “and we’ve made it work because I think we’ve been very respectful of each other.”
ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos
Pitts also went backstage to meet Thornton and star Nick Cordero, who plays mob boss Sonny, and we see him on opening night greeting his daughter.
“There’s this great poem by [Kahlil] Gibran, the poet,” said Pitts, “that says that parenting is like ‘you are the bow and your child is the arrow, because you point them as high as you can.’”