The Musical "A Bronx Tail" Directed by Robert DeNiro Music by Alan Menken

The new Broadway musical "A Bronx Tail" is based on Chazz Palminteri's book and later made into a play & a movie starring Robert De Niro.  This time the De Niro wisely steps back & lets a talented ensemble cast of triple threats:  actors, singers & dancer, do the hard hitting stuff.  Alan Menken known for his illustrious & prolific Disney scores: "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty & the Beast" and "Aladdin" to name but a few from his slew of hits, wrote the music.  The musical numbers are aimed at a rapid fire pitch.  Some of them are hit out of the ballpark while the majority all meld in the infield.  There were several show stopping numbers including the opener "Belmont Avenue" with fleet footwork, "I Like It" sung by an upcoming young star Hudson Loverro as the young lead Calogero "C" and "One of the Great Ones." "One of the Great Ones," is sung by the Don of the thugs, Sonny.  Sonny becomes a fatherly mentor to "C."  These 3 wise songs drive the storyline and rise to the top.   Mostly, the musical numbers tend to blend or stretch to be lessons in morality.  The story's hero is "C," a young boy growing up in the Bronx (late 50's-60's) on Belmont Avenue, not straying far from the hood he loves.  C loves his working class parents & has close ties with his father but finds himself torn between worlds: loyalty to his parents, his friends and looking into his own heart.  "C's" parents try to steer their son to do the right thing but send mixed messages.  "C" cops to Sonny's belief that work is for suckers and succumbs to Sonny's shady lifestyle.  The play also contains a star crossed lovers "West Side Story" with the "Wops" and Blacks fighting for their turf.  "A Bronx Tall" is a musical mixed bag of "Wise Guys," "West Side Story" and father/son genres. The exceptionally talented ensemble featured killer choreography with singing voices to die for.  I feared I wasn't going to like this musical incarnation.  I didn't love it but I liked it a lot.   This is an offering you shouldn't refuse.