Robert De Niro told Page Six earlier this month that he was “annoyed” that the producers of the musical adaptation of “A Bronx Tale” tapped Broadway vet Jerry Zaks to direct instead of him.
But it seems he’s over it, because De Niro’s been around the Longacre Theatre a lot.
“I think he smells a hit,” a source says.
Make no mistake: Zaks, who has four Tonys on his shelf, is at the helm of “A Bronx Tale,” which opens Thursday. He piloted it to Broadway from the Paper Mill Playhouse and helped composer Alan Menken and writer Chazz Palminteri shape it into what the buzz suggests is a crowd-pleasing hit.
But De Niro — officially listed as co-director — has been “fussing with things,” a source says. He didn’t like the flowers in a funeral home scene, so he had them changed. He didn’t like a hat one of the actors wore, so he ordered a new one.
When he’s not playing FTD or Theoni V. Aldredge, the “Raging Bull” star gives little acting seminars to the cast, who are thrilled to be instructed by the two-time Academy Award winner.
De Niro wasn’t available for comment, but sources say he’s settled into a nice relationship with Zaks, who’s doing double duty these days preparing Bette Midler for “Hello, Dolly!” this spring.
“Jerry’s the pro,” says a source. “But Bob seems to be enjoying himself. He’s making his contributions.”
Theater insiders haven’t been paying too much attention to “A Bronx Tale.” They’re too busy obsessing over which theater owners will get “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”
‘Bob seems to be enjoying himself. He’s making his contributions.’
- A production source
Meanwhile, “Bronx Tale” has racked up a healthy $5 million advance, has grossed more than $700,000 a week in previews, and sells around $100,000 worth of tickets a day.
Production staffers have taken to calling the musical a “classic doughnut show.” Don’t know the expression? Neither did I. The hole in the doughnut is Manhattan, and its “sophisticated” theatergoers. The doughnut itself is the suburbs, and the suburban crowd is flocking to “A Bronx Tale.”
The greatest “doughnut show” of all time is “Jersey Boys.” It attracted the suburbs in previews, but once the critics weighed in, it became popular with the Manhattan crowd as well. It will close in January, after a 12-year run.
“A Bronx Tale,” which has some nifty songs, isn’t likely to run that long. But it has quietly become a show to watch this season, and a possible contender come Tony time.
I got a batch of emails about last week’s column on the best movies about the theater. Several that didn’t make the list are favorites with readers. Here are three:
“Waiting for Guffman,” Christopher Guest’s hilarious satire of amateur theater; “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies,” with David Niven playing a Walter Kerr-like critic; and “The Velvet Touch,” starring Rosalind Russell as a leading lady with a secret.
One correction: I misquoted Douglas McGrath on one of his favorites, “The Producers.” He said it has more laughs “per square inch than anything except ‘Airplane’ and early Woody Allen.”
Mid-Woody Allen ain’t bad: “Bullets Over Broadway,” anyone?