'Tale' as old as time at Ovation

Jul. 27—Although it may be odd to start with the parting message of a show, it's important in "A Bronx Tale," which opens Friday at Ovation Theatre.

Director Tim Adamson said he wants audiences to walk away from the show with "an appreciation that every person they meet and interact with has a story."

"The ending song even says 'this is just another Bronx tale,'" he wrote in an email. "Meaning, we all have a story and a background. We all have experiences in life that have shaped who we are."

This "Tale" may be best known for the 1993 film adaptation of Chazz Palminteri's 1989 autobiographical play. The movie stars Palminteri and Robert DeNiro, who also directed it.

In this coming-of-age drama, Calogero, an Italian-American boy (played by Fabian Espinoza and later Lucas Shearson) known as "C," finds himself torn between following the example of his hardworking bus driver father, Lorenzo (Jack Slider), as he falls under the spell of local Mafia boss Sonny (Adam Fernandez).

In selecting this show to direct, Adamson said he was drawn to the dual relationships of father and son and the fatherlike figure and son.

"As a dad with three boys, I understand and think about the influence of outside people on my children," he wrote. "This story is about a dad fighting to keep his son on the straight and narrow, while a mobster tries to teach the boy how to survive the street. I identify with Lorenzo, an everyday man just trying to do right by his son.

"I also loved that this story is layered with other important issues. The story also deals with love and race during the '60s, lessons of which are still relevant today."

What elevates the show beyond its cinematic adaptation is the music, written by Alan Menken, who is known for Disney musicals including "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin," "Newsies" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."

"He did all these huge big pieces, but what he brought to this show was understanding the timeline," Jeff Ingle, Ovation's music director, said of the composer.

"It's 1950's rock 'n' roll but at the same time playing jazz, big band, funk, soul, gritty rock music as well. It's playing all the styles," he said of the soundtrack he couldn't stop listening to during show prep.

"Music is the big thing that audiences are going to be able to grab onto. Of course, that's my bias."

Ingle said band requirements vary between shows, depending on what is agreed upon among the director, choreographers and him.

Along with playing drums for the show, a position he hires out when possible ("I love to play so I end up doing a whole lot."), he has a group featuring musicians on piano, sax, trumpets, guitar and bass.

He said his favorite number in the show is "Nicky Macavelli," performed at the end of Act 1 by Sonny about how it's better to be feared than loved.

Ingle said, "The reason why I like it is it's very much in the style of Bobby Darin, 1950's big band swing type. ... It's fun to play big band music."

Both Ingle and Adamson are excited to bring the show to audiences and acknowledge the hard work of the dedicated cast and crew.

"This is an amazing cast with an amazing team," Adamson wrote. "I save none of the credit for this show for myself, and I give it all to the cast, crew, and production team that brought it all together."

Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter at @realstefanidias.