Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Trim and fleet, Palminteri (directed by Jerry Zaks) moves through this rapid-fire, 100-minute dramatic workout with a total command of the stage, delivering a physically, vocally and emotionally polished performance for which even a mob boss would cheer."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Palminteri never backs down from the ugliness in the mob-dominated, often twisted culture he portrays and never disowns it. He embraces it right along with the beauty. Like his neighbor from another one of the five boroughs, Walt Whitman, Palminteri's not the poet of goodness only, but just as much the poet of evil. A lanky, funny poet of evil, who really knows how to use his body on a stage."
Examiner - Highly Recommended
"...The performance has more in common with the depth and power (if not the plot) of the magnificent I Am My Own Wife than with the fluffy cotton candy of J. Boys. Portraying dozens (we lost count) of characters over the course of 90-riveting minutes, Palminteri weaves a story of violence and love, of bigotry and passion and bitterly divided family loyalties. Directed by Jerry Zaks, A Bronx Tale is also wealthy in humor and provocative, down-to-earth philosophizing. It's simply one of the finest pieces to come out of Broadway In Chicago."
EpochTimes - Highly Recommended
"...Chazz Palminteri is one of the finest character actors in Hollywood, but he is a great deal more than just a "tough Guy"- he is a comedy writer and has written skits, plays and screenplays. His first work of note is "A Bronx Tale" which was a marvelous movie featuring Robert DeNiro. " A Bronx Tale" a New York Classic is the story of a young man's coming of age during the 60's in the Bronx. A tough area that had its share of Mob men and some very wild characters. In the movie version of his story, sets were the streets of the city, real people making these characters come to life and making the story easy to follow, but in this one man show being presented for a short period of time, Chazz Palminteri takes on all the main roles and through his voice and actions, we as an audience truly feel the presence of these characters on the stage. This is the mark of a true actor!"
Copley News Service - Highly Recommended
"...I am not a particular fan of one-actor plays. They generally seem skimpy and artificial. But “A Bronx Tale” is everything a superb fully cast play should be, thanks to Palminteri’s remarkable stage presence, even in the cavernous spaces of the Oriental Theatre. He has a remarkable talent for creating distinctive characters with a shift of vocal inflection, body language, and gesture. Within a few minutes the audience buys into the conventions of the production and sits in thrall at Palminteri’s brilliance as an actor and storyteller."
Chicago Stage Review - Highly Recommended
"...Whether or not you are familiar with, or a fan of the film adaptation of A Bronx Tale, you’ll find it hard not to allow yourself to be swept up in this charming and poignant production. In fact you might just catch yourself snapping your fingers and humming a Doo Wop tune as you exit the theatre."
Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended
"...The story’s two halves collide when the mobsters’ charismatic leader takes an interest in Calogero and becomes a mentor, much to the dismay of the boy’s upstanding, hardworking father. It calls to mind Henry IV’s warnings to his son about palling around with Falstaff, except in this case the expected repudiation of the harmful influence comes with a generous understanding of the bad guy’s good qualities. Palminteri deserves credit for this degree of moral complexity and for the affection and vigor with which he inhabits each of the characters, but it’s easy to lose sight of these assets amid a sea of stereotypes."
ChicagoCritic - Somewhat Recommended
"...I just don’t see the entertainment values in glorifying killer thugs. America seems to have an immense appetite Italian Mob films, TV show and plays. I don’t but then again shows like A Bronx Tale are critic proof. If you enjoy mob shows then you’ll like this one man play."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...This is a one-man show that totally works and when that happens there is a uniquely intimate exchange created with the performer and the audience. Unlike presentational or representational theater, Chazz is addressing the audience directly, talking right to you. This is about as risky as performance gets but when it works, as it does here, it is also some of the most rewarding."
