Our truly wonderful summer was split between our house in Westchester, working in New York City and enjoying a beautiful beach house on Long Beach Island,” says Gianna Palminteri, actress, producer and wife of actor Chazz, WAG’s May 2011 cover subject. “We had so much fun with the young people we are working with and mentoring in different productions and also found the time to work on our own projects as well.”
“A Bronx Tale: The Musical,” at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre, has enjoyed popular acclaim, with Chazz writing the book, producing it and playing the father figure that Robert De Niro played in the story’s 1993 movie iteration.
“This obviously took up a lot a time and energy over the summer, but one of the best parts of it was our cast coming out to our big house in Westchester and enjoying all that we have to offer there.” The spacious home has large grounds, a pool, tennis courts and several friendly dogs.
Gianna says the young people in the cast enjoyed relaxing every Monday after putting in six strenuous days on the stage. “Even though it was only one day off out of the week, it gave them some time to unwind and recharge.”
Chazz also kept busy teaching at the Manhattan Film Institute on Long Island, where he focused on film production and acting. And if that weren’t enough to do, the couple is working together on “The Wool Gatherers,” a drama playing at a downtown theater festival that has been nominated for some top awards.
Says Gianna, “Not to be left out, I traveled regularly to Tampa to lend help to the Broadway Theater Project where I put on musical theater workshops and taught acting and performance.”
Musical and theater talent appear to run strongly in the Palminteri genes, with son Dante performing as a singer-songwriter throughout the metro area. “He just closed in a play, ‘Generation Me,’ that won first prize in a competition, along with eight other awards, in early August.”
Daughter Gabriella also has a desire to perform. An active camper, she helps to mount shows at the Sunrise Day Camps in the Hudson Valley and Long Island. The camps are designed to answer the needs of youngsters who have had serious medical treatments.
Gianna says the family usually went to Italy in the summer but this season called for a different approach.
“We had to split things up geographically and make sure ‘A Bronx Tale’ was well taken care of. We have gotten a tremendous amount of satisfaction with these wonderful young people, many of whom are going to be well-known in the future. We were both so happy to have had the fun time with them every Monday and to get some extra time mentoring and guiding them in a relaxed setting.”
