‘A Bronx Tale: The Musical’ heads to the Memorial Auditorium for a week of performances

“A Bronx Tale: The Musical” is set to hit the stage of the Memorial Auditorium in early March for a week-long residency.

The Broadway on Tour musical is the latest incarnation of the semi-autobiographical story from Chazz Palminteri, which explores the struggle of a Bronx child caught between the allure of a local Mafioso’s flashy lifestyle and his father’s dedication to the straight and narrow and a 9-to-5 job.

“A Bronx Tale,” which began as a one-man play, penned by and starring Palminteri, who would go on to portray Sonny in the 1993 film, will run for eight performances beginning March 3.

Nick Fradiani, a musician and winner of American Idol’s 14th season, portrays Lorenzo in his first musical role, which he said was aided by his love for the film as a youth.

“I remember my dad playing it for me. I can’t remember how old I was, but it’s one of those movies, kind of like ‘Rocky,’ you see it on TV a lot and you just never turn it off. So I was a big fan of the movie,” Fradiani said.

Set in the 1960s, the musical’s score, crafted by Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken, evokes the film’s soundtrack, which featured chart-topping tunes from the likes of The Four Tops and James Brown.

“There’s a lot of doo-wop, there’s a lot of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin moments. It all kind of goes with the music of that time period. Alan Menken wrote some really great melodies and sounds that bring you back to that 1960s era,” Fradiani said. “My song, ‘These Streets,’ almost has a Bruce Springsteen vibe to it. All the songs are pretty eclectic. “

According to Fradiani, the musical does not stray away from the intensity of the film, which features characters clashing over topics involving race and organized crime.

“Those moments are not campy, and we keep it as real as we can get. Of course, when you’re singing that can be difficult. I try to keep it as natural as I can, while also bringing the intensity and movement, so the crowd, whether you’re in the front row or back row, can feel your emotion and what you’re trying to portray,” Fradiani said.

As a musician taking his first steps into the acting world, Fradiani said he found a consigliere to guide him through the particulars of the role in Palminteri, who views the film as a means of honoring his parents, Lorenzo and Rosina, and their legacy.

“He’s been an enormous help to me. Before the musical even started, I had dinner with him and he had me acting out the bar scene with him, with him as Sonny, which was extremely frightening for me. He’s come to our rehearsals,” Fradiani said. “To have someone like him who wrote the movie, and starred in the movie — he’s going to make sure it’s done correctly.”

If you go

“A Bronx Tale: The Musical”

Where: Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 2 p.m. and 8 p.n Thursday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday

Cost: $26 to $92

Tickets: broadwaysacramento.com or call (916) 808-5181