Oscar nominee and multi-Emmy winner Chazz Palminteri and Peter Fogel chatted about their new play “Til Death Do Us Part… You First!” that Palminteri directed himself.
“Til Death Do Us Part… You First!” will make its Off-Broadway debut at New York City’s Triad Theater from November 11 to 12, for three shows only. For more information visit the venue’s official homepage. “I am very excited about it, Peter is funny, I have watched him perform and I thought it was a hilarious show and it is very relatable to a lot of people. It was just so funny to me,” Palminteri said.
Also on November 17, they will be performing the show at the Bedford Playhouse in Brooklyn, New York. “My wife, Gianna, is producing it, which is great,” Palminteri said.
“It’s the only solo show in New York City that is directed by an Oscar nominee and an Emmy winner… we will put that on the marquee if we have to,” Fogel added.
“The play hits all the marks, and it’s a true story about a girl that broke up with him on Valentine’s Day… what a day to break up with a guy. I really liked his take on this topic. We developed a story on it, we worked together, Peter wrote it and I guided him, and it came out great,” Palminteri added.
In 1990, at a performance of “A Bronx Tale,” Robert De Niro met with Palminteri in his dressing room after having seen the show. De Niro told Palminteri, “This is one of the greatest one-man shows I’ve ever seen, if not the greatest … This is a movie, this is an incredible movie.” “Bob De Niro discovered me over 30 years ago when he saw me do ‘A Bronx Tale’ and he made it into a movie. I like to pass that on and do the same for other people,” Palminteri said.
So De Niro plucks Palminteri out of obscurity and goes on to direct the solo show into a cult-favorite film, which went on to also become a hit Broadway Musical. And as they say, the rest is history.
Today, actor, comedian, and playwright Peter Fogel finds himself in a similar situation. Fogel is one of those performers audiences have seen and enjoyed countless times on television, but you probably didn’t know his name. Shows like “An Evening at The Improv,” “Comedy Central,” and “Comic Strip Live.”
“Chazz has been a married man of 30 years, and I’ve been single but close to marriage a certain number of times, and I would tell him stories about my meet and greets (my pre-dates),” Fogel said.
“When Chazz came in, he really streamlined it for me, and he made it more linear where there is a story and a hero’s journey of how I am telling a story of my life, my romances, and my failed ones. Chazz is the voice of my conscience in the show, so it is kind of a show within a show,” Fogel added.
“Although Chazz directed it, he is also in my show as the voice of my conscience. I get a real kick out of acting with Chazz as a voiceover and that’s the fun part. How many actors and comedians can actually get to say that they act with an Oscar-nominated actor every night on stage,” Fogel admitted.
On a balmy Saturday night in a South Florida theatre, funny man Fogel presented his multi-media solo show “Til Death Do Us Part, You First!” to a packed house. Little did he know that Palminteri was in attendance. The Broadway and film star was so impressed with Fogel’s auto-biographical tale and the tremendous audience response that he met Fogel after his show and offered — on the spot — to take his show to the next level and direct it himself!.
“Til Death Do Us Part…You First!” is headed Off-Broadway. Chazz directs it and you can even hear his voice throughout the show as — what better – Fogel’s conscience. “It’s a funny show, that’s what it comes down to, and that’s the bottom line,” Palminteri underscored.
“A lot of people will definitely relate to it and I think it will be a blast,” Palminteri added.
The show gives us a comical look at what it means to be an eternal bachelor. Peter Fogel is one in real life, has significant commitment issues, and the love of his life has just broken up with him on Valentine’s Day.
Sensing his own mortality, he is visited by a Special Guest who gets into Fogel’s head and acts as his conscience (Chazz Palminteri in a voice-over).
Throughout the story, Palminteri mentors Fogel on how he can end all his romantic disasters and reconnect with the one woman who can change his life!
Palminteri says, “I get asked to direct solo shows all the time. Honestly, I don’t have the time… BUT Peter’s show jumped out at me; it’s hysterical with lots of heart — and the story really resonates with audiences!”
Fogel is no stranger to theater audiences across North America. Before presenting “Til Death Do Us Part…You First!” he was the National Touring star of the long-running “MY Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m in Therapy!”
On January 29, 2023, Palminteri will be returning to The Paramount in Huntington on Long Island to perform his critically-acclaimed one-man show “A Bronx Tale.” “I am going to be at The Paramount again in the New Year, and I cannot wait, it is such a great venue. We are filming this one so it should be a lot of fun,” Palminteri exclaimed.
To learn more about Chazz Palminteri and his upcoming shows, visit his official website.
