Music N' More: The Sopranos

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

The Sopranos

For some reason, I like watching this show. Man, I've been hangin' around my mom and stepdad way too long, they both watch this. They had this exact same picture down in their basement, but they stopped watching the show because they said they "outgrew" it, and now, it's hanging in my room, weird.

The Sopranos

-1999-2007
-American TV drama that premiered in 1999
-Revolves around the New Jersey-based fictional Italian American mobster Tony Soprano(James Gandolfini) and the problems he faces as he tries to balance the life of the Mafia and homelife.
-The show also features his Mafia associates in roles and storylines, most noted his wife Carmela(Edie Falco), cousin and protege Christopher Moltisanti(Michael Imperioli). Tony talks about these problems to a shrink named Dr. Jennifer Melfi(Lorraine Bracco)
-Premiered on Jan. 10, 1999

-This show is considered a staple of 2000s American pop culture, and has spawned a video game, been the topic of parodies, controversy and merchandise.

-Many of the actors on the show were virtual unknowns but have gone on to successful careers because of this show, such as Michael Imperioli, who has appeared on Law and Order as Det. Nick Falco and most recently, as Det. Len Fenerman in The Lovely Bones.
-This show is partly inspired by the DeCavalcante Family, who rose to prominence in the New Jersey area where Chase grew up. Apparenty Chase was inspired by gangster flicks like The Untouchables, and was inspired by the Mafia and organized crime from a very early age.

Casting
-Many of the actors on the show are Italian American just like their characters. Many of them had appeared together in films and TV before joining the cast. The show shares a total of 27 actors with the 1990 Martin Scorsese movie Goodfellas, including main cast Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Tony Sirico. 8 of the Sopranos actors have also appeared in the 1999 comedy Mickey Blue Eyes.

-Michael Imperioli, according to TV producer David Chase, who is also Italian American because his family name is DeCesare, said that Imperioli beat out other actors who auditioned. James Gandolfini auditioned after someone seen the performance he gave in True Romance. Lorraine Bracco was asked to play Carmela Soprano after being seen playing Karen Hill in Goodfellas. So she got the role of highly educated psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi, she said it would be a challenge for her. Tony Sirico, who does actually have a criminal background, signed on to play Paulie Walnuts, as long as his character was not a "rat". Springsteen guitarist "Little Steven" Van Zandt(known as part of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band) got to audition for the role of mob consigliere Silvio Dante. He was asked to audition after being seen performing at the 1997 Rocka and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. Van Zandt had never acted before, and his real life spouse Maureen was cast as Silvio's wife, Gabriella.

-Several well known actors also appeared in a few episodes, like Charles S. Dutton, Ken Leung, Lauren Bacall, Tim Kang, Burt Young, Annette Bening.

Music
-The show is known for it's use of previously recorded songs. Steven Van Zandt also helped out with music too, considering he's a musician.
-The show's opening theme, "Woke Up This Morning" was written by, remixed and performed by British band Alabama 3. And throughout episodes, songs may be played multiple times, such as "Living on a Thin Line" by The Kinks, is season 3, episode "University", "Glad Tidings" by Van Morrison in season 5 finale "All Due Respect".

Sets, Locations
-The majority of the filming takes place in New Jersey. The other places, like the Soprano residence, alot of interior shots, the back room of the strip club The Bada Bing! and Dr. Melfi's office- are all filmed at Silvercup Studios in New York City
-The Italian deli, a frequent hangout of the mobsters, was in the pilot, known as Centanni's Meat Market, was an actual butcher shop in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The studio leased a building with a store front in Kearny, New Jersey and this served as the deli store, Satriale's. The building was demolished after the series ended.
-The Bada Bing!, a fictional strip club owned and operated by Silvo Dante, is an actual strip club on Route 17, in Lodi, New Jersey. Exteriors and interiors, except for the back room, were shot on location. The club is really called Satin Dolls. The owner of the real club, Mark Kamine, said that they could film on location as long as shooting did not "conflict with his business time."
-The Italian restaurant Vesuvio's, was filmed at a restaurant called Manolo's in Elizabeth.
-In the title sequence, Tony Soprano is seen leaving the Lincoln Tunnel and entering the New Jersey Turnpike. The show features numerous New Jersey landmarks

Characters
James Gandolfini- Tony Soprano