42 | SEPTEMBER 30 • 2021





MUCH JEWISH INPUT IN
SOPRANOS PREQUEL;
TWO MUSICALS; EMMYS
The Many Saints of
Newark, a film, is a
prequel to The Sopranos,
the hit HBO series. It will
be released to theaters
on Oct. 1. and also will
begin streaming that day
on HBO Max for 30 days.
The film, set in the late
1960s, was co-written by
Sopranos creator David
Chase (who is Italian-
American and not Jewish)
and Lawrence Konner,
70, (who wrote many
Sopranos scripts).
The late James
Gandolfini, of course,
played the series star
character, Mafia family
head Tony Soprano.
Michael Gandolfini, 22,
James’ son, plays Tony as
a young man (about 18) in
Many Saints.

Jon Bernthal, 44, plays
Tony’s gangster father,
Johnny “Johnny Boy”
Soprano, and Corey Stoll,
45, plays “Junior” Soprano,
Johnny’s gangster brother
and ally. The role of Silvio
Dante, Tony’s right-hand
man in the HBO series, is
played by John Magaro,

38. Magaro was raised in
his mother’s Jewish faith.
A major character in
the film is gangster Dickie
Moltisanti, the father of
gangster Christopher
Moltisanti, a major
Sopranos character. Dickie
is played by Alessandro
Nivola, 49, an excellent
actor who I talked to years
ago when he played a
Jewish character in a little-
seen film. Nivola told me
he’s secular and confirmed
that his father’s mother
was an Austrian Jewish
refugee. I hope Saints is
his well-deserved “break-
though” role.
David Chase once
said that he tried to cast
Italian-Americans in Italian
parts on The Sopranos,
but didn’t hesitate to
cast Jewish actors in
Italian parts because
they were so like Italians.
This comment helps
explain why so many Jews
are in Many Saints. By
the way, Moltisani means
“many saints” in Italian.
The Addams Family 2,
an animated film, opens
in theaters on Oct. 1.
Because of the Delta
variant upsurge, it is also
available via streaming
rental on Oct. 1. This
film is a sequel to The
Addams Family, a hit
in 2019. The returning
(voice) cast includes Nick
Kroll, 43, as Uncle Fester
and Bette Midler, 75, as
Grandmama.
The Guilty had a limited
theater opening on
Sept. 24 and will begin
streaming on Netflix on
Oct. 1. It is a crime thriller.
Jake Gyllenhaal, 40,
stars as a troubled police
detective demoted to 911
operator who scrambles to
save a distressed caller.
Diana: A Musical will

also begin streaming on
Netflix on Oct. 1. It’s based
on the life of Princess
Diana. Diana began as
a stage production that
premiered in San Diego in
2019. It began previews
on Broadway in March
2020 but closed because
of the pandemic. It’s now
set to open on Broadway
this November. In the
summer of 2020, a stage
production of the show
was filmed without an
audience (that’s what
Netflix will stream). The
cast includes Judy Kaye,
72, as Queen Elizabeth II,
and as Barbara Cartland (a
romance novelist critical
of Diana). Kaye, a Tony
winner, has an amazing
voice and range and often
sings opera, too.
David Bryan, 59, wrote
the music for the show’s
songs and co-wrote the
song lyrics. Born David
Bryan Rashbaum, he’s the
keyboardist for the famous
band Bon Jovi. He was
inducted into the Rock Hall
of Fame with the band.
Dear Evan Hansen
opened yesterday in
theaters. It’s based on
the mega-hit Broadway
play of the same name.
The title character is a
troubled teen. Ben Platt,
27, who created the stage
role, plays Hansen in the
film. Also, the music and
lyrics, as on stage, are by

the Oscar-winning team
of Benj Pasek, 36, and
Justin Paul (La La Land).
Sadly, almost all advance
reviews are (surprisingly)
terrible. Best to wait for it
to stream and, perhaps,
enjoy the songs. (Pasek
and Paul met when they
attended the University of
Michigan.)
The “Jewish showing”
at the Emmys wasn’t as
“bleak” as some leading
Jewish media outlets have
said. Here is the “real
back story.” Many Emmy
categories have recently
increased the number of
nominees. It’s this simple:
more nominees equals
more Jews nominated, but
also more competition.
Here are the “tribe”
winners. Some of them
were omitted from that
same “bleak” coverage:
Scott Frank, two Emmys:
directing and producing
The Queen’s Gambit, the
best limited series; Peter
Morgan, two Emmys:
writing and producing The

Crown, the best drama
series; Brett Goldstein,
best supporting actor,
comedy, Ted Lasso; Maya
Rudolph, two Emmys —
voiceover performance
(Big Mouth) and guest
actress, comedy (SNL);
and Genndy Tartakovsky,
the creator/producer of
Primal, the best animated
series.

CELEBRITY NEWS

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

ARTS&LIFE

Maya
Rudolph

Jake
Gyllenhaal

WIKIPEDIA/GLENN FRANCIS

Jon
Bernthal

WIKIPEDIA.ORG/GAGE SKIDMORE

WIKIPEDIA.ORG/MINGLEMEDIATVNETWORK