TheNuze.com

Monica Harvenstein who represents Tony Danza for the talent agency Mikkelson and Firensky announced earlier today that Mr. Danza will be appearing in a Broadway production of West Side Story.  Mr. Danza will be further broadening his acting palette by playing the part of an Italian-American New Yorker.  His character is the leader of the gang known as the Jets.  However because 'Tony' is the name of the show's romantic lead, played by Justin Gordon (one of the few cast members not actually named Tony), Mr. Danza will need to use his character's original name, Riff, marking the first time in his long career that Danza will play a character not named 'Tony'.  The show's producer added, "Tony [Danza] is keenly interested in honing his craft and finally playing a character not called 'Tony' is an exciting new challenge for this talented veteran actor.  The challenge is made all the more difficult by the fact that Tony not only needs to learn to respond to the name Riff while on stage but must also, for the love of God, find some way by opening night to stop responding every time he hears the name Tony.