The ECHO’s Ryan Paton with The Sopranos stars, Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
Nineteen years after The Sopranos faded to black and brought an end to the greatest TV series ever made, the love towards the mob drama shows no sign of waning. It was a full house at the Liverpool Empire last night (February 19) as people packed into the theatre on Lime Street to be in the company of two of the show’s most beloved stars.
Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa brought the live version of their hit podcast, Talking Sopranos, to Merseyside on Thursday and told behind the scenes stories about what it was like to work on the HBO classic. The Sopranos may have followed a crime family in New Jersey, but its impact was felt around the globe as it was much more than just another gangster story.
As Bobby Baccalieri star Steve explained in his interview with the ECHO earlier this month: “People can relate to Tony Soprano. He’s a mob guy, but he’s also a family guy with a lot of problems. It’s one of the first times you saw a mob guy in his personal home life. Usually they’re hanging around in the club or the bar; they’re slick all the time, but that’s not the case [with Tony].
“You saw Tony go to a psychiatrist [after having a panic attack]; he had problems with both of his kids. He’s got problems with his wife and his girlfriend. I think people relate to that. They can see themselves in that position somewhat.”
Admittedly, my own connection with The Sopranos began way before I was old enough to have experienced any of these “real world” issues as I watched the first episode when I was around 13. While this may have been a bit young to deep dive into a show exploring the ruthless world of the mafia, there is a magic that drew me to The Sopranos, and I remember being hooked from the moment I first saw a mob boss waiting outside of his psychiatrist’s office in the first scene of the pilot.
My devoted fandom was ignited and has only grown since then as I have obsessively re-watched every episode, developed a love for the Italian food the characters eat in the show (who doesn’t love a gabagool?) and even made the trip to New Jersey to see some of the filming locations with my own eyes. The controversial fade to black ending in 2007 was shot at Holsten’s Ice Cream Parlour and it felt akin to a pilgrimage to make my way there and eat some onion rings, just like Tony Soprano does in the final scene.
Over the years, I’ve ticked off most things on the Soprano fan bucket list, but one glaring omission was I’d never met or been in the same room as any of the major stars of the show. This all seemed set to finally happen in 2022 when The Sopranos live show was first announced in Liverpool, before it was sadly pulled as the world struggled to return to normality after the pandemic.
When Steve and Michael arrived on stage at the Empire last night, it felt like a long time in the making and I clearly wasn’t the only member of the crowd who had been eagerly awaiting this moment. The TV legends were greeted with a rapturous applause and the audience hung on to their every word as they provided an insider’s perspective of what it was like to be a part of The Sopranos.
Anyone who has listened to the podcast will be familiar with the contrasting storytelling styles between the two, which is fascinating to see play out on stage. The more serious Michael strode around and commanded the stage in the theatrical style befitting a Broadway star, while Steve remained sat and told his stories in a more relaxed, everyman style.
The chemistry is why the podcast worked and it’s exactly the same for why the live show was so watchable across an engaging and hilarious evening. The show is a must see for any fan of The Sopranos as stories ranged from how they both landed their roles, what it was like to work with James Gandolfini and how a drunken night nearly derailed the filming of a vital scene.
Perhaps the highlight of a brilliant evening was a large section devoted to stories on Paulie Walnuts actor, Tony Sirico, who was more similar to his onscreen counterpart that you could have ever imagined. Stories shared during the Talking Sopranos live event revealed the late Tony Sirico was one of many actors cast in The Sopranos who had fallen on hard times before he’d joined the show.
The actor was living with his mum in an apartment in New York after his career had lost direction. Similarly, Uncle Junior star Dominic Chianese was relying on restaurants he performed at for food before he was cast.
As with a lot of cast members, The Sopranos offered these actors a lifeline and this perhaps goes some way to explain why the show is infused with a soul that means it continues to connect with people beyond the traditional gangster drama to this day.
It was clear the event meant a lot to those in attendance and excited fans revelling in the chance to see their TV icons in the flesh sparked a celebratory mood in the Empire. Hilariously, this also led to a slightly boisterous atmosphere during the final section of the show that was an unscripted fan Q&A, when host Joey Kola handed over the reins to members of the audience as 20 people got to ask their own question.
Confusing questions such as the best vehicle in The Sopranos, a hyper-specific query on the subtitles on Pine Barrens and another on voice acting were met with raised eyebrows from people in the audience, as well as the stars on stage. However, it was all taken in good spirits and is part and parcel of the live show experience, that added to, more than derailed, a truly special evening.
The Sopranos has been off the air for nearly two decades, but the energy in the room last night in Liverpool proved the love for the show is stronger than ever. It was incredible to get another reminder about why I forged such a bond with the show when I first started watching it 18 years ago as The Sopranos continues to be that rare thing: The more you find out about it, the better it becomes.
It was even more special and an absolute privilege to briefly meet the two legends in person after the show. It’s been a great honour to be part of the coverage of The Sopranos coming to Liverpool and getting the chance to speak to Steve about Liverpool and The Sopranos is certainly up there as a career highlight.
The Bobby Bacala star brought to life one of my favourite ever TV characters and it’s been lovely to learn he is an absolute gentleman off the screen. I would have been happy to have just seen the stars in the flesh on stage, but getting to interview Steve and having him introduce me to Christopher Moltisanti star, Michael, as a “good man” was beyond my wildest imagination. Not even Quasimodo could have ever predicted that.
