Generations of fans know him from sitcoms like Who's the Boss? and Taxi. Newer audiences recognize him from the hit Starz drama series Raising Kanan. Now, legendary actor Tony Danza is taking on a new role in a Christmas movie he’s filming in Western New York, which he calls a nice change of scenery from his home downstate.
“I live in the city, so it's almost like a shock, you know. But it's beautiful. I mean, it's so green," Danza said.
His Western New York visit also came with a nod to one of his most famous roles. He threw out the first pitch at a Buffalo Bisons game — fitting for the actor who played Tony Micelli, the former Major Leaguer-turned-housekeeper on Who’s The Boss?
“It was great to be there, and you know, I just love baseball, and that's a great park too," Danza said of Buffalo's Sahlen Field.
This time though, Danza is back on screen rather than the ballfield. He makes up one half of a father-son duo with Mario Lopez in the film Christmas at the Starlight. Danza plays Frank, a song-and-dance man who’s contemplating selling his family-owned jazz lounge after 40 years. Family is a central theme, both on and off screen. Mario’s son Dominic Lopez plays his son — and Danza’s grandson — in the movie as well. The trio are as tight-knit in real life as they are in the film.
“I would say [Dominic] reminds me of my son when he was his age, and I'm just having the best time with him. I would be his grandfather if he wanted me, that's how great he is,” Danza said.
While Christmas movies often share a theme of family togetherness, there are some musical twists expected to make this different from a typical holiday film.
“There'll be some, some tap dancing, there's some arrangements that they've come up with, jazz arrangements of Christmas songs, and so that's going to be an interesting take," Danza said. "I choreographed a couple of things for a couple of the songs, so I'm excited about seeing if we could pull this off.”
But he isn’t just performing onscreen. Danza has been hitting the stage for years and he’s bringing his latest act, Sinatra & Stories, to Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino for a weekend. Inspired by his mother’s love of Rat Pack leader Frank Sinatra, Danza wrote and stars in the one-man show inspired by Ol’ Blue Eyes himself.
“I compare it to like those TV variety shows. You had a host, then you had a lot of different acts. Well, I'm the host and all the acts," he said. "I really want to make a connection, and I really want people to feel like they saw a show.”
Danza will be performing Sinatra & Stories Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20. Both shows will be at 8 p.m. He’ll be in town for the next few weeks filming Christmas at the Starlight, which will air later this year.
