When people talk about the best television shows over the past 25 years, someone is bound to mention “The Sopranos.” Originally broadcast on HBO from 1999-2007, the acclaimed crime drama always had people talking, whether it was a character who got whacked and/or an episode with an unforgettable scene right up to the finale, which fans and critics still talk about to this day.
This Saturday night at the United Theatre on 5 Canal Street in Westerly, three of the show’s most iconic actors will ring in the series’ 25th anniversary with a special event titled “Sopranos Live” as Steve Schrippa, who played Tony Soprano’s brother-in-law Bobby Bacala, Michael Imperioli, who played Tony Soprano’s volatile and unpredictable protégé Christopher Moltisanti, and Vincent Pastore, who played the enforcer Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero, share stories about their experience working on the series.
This event, which is sold out, begins at 8 p.m. This week, Schrippa and I had a talk ahead of the event about the series’ legacy, the projects it has inspired since its finale, his favorite memory about being part of “The Sopranos” and what people can expect when they come to the United on Saturday night.
Rob Duguay: This show that you, Michael and Vincent are doing is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of ‘The Sopranos’, but it also comes from the book you and Michael did together called “Woke Up This Morning: The Definitive Oral History of The Sopranos” that came out back in 2021. What gave you both the idea to do this book and how did it come about?
Steve Schrippa: The book is an extension of the podcast [“Talking Sopranos”] we started. The show is completely different from the book, we’ve been doing the show on and off for years. We used to do it with Tony Sirico, and when he wasn’t well enough to do it, Vinny started doing it with us. We’ve done it in Australia with a seven city tour and we’ve done it all over the country here, so that’s separate. Me and Michael then started the podcast in March of 2020, and that’s where the book came from.
It was me and Michael interviewing cast members, directors, writers, producers, casting directors and other people who had a lot to do with the show being the success that it was, so that’s where the book came from.
