Tony Danza’s Letters to Tupac: An Evening with Tony Danza

Reviewed by Gray Palmer
Shepard Studio Theater at the Complex
Through June 18

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Tony Danza, veteran star of such sitcoms as Taxi and Who’s the Boss, achieves dizzy comic levitation in this solo show, Tony Danza’s Letters to Tupac. Or he would if it were him — but it’s impersonator Steven Benaquist.

The show’s delightful culture-jamming foolery begins in 1995 with Danza, referring to Tupac, asking his daughter, “Why should you care about a guy with ‘Thug Life’ tattooed across his abdomen?”

Her answer, of course, is that she likes the great rapper’s songs. After listening to “Dear Mama,” Danza gets it. And he writes a letter to Tupac, who was then serving time for his conviction on sexual assault charges.

Tupac writes back. “Why should I even write back? You’re probably not Tony Danza.” So as proof Danza sends Tupac a meatball in the next letter. And so it goes, with Danza offering brotherly moral guidance, and Tupac complaining about his “inspirational bullshit.”

By the conclusion Danza is claiming, “I’m one of Tupac’s n-words!” as he tap-dances, in the style of Sammy Davis, Jr. (well, a tap impression with tap sounds added) and sings along, Snoop Doggy style, in a duo with Tupac.

Benaquist furnishes an excellent, pixilated portrayal of Danza and a great pen-pal collision that might have been.

Shepard Studio Theater at Complex Theatres, 6472 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood; https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/3788; through June 18. Running time: 45 minutes.