“Who’s the Boss?”, Applesauce, Tony Danza — Not at a Loss, and Very Much Present: Aaron Dail Talks with the Man, May 4

Anthony Dail talks with Tony Danza, the son of a Brooklyn garbageman and a graduate of the University of Dubuque, about the great good fortune of his career, whose embers started glowing on Taxi (1978-1983), caught fire on Who’s the Boss? (1984-1993), lighted his way to teaching English for a year for a reality show (Teach: Tony Danza) and wrote about that (I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High), and continues to blaze his way across the nation, having played his alma mater 22 October 2022 and, most recently, Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center in Davenport, 23 May 2023. As assuredly as one can sustain a metaphor across an entire sentence, Danza works a room, reminding (or teaching) audiences about the days of variety TV, when a performer performed: If he could sing, dance, play a ukulele, tell jokes, and keep a steady patter going, then he might be ready for Prime Time. And Danza’s been ready for PT for the longest time. Respect!