"I would say at least 75 [to] 80 percent of it is true," said the 57-year-old character actor, speaking on his cell phone as he walked through the Minneapolis airport to catch a Denver-bound flight. "It starts with the killing I saw when I was a young [9-year-old] boy. A lot of it is really out of my life, although I took some liberties."

From there, the program, which played Philly's Merriam Theater last fall, details Palminteri's childhood confliction between the flashy, amoral world of the gangster Sonny (played by Palminteri in the 1993 film version), and the straight-arrow life preached (and practiced) by his bus-driver dad (portrayed in the movie by Robert De Niro, who also directed).

This is not the first time that Palminteri has brought his story to the stage. As a struggling actor in the 1980s, he realized that he'd never get his big break from someone else's script. So he wrote and mounted "A Bronx Tale" as an off-Broadway piece. De Niro caught a performance and optioned it for his directing debut.

Two decades and several dozen films (including "Bullets Over Broadway," "The Usual Suspects" and "Analyze This") later, Palminteri revived the theater piece to quench what he described as the public's unyielding thirst for his story.

"After all these years, all I ever hear is 'I love "A Bronx Tale" ' . . . 'It changed my life . . . ,' " he said. "There's a whole new generation of [fans] who never saw" the live version.

"And it's much more powerful than the movie. So, I thought, 'I'm young enough, let's bring it back.' It was such a huge hit on Broadway. People just can't get enough of it."

Palminteri ascribes much of the stage show's appeal to its rather unusual format: "It's not a typical one-man-show. It's one person doing a movie onstage by himself. It's never been done before. It just works."

And so does its star - eight times a week, talking nonstop for 90 minutes (there's no intermission). How does he keep in shape for such a demanding job?

"I work out Monday through Friday, strict aerobics and weight training," he explained. "I go to sleep early, I do yoga and I get a massage every day. That's what you have to do when you have to do a show that is so taxing."

Because Palminteri has been on the road with "A Bronx Tale" since 2007, he has had to curtail his movie work.

"I've passed up a few good parts," he said, refusing to identify them. "But, you know, you lose some, you win some. It's OK."

Harrah's Resort Atlantic City, 777 Harrah's Blvd., Wednesday through Aug. 9. Showtimes 8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 9 p.m. Friday-Sunday, $65, $55 and $40, 800-736-1420, www.ticketmaster.com.

You are getting sleeeeepy . . .

The, ahem, mesmerizing presentation that runs through Sept. 5 will be presided over by master hypnotist Joe Boccuti. But the real stars of what is billed as an R-rated production will be the audience members he brings on stage and makes behave in unexpected - and, hopefully - hysterical ways.

Trump Marina, Huron Avenue at Brigantine Boulevard, 9 p.m. Thursday and July 3, 10 p.m. July 4, $22.50, 800-736-1420, www.ticketmaster.com.

Winners all

She and a guest will enjoy an overnight stay at the Big B July 17, and a Thai message at Spa Tocare. They'll also join me for dinner at Fornelletto, the soon-to-open Italian gourmet room. Then we'll take in "Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia" at the Event Center.

Runners-up, who each won two tickets to the show, are: Dennie Ladd, of Jamaica, N.Y.; Grace Mincer, of Swarthmore; Amy Helm, of Chadds Ford; Jean L. Campbell, of Magnolia, N.J.; and Philadelphians Maryann Lawrence, Harry Steinberg and Sheri Erby.

Thanks to all who entered!

Not the real deal

This year's roster boasts eight acts, including faux U2ers 2U; the B Street Band (Bruce Springsteen); and Invisible Sun (the Police). Admission is free. For a complete performance schedule, go to www.trumpmarina.com and click on the "Entertainment & Nightlife" link.

Also serving up reasonable facsimiles of pop and rock superstars are Bruce In the USA, featuring highly acclaimed Bruce Springsteen impersonator Matt Ryan, and a relatively new group, Real Diamond, a Bucks County outfit that is making a lot of noise with its Neil Diamond homage.

Bruce In the USA performs at 9 tonight at the Atlantic City Hilton ($15, 800-736-1420, www.ticketmaster.com). Real Diamond can be seen at 7 and 9 p.m. Thursday at Bally's Atlantic City's Bikini Beach Bar. Admission is free. *

Chuck Darrow has covered Atlantic City and casinos for more than 20 years. Read his blog http://go.philly.com/casinotes.

E-mail him at darrowc@phillynews.com.

And listen to his Atlantic City report Saturdays at 1:25 a.m. with Steve Trevelise on WIP (610-AM).