Woke Up This Morning: The Definitive Oral History of The Sopranos

by Michael Imperioli, Steve Schirripa Narrated by Michael Imperioli, Steve Schirripa, Full Cast

Overview

The definitive oral history of the landmark television series and streaming hit The Sopranos, packed with untold stories from behind the scenes and on the set. Stars Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa-whose Talking Sopranos podcast has become a sensational fan favorite-talk intimately with virtually everyone who has been involved with the show. And they're ready to spill it all.

Who made the phone call that got HBO to launch The Sopranos? What's the significance of all those eggs? And, what the hell ever happened to the Russian? Michael Imperioli, Steve Schirripa, and the entire cast and crew of The Sopranos have all the answers-and they're revealing where all the bodies are buried. 

Inspired by the incredibly successful Talking Sopranos podcast, The Sopranos stars Michael Imperioli (Christopher Moltisanti) and Steve Schirripa (Bobby Baccalieri) will finally reveal all the Soprano family secrets in a surprising, funny, and honest new book. Woke Up This Morning will be the definitive behind-the-scenes history of the groundbreaking HBO series that became a worldwide cultural phenomenon, ushered in a new Golden Age of Television, and to this day continues to be one of the most binged shows of all time.

 Expanding on the podcast with exclusive interviews with the cast, crew, producers, writers, directors, and, of course, the series creator David Chase, Michael and Steve will tell all the incredible stories that The Sopranos fans have been waiting to hear for over twenty years. The book will cover the entire history of The Sopranos series from the original concept pitch and casting to the infamous cut to black-and answer many of the thousands of fan questions sent to the podcast, as well as dispel some widely propagated myths and reveal things no one outside the show would even know to ask.

The audiobook edition is read by Michael Imperioli, Steve Schirripa, Adam Grupper, Aspen Vincent, Chris Ciulla, Christina Delaine, Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, Eva Kaminsky, Fred Berman, Geoffrey Cantor, James Lurie, Jason Culp, Kathleen McInerney, Lisa Flanagan, Nancy Peterson, Oliver Wyman, Richard Ferrone, and Suzanne Toren.

Editorial Reviews

DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile

This audiobook is a must for any fan of the long-running HBO show “The Sopranos,” which has been off the air for more than 20 years. It's an opportunity to hear many of the voices of its actors again, this time casually talking about the show and what went on when the cameras were turned off. The audiobook is based on a podcast by Michael Imperioli (Christopher) and Steve Schirripa (Bobby) about the series. Other members of the cast show up and talk about their hiring, what James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) was like in real life, and other cool information. In some cases, cast members are interviewed. The work is riveting—every minute reveals a new fact or twist in the “Sopranos” legend from the mouths of those who were there. M.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

I will be reading and rereading Woke Up This Morning....These rollicking gabfests... bring together nearly everyone, on screen and off, who made the series a creative and cultural landmark. The freely offered admiration expressed by so many for their missing comrade and unofficial cast captain, Gandolfini, makes these stories about playing tough guys all the more tender.”  — New York Times

"Essential for fans, with a revelation on every page....Devotees will revel in the stroll into series minutiae" — Kirkus Reviews

“A spectacular tell-all about the making of the Emmy-winning hit television series….What makes this sing is the passion and energy brought by Imperioli and Schirripa and its indelible tribute to the late James Gandolfini. As Aida Turturro (Janice Soprano) recalls, 'He was there for you no matter what.' This is the ultimate book on The Sopranos, made by the people who lived it. “ — Publishers Weekly

Library Journal

11/05/2021

In this surprising, humorous, and heartfelt trip down memory lane, HBO's groundbreaking series The Sopranos is fondly remembered by those most involved in its creation and phenomenal success. With coauthor Philip Lerman (Dadditude), Sopranos actors Imperioli and Steve Schirripa draw from their podcast Talking Sopranos as they break down each season with behind-the-scenes stories and forthright conversations with series creator David Chase, other actors, and crew members—including the sound engineer and stunt coordinator—among others. Imperioli and Schirripa attribute the show's success to Chase's impeccable attention to detail, his avoidance of Italian American stereotypes (particularly in his depiction of complicated, strong Italian American women), and his insistence on a large budget for music. They weigh in on the best lines from the series and the most effective uses of songs, and delve into technical challenges, like hiding microphones and making fights appear realistic. The presence of the late, great James Gandolfini's presence looms large throughout this oral history; coworkers both praise his generosity and admit that working with the sometimes-prickly leading man could be tense. VERDICT This nostalgia-inducing, funny, and thought-provoking tribute rises to the top of works about The Sopranos.—Lisa Henry, Kirkwood P.L., MO

DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile

This audiobook is a must for any fan of the long-running HBO show “The Sopranos,” which has been off the air for more than 20 years. It's an opportunity to hear many of the voices of its actors again, this time casually talking about the show and what went on when the cameras were turned off. The audiobook is based on a podcast by Michael Imperioli (Christopher) and Steve Schirripa (Bobby) about the series. Other members of the cast show up and talk about their hiring, what James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) was like in real life, and other cool information. In some cases, cast members are interviewed. The work is riveting—every minute reveals a new fact or twist in the “Sopranos” legend from the mouths of those who were there. M.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2021-09-15
A multivocal history of one of the greatest TV shows ever made.

Imperioli and Schirripa, who played Christopher Moltisanti and Bobby Baccalieri on The Sopranos, took the occasion of the pandemic to watch every episode (86) of the series and then dissect it with the help of cast and crew. This book draws on the resulting podcast, with 44 cast members and 20 crew members, including creator David Chase, in tow. There’s plenty of news here—e.g., that Michael Rispoli, who played Jackie Aprile, and Steven Van Zandt, who played Silvio Dante, were both in the running for the role of Tony Soprano. James Gandolfini eventually won that role, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else in it. On that note, as the authors write, “Can you imagine The Sopranos with Lorraine Bracco as Carmela, instead of Edie Falco? Turns out that very easily could have happened.” Bracco, though, opted to play Jennifer Melfi, the psychiatrist, by virtue of the fact that she represented an intelligent Italian woman, altogether too rare in film and TV portrayals. The authors locate the origin of the series in a 1996 indie movie directed by Steve Buscemi called Trees Lounge, a film in which not much happens but in which many of the cast members of The Sopranos made appearances three years before the series launched. Devotees will revel in the stroll into series minutiae, from the accompanying music to how characters were slated to die (said Tony Sirico, aka Paulie Walnuts, to a writer, “You ever write a script where I die, first I die, then you die”). In many sections, the conversation goes deep: Who would have noticed that when Tony and Dr. Melfi appear together, their clothing colors “either match or clash”? Of course, there’s plenty of discussion about the last scene of the final episode, with Schirripa opining, “I feel Tony Soprano is alive and well and living in New Jersey.”

Essential for fans, with a revelation on every page.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176223347
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	11/02/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged

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