Since I'd already watched all three seasons of The Sopranos and I needed some Sopranos, I decided to try out On Location's Sopranos tour. The Sopranos tour began at Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan. Our tour guide was Marc Baron, who has appeared as an extra in a number of episodes of The Sopranos. (He claims he's always dying in episodes and that he was the character who didn't escape when Vesuvio Restaurant was burned down.)
As we drove through the Lincoln Tunnel on our way to see the New Jersey shooting locations, just like Tony Soprano does at the beginning of each episode, A3's "Woke Up This Morning" was played over the bus' intercom. Marc shared with us that rumors on the set indicate that many more scenes from Season 4 are filmed in New York City than in previous seasons. It was also pointed out that Tony Soprano (played by James Gandolfini) has yet to appear in a scene in Manhattan (at least in the first three seasons).
Most interior scenes in The Sopranos are filmed at Silvercup Studios in Queens, NY. Silvercup Studios is also where Sex & The City films interior scenes. Shooting locations for The Sopranos that you can see on the tour include AJ's high school, Satriale's, Big Pussy's auto repair shop, the Bada Bing, and the diner where Chris was shot. According to our guide, the tour is not allowed to go to Tony Soprano's house because it is part of a gated community in North Caldwell, New Jersey, that does not welcome tour buses.
Marc had a great deal of knowledge about the cast of The Sopranos. He shared a lot of biographical information about each of the main actors, including James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco (Dr. Jennifer Melfi), Edie Falco (Carmela Soprano), and Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Meadow Soprano). Attention to detail was great; Frank Sinatra was often playing through the intercom when Marc wasn't talking. Marc shared some alleged spoilers about Season 4--including an upcoming funeral--and was able to share lots of information about cast personalities. At the New Jersey pickup/drop off location, members of the tour could even meet Joe Gannascoli, who plays Vito Spatafore, who kills Jackie Jr. at the end of Season 3.
If you're interested in taking the tour on your next visit, it's $40 per person (plus a $2 ticketing fee) for the 3.5-hour tour, and it even includes a cannoli. You can register for the Sopranos Tour on their website, www.sceneontv.com. A 20% discount is available for New York Pass holders and the Entertainment Book contains a buy one, get one free coupon.
If you'd like a glimpse at some of the shooting locations in The Sopranos, check out the photo gallery!
Photo Gallery > See "The Sopranos" Shooting Locations
