As a child growing up in the Soundview neighborhood of the Bronx, Danielle Alonzo was known in school as the class clown. “I’ve always been very outspoken and sassy and loud,” she told Norwood News, emphasizing the word “loud.”  Now, at 35, Alonzo is using some of her experiences in the boogie down borough to create a second season of the web series, “Bronx ‘ish,” a comedy, set in the Bronx, about the adventures of a young woman chasing her dreams.

 

The first season, comprising eight episodes, was all written by Alonzo and released on YouTube in 2018. She describes the look of the production as “guerilla-style.” The episodes follow the main character across the Bronx as she navigates a variety of situations, employing sharp observations and quick wit as she does so. Episode 5, “Pulled Over,” has the main character in a car, arguing with a cop over an illegal U-turn. She uses a combination of compliments, a stream of consciousness commentary, and witty remarks to wangle her way out of getting the traffic ticket.

 

The episode was inspired by conversations Alonzo had with her mother. “That’s something I would do with my mom, because my mom would always say, ‘You’re driving crazy!’” she said. “I would say, ‘Mom, please!’ If a cop pulls me over, I would just do this. It was a running joke, and then I would act it out.”

 

Alonzo’s gift for comedy has been noted by her family and friends, according to the writer. Recalling past conversations, she said, “All my life, I’ve been told, ‘You should do stand-up [comedy]. Oh my God! You’re so funny!’” In fact, she credits growing up in the Bronx as playing an important role in her comedic development. “I think the Bronx had a lot to do with that, like, our culture, growing up, just hanging out outside, talking crap with people…. it was all good fun.”

 

Filming on season two wrapped in early September and is now in post-production. Having raised the necessary financing for the project through a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, Alonzo hopes to release a more polished version of the web series this time around. This means better cinematography and a paid, professionally trained crew, in contrast to season one when she relied on help from friends and volunteers.

 

Another significant decision was to hire a producer to lighten the load, improve the organizational aspects of production, and help hire union workers. Her search led her to Gillian Fritzsche, who has been based in New York City since 2010, and has worked as both a director and producer. “She deals with all the things I don’t want to deal with,” Alonzo said.

 

Fritzsche sees “Bronx ‘ish” as a visual project capable of accomplishing several goals. “We hope people will see the value of supporting female filmmakers, content creators that are women of color, Bronx stories specifically, and comedy in general,” she said. “I just think this is a great time to be elevating women’s stories.”

 

Alonzo also sees the fruits of paying for professionals to handle the production, especially Fritzsche, as producer. “You have to pay for really good quality,” Alonzo said. From early on in the producer search, Fritzsche was enthusiastic about the second season. “She loved it, she got it…. she got my comedy right away,” the Bronx writer said.

 

Alonzo found the perfect outlet for her creative energy during the last two years of high school, taking drama classes and discovering a special talent. “That’s when I discovered improv [improvisation] and then, that’s when the game changed,” she said.

 

Season two of “Bronx ’ish” comprises eight more episodes and according to the season summary, invites viewers to, “see what happens when you’re an adult woman stuck with your mom in an apartment in New York City during the pandemic, when you finally move out and have to ‘adult’ on your own, and when you need therapy from your therapy.”

 

Alonzo is completely focused on succeeding as a creative artist. She freely admits to not having a back-up plan if a career in the performing arts does not work out. “I’m a dreamer,” she said. “I’m someone who literally never quits. I say ‘Screw a Plan B.’ Like Frank Sinatra said, ‘I Did It My Way,’ or like 50 Cent said, ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’.’ That’s how I’m living.”

 

A release date for Season two of “Bronx ‘ish” has not yet been set, but fans can follow the latest updates on the show’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts as follows:

https://www.facebook.com/bronxishwebseries;

https://www.instagram.com/bronxish_/;

https://twitter.com/Bronxish_.