Twenty-five years after Vitello's became part of a painful chapter in his family's history, Noah Blake has returned to the restaurant to direct and star in a fictional murder mystery, describing the production as part of his healing journey.
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Blake → become → journey
The "Teen Witch" alum's "A Killer Night in Studio City," a noir-inspired immersive theater production set in 1958, opened at the famed Italian restaurant on Sept. 15.
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alum → inspire → Sept.
"When I was first approached about this, of course, there was this little bit of ... and then I was like, 'Wait, what am I doing?
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I → approach → what
Of course, I should do this,'" Blake told Fox News Digital.
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Blake → do → Digital
"This is a chance for me to, not rewrite history, but to create a new page and to create a new connection and a new relationship for me with this place, for my name with this place, for my family with this place.
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me → rewrite → place
"
"I've got a four-year-old son," Blake said.
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Blake → get → son
"I want him to be able to go there and enjoy Vitello's as he's grown up, God willing, as long as Vitello's is there.
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Vitello → want → Vitello
And I don't want him to ever feel funny.
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him → want → ?
I want him to think about, 'Oh, Vitello's, that's the place where daddy did that fun show.'
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daddy → want → show
I'm not trying to minimize that tragedy, but it wasn't my tragedy, and it was a cross that I've had to bear and still will probably for the rest of my life."
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I → try → life
Blake said Vitello's was a regular gathering place for his family while he was growing up, but he stayed away for decades.
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he → say → decades
He eventually returned and agreed to stage the production there, saying he wanted to reclaim positive memories of a place he had loved.
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he → return → place
"I want to go and do something in this space that is creative, that is fun, that is exciting, where people come and laugh and gasp and have a great time," he explained.
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he → want → time
"Some people may not even know [what happened] and the people who do might be curious and go, 'Oh, that has nothing to do with anything, and I had a great time.'"
WATCH: NOAH BLAKE SAYS RETURN TO SITE TIED TO FAMILY TRAGEDY IS ‘FULL CIRCLE’
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RETURN → know → FAMILY
The history Blake is trying to move beyond dates back to 2001, when his father Robert Blake's wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, was killed after the couple had dinner at Vitello's.
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couple → try → Vitello
The actor was acquitted of murder in 2005 in connection with Bakley's killing.
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actor → acquit → killing
Bakley was shot and killed while sitting in Robert's car near the restaurant.
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Bakley → shoot → restaurant
A civil jury later found him liable for her death and ordered him to pay Bakley's family $30 million, prompting him to file for bankruptcy, according to The Associated Press.
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him → find → Press
An appeals court later reduced the award to $15 million, after which the parties reached a confidential settlement.
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parties → reduce → settlement
Robert died in 2023 at 89.
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Robert → die → 89
Rose Lenore, Bakley's daughter with Robert, feels differently about the production.
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Lenore → feel → production
She told Fox News Digital that Vitello's remains too painful for her and others who loved her mother.
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who → tell → mother
"I think him doing it at Vitello's is upsetting for me and anyone who loved Bonny," she said.
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she → think → Bonny
"And there were quite a few people who did.
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who → be → ?
She left behind three children, plus me.
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She → leave → children
She also left behind a sister, my aunt, who misses her dearly.
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who → leave → her
And so, to have Robert Blake's son do any show at Vitello's, let alone a murder mystery show, I find that to be insensitive and upsetting."
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that → have → Vitello
"I don't even care what the show is about," Lenore said.
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Lenore → care → what
"I'm also not here to invalidate anyone's healing journey, if that's what this is for him.
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this → invalidate → him
But I also think it's my moral obligation to stand up for what I believe in.
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I → think → what
I would still be upset if he was doing anything else.
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he → do → anything
And for Noah to be doing a happy, fun show — I think it's in poor taste."
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it → do → taste
"I'm not wishing any harm on Noah," Lenore continued.
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Lenore → wish → Noah
"I wish him well in his life and career.
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I → wish → life
But it would be hard for me to stay silent on something like this.
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me → stay → this
It would be hard for me to stay silent about my mother."
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me → stay → mother
Responding to Lenore's criticism, Blake wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital, "I have my own deeply personal reasons for doing this play.
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I → respond → play
Vitello's was a place that I loved my entire life.
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I → love → that
Over time, that place became the physical embodiment for me of a much larger and devastating chapter of my life — one thing that I had nothing to do with, but whose consequences I have had to endure for years.
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I → become → years
"
"Choosing to walk back into that space now and create something uniquely mine — something lighthearted and entertaining that people are enjoying — is part of my own healing journey," he wrote.
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he → choose → journey
…and 23 more, not listed.
The Aporia
