The Goldstein Cabaret
1241 North Palm Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34236
Administration: (941) 366-9017
Box Office: (941) 366-9000
My Way
A Musical Revue Celebrating Ol' Blue Eyes
Opens Cabaret Season at Florida Studio Theatre
Frank Sinatra's career spanned more than 50 years, which is pretty phenomenal given today's fickle music industry. (And if it seems unremarkable, just imagine new mother Britney Spears 40 years from now, gyrating to some of her classic hits.) My Way, a musical revue crafted by David Grapes and Todd Olson, celebrates the music of the legendary crooner. The aptly named revue – taken from Sinatra's signature song – kicks off Florida Studio Theatre's 2005-2006 Cabaret Season October 25th.
"I was always taken by his ease, his albeit a cliché cool, his remarkable way with a simple lyric, his charisma, and the epic and in-your-face way that he chose to live his life," says co-creator Grapes. "But how could that be translated into an evening of theatre? The solution was obvious – the key was his music."
An ample selection of the singer's works, My Way includes well known classics such as "All of Me" to lesser known hits like "Dindi." But if you're expecting an imitation of Frank Sinatra, you won't find it in My Way.
"The goal of My Way has always been to construct a musical revue that recalls the essence of the man through the glorious music he sang. To celebrate Sinatra's mystique, and his myth, through the music he loved best – the American standard," says Grapes.
The man who would earn the nicknames "The Sultan of Swoon" and "The Chairman of Board" was born Francis Albert Sinatra in Hoboken, New Jersey. Hoboken in those days was a tough gig. The town was made up of Italian, Irish and Jewish immigrants and was a scrappy place for an only child. Sinatra fell in love with music early and pursued his dream of being a singer like his idol Bing Crosby, despite his father's chiding that singing lessons were for sissies. He started out singing for smaller big bands and then bigger big bands, finally getting a break when he joined Tommy Dorsey's band in 1940.
Sinatra eventually parted ways with Dorsey – in a less than amicable split – and struck out on his own. This was quite a feat in a time when singers were often little more than an embellishment for the band. In 1942, Sinatra made his solo debut at the Paramount, where he was greeted by a throng of teenage fans. The screaming crowd wouldn't be an unusual sight to today's pop idols, but was unheard of in the 1940's.
What set Sinatra apart from other singers of his day was his voice, "the kind that made it OK for any blue-collar tough guy in America to sing a ballad to his girl. He was the rogue rose who made it fine for bad boys to be sentimental," writes John Moore of the Denver Post.
Sinatra's appeal is tied up in his voice, his music and the way he lived his life. "Everybody deep down wishes we could go back to that world where we could say what we wanted to say, and do what we wanted to do. Frank just didn't care. The reason there haven't been any tell-all books about him since he died is because there was nothing left to expose. He lived his life in the open, which is something people admire," says Grapes.
The cast of My Way features Stephen Hope, a face familiar to many FST audiences. Mr. Hope has appeared in a number of FST productions including My One and Only Gershwin, Too Darn Hot, Showtune, The Rise and Fall of Western Civilization and The Exonerated. Most recently, Mr. Hope donned a dress and high heels to play Sylvia St. Croix in the Summerfest production of Ruthless! The Musical.
Joining Mr. Hope are FST newcomers Kelly Atkins, Jennifer Johns and Michael Zahler. Dennis Courtney will direct the production, with assistance from FST staffers Michael Sebastian (Music Director), Jim Prosser (Pianist), Marcella Beckwith (Scenic & Costume Designer) and Allen L Mack (Lighting Designer).
My Way begins October 25, 2005 and runs through January 7, 2006 at FST's Goldstein Cabaret. Tickets are $19-29 and may be purchased from the FST Box Office in person or by calling (941) 366-9000.
Known as Sarasota's Contemporary Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre was founded in 1973 by Jon Spelman. Starting out as a small touring company, FST traveled to places such as migrant camps and prisons. The company eventually settled down into a permanent home, acquiring the former Woman's Club building – now renamed the Keating Theatre. In the years that followed, Florida Studio Theatre established itself as a major force in American Theatre, presenting contemporary theatre in its three theatre venues: the Keating Theatre, the Goldstein Cabaret and its newest space, the Gompertz Theatre.
