Sinatra musical honors 'Ol' Blue Eyes'
GERRY PATE/gerry.pate@shj.com
SPECIAL THANKS TO LINDA CONLEY AND GERRY PATE FOR THIS GREAT WRITE UP AND THE PHOTOS IN THE SPARTANBURG HERALD JOURNAL.
By Linda Conley
linda.conley@shj.com
Fans couldn't get enough of Frank Sinatra when he was on the big screen or a stage in a Las Vegas nightclub.
He died almost 11 years ago, but love for his music and movies lives on.
The Spartanburg Little Theatre is giving Sinatra lovers a chance to hear his music and learn more about the man behind the legacy.
"My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra" comes to the stage at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday in the David Reid Theater in the Chapman Cultural Center.
The four-member cast will perform songs that became Sinatra trademarks, such as "I Get a Kick Out of You," "New York, New York" and "Strangers in the Night." During breaks in the music, the actors will talk about Sinatra's life, ranging from his relationships in the Rat Pack to his four highly publicized marriages.
"This is a tribute, so audiences aren't going to see someone trying to be Frank Sinatra," said director Debbie Craig-Archer. "There was only one Frank Sinatra. He did it his way, and I want cast members to take his music and do it their way."
Audiences won't see a typical theater stage setup for the two-hour performance. The setting will resemble a nightclub scene similar to the ones Sinatra headlined. The four featured singers will perform jazz and show tunes.
"The man (Sinatra) was a master," John Wharton says. "He made singing seem easier than it really is."
Wharton, a Chesnee High School choral director, is one of the singers. He said cast members pooled their money to buy copies of Sinatra's music so they could become more familiar with it. They said Sinatra wasn't just a crooner but a versatile singer.
"I have become a bigger fan now from doing this show," Wharton said. "I am listening to his music and realizing he was really doing something special."
Melody McClellan, a vocal performance graduate of Converse College, will attend Westminister Choir College at Princeton University in August. She said being in the show allows her to keep her music sharp.
"I am not playing a specific character, so it is difficult to remember what goes next sometimes," she said. "I like all of Frank Sinatra's music, but I didn't realize there were so many facets to him because he was an actor and performed on the stage."
Scott Waddell, administrative assistant at Security Finance Corp., said he has always been a big Sinatra fan and was familiar with his music before being cast in the show.
"I've always felt like I was born in the wrong era because I like the jazz and type of music Sinatra sang," Waddell said.
"Frank Sinatra was cool and one of a kind. I was almost hesitant about doing the show because I didn't want people to think we are trying to impersonate Sinatra. This is a tribute."
Melanie Gladstone, a music and dance teacher at S.C. School for the Deaf and the Blind, is appearing in her first production with the Little Theatre. She said she also is learning more about Sinatra.
"He gave actress Ava Gardner a six-carat diamond, and she threw it out the window," Gladstone said. "I think she was upset because she didn't think she was the only woman Sinatra was seeing."
Tickets are still available for “My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra” for Friday January 22 and Saturday January 23 at 8 pm and the final performance Sunday January 24 at 3 pm. Call 542-ARTS or go to www.chapmanculturalcenter.org to reserve online.
