PHILADELPHIA, PA: Walnut Street Theatre's 2010-2011 Independence Studio on 3 season concludes with an all-new production celebrating the memorable music of Ol' Blue Eyes, MY WAY: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO FRANK SINATRA. Directed by Fran Prisco, the production begins with previews on May 3rd, opens May 5th and has been extended through July 3rd in the Walnut's Independence Studio on 3.
Frank Sinatra made women scream when he walked up to the microphone. With a twist of a phrase, men wept. His ability to interpret a song defined an American generation. Two dynamic couples take the audience from the 1940s swing era to the bright lights of Las Vegas with the Rat Pack and beyond. MY WAY: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO FRANK SINATRA is full of songs made famous by the Chairman of the Board that include "Strangers in the Night," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "Fly Me to the Moon" and "New York, New York."
MY WAY: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO FRANK SINATRA was created in 1999, after Sinatra's passing in 1998 brought a renewed appreciation of his life's work. The show pays tribute to the man who defined a generation with his sleek style and unforgettable crooner voice. MY WAY had its premiere at Artpark in 1999 and has since played in theatres from coast to coast.
Award-winning creators David Grapes II and Todd Olson created MY WAY: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO FRANK SINATRA as a "musical revue that recalls the essence of the man through the glorious music he sang." Since the success of MY WAY, the team has gone on to create Christmas My Way - A Sinatra Holiday Bash, Moon River - Johnny Mercer's American Songbook, and I Left My Heart - A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett, which have been performed at over 200 theatres world wide.
Each of the four characters is unique in MY WAY: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO FRANK SINATRA, representing distinctive aspects of the Sinatra mystique. The cast includes Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Danielle Herbert, Ellie Mooney and Fran Prisco. Carl Clemons-Hopkins wowed Walnut audiences in The Musical of Musicals with his velvet tones and regal manner. Danielle Herbert created romantic fun on the Walnut's Mainstage in State Fair and Hairspray. Ellie Mooney was praised for her captivating wit in the Walnut's Forbidden Broadway and dramatic nuance in Amadeus. Mooney will also choreograph MY WAY adding grace to the production with effortless style.
Finally, Walnut audiences will remember Fran Prisco for his comic turn in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and more recently from Curtains and White Christmas. Prisco will make his directorial debut at the Walnut with MY WAY: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO FRANK SINATRA, working with Musical Director Alex Bechtel (Musical of Musicals).
Setting the tone for the production with class and elegance, the Walnut welcomes back Scenic Designer Andrew Thompson (The Glass Menagerie), Lighting Designer Shelley Hicklin (The Ugly One), Sound Designer Paul Winnick (The Ugly One) and Costume Designer Mary Folino (The Glass Menagerie).
Season sponsors for the 2010-2011 Independence Studio on 3 Season are The Independence Foundation and Macy's. Media season sponsors are Philadelphia Weekly and WRTI Radio. Tickets are $30 and are now available at 215-574-3550 or 215-336-1234. Tickets are also available at WalnutStreetTheatre.org or Ticketmaster.com.
