[NEohioPAL] Review of "My Way" at Rabbit Run Theater

[Bob Abelman]

Easy to drink in Sinatra revue 'My Way'

 

Bob Abelman

News-Herald, Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times Courier

Member, International Association of Theatre Critics 

 

This review appeared in the News-Herald 8/20/10

 

David Grapes and Todd Olson's tribute to Frank Sinatra, on stage at the Rabbit Run Theatre in Madison Township, is a highball of a musical revue.  Its top-shelf stuff, served in a tall glass with a splash of class befitting the man and his music.

Over 50 tunes from the vast Sinatra songbook, spanning his early recording days, his films and his concerts, are performed in medley by two men and two women in formal wear.  The songs, placed in context with a modicum of biographical banter, are performed in a romantic, blue-hued nightclub setting complete with bar, three-piece band and intimate couples-only tables.   

The show is inebriating-a thoroughly enjoyable late-summer diversion-but the title, My Way, is a misnomer.   There is no way that My Way can be done Sinatra's way.

One of the things that defined Sinatra and earned him the moniker "The Voice" was that there was no other voice like his voice.

 

Smooth, effortless and renowned for its impeccable phrasing, Sinatra's approach to music transitioned the innocent and idealistic crooning of the 1940s to the jazzy, alcohol-enabled   sophistication of the 1950s.  Sinatra singlehandedly moved the music scene from the Big Band dance hall to the Vegas cocktail lounge and night club, stylistically as well as geographically.  

 

When asked about the secret to his success, Sinatra replied "I sing good songs."  My Way is all about the songs.  

 

These are brilliant compositions by the world's most legendary tunesmiths, including Sammy Cahn, Cole Porter and John H. Mercer.  Many were written specifically for Sinatra and are so good they seem to have been touched by the music gods-a holy merger of the perfect lyric with the ideal melody, sung with just the right inflection.  

 

When Sinatra sang "It's quarter to three/There's no one in the place 'cept you and me/So set 'em up Joe/I got a little story I think you oughta know/We're drinking my friend/To the end of a brief episode/So make it one for my baby/And one more for the road," even the gods wept.

 

Thankfully, under Brint Learned's astute direction, none of the four talented performers in this Rabbit Run production attempts to "do" Sinatra, for Sinatra is inimitable.  The best that can be hoped for is a reflection of his style in this showcase.   

 

This is most certainly achieved.

 

Brian Altman, Nichole Groah, Lindsey Sandham and James Penca capture Sinatra's cool sophistication.  They do so in their approach to his songs and in their subtle physicality on stage, seductively crisscrossing paths as they segue from one song to the next like strangers in the night.  Penca carries it off best in the actual delivery of the songs.  Although the youngest of the four 20- to 30-somethings, he seems to feel the music and its message, as did Sinatra, and the emotion comes across in his beautiful voice and his demeanor.

 

The others perform their songs, as if in possession of valuable heirlooms meant for display rather than personal confessions in need of disclosure.  Fortunately, they are all marvelous performers.  Altman's sensuous tenor is an absolute pleasure to listen to, as is Sandham's ingénuous soprano and Groah's torch-song sensibilities. 

 

The show's best musical moments come during the four-part harmony arrangements of Sinatra solo numbers, where each voice blends beautifully with the others and with the orchestrations.  The phenomenal band consists of John Kock on bass, William Wedmedyk on drums and, on piano, the musical director Edward Leonard.

 

The performance skills of these singers are particularly valuable between songs, for much of My Way's banter is rather banal, as if written for an airport hotel lounge act or a Knott's Berry Farm variety show.  Altman, Groah, Sandham and Penca handle this with charm, grace and humor.

 

Judging from the dialogue, it is assumed that the audience for My Way is limited to those who learned about life, love and libation while listening to Sinatra on the radio.

 

However, this music is evergreen and, when sung so well by young performers, this production is suitable for and recommended to romantics of any age.  Everyone should imbibe.

 

 My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra continues through August 29 at Rabbit Run Theater, 5648 W. Chapel Rd., in Madison Township. For tickets, $15 to $17, call 440-428-7092 or visit www.rabbitrunonline.org.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.neohiopal.org/pipermail/neohiopal-neohiopal.org/attachments/20100820/692d8ab3/attachment-0003.htm>