My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

The Garner Galleria Theatre celebrates the life and music of “The Voice,” “The Chairman of the Board,” the Man himself: Frank Sinatra. For 60 years Sinatra turned vocal music upside down and sideways. Up until he came along, orchestra treated vocalists almost as an afterthought. Introducing phrasing, he brought the vocalist to center stage, and music has never been the same since.

Many things to many people, wearing his heart and soul on his sleeve, he spread out his many facets to the world, whether as a crooner sending bobby soxers into heat stroke, punching out photographers who got into his face, flirting with high crimes and misdemeanors, organized crime, playing lady’s man to whoever and whenever, hobnobbing with the Rat Pack, or singing each and every one of his 4,000 recorded songs from the inside out. He can’t be imitated no matter how hard one tries. They may come close, but close will never be good enough.

Created by David Grapes and Todd Olson, with the book written by Olson and directed by Grapes, My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra doesn’t try to imitate The Man, it just simply wants to celebrate The Voice and his music.

With a knockout musically talented cast, the tribute tied together 59 of Sinatra’s hits. Some extremely familiar, others not. John Fredo has been involved with My Way since the beginning when it opened at the Tennessee Repertory theatre and across the country. Fran Prisco from Philadelphia make his Denver debut reprises his role in My Way as Man #2 at Act II Playhouse and the Bristol Riverside theatre in Pennsylvania.

Laura Ryan just completed a six-month run at the Galleria in Always … Patsy Cline. Shannon Steele, Melinda Wilson, and Klint J. Rudolph played at the Galleria’s longest running musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.

The cast with entertainment in their eyes intersperses bits of Sinatra information. This could well have been an opportunity for Grapes and Olson to provide depth and insight into this multi-faceted man. Instead we get cute pieces of well-known information with no opportunity to learn anything new. Maybe there isn’t anything new since Sinatra’s life glittered as an open book. Maybe the cute was introduced to keep the tribute light and entertaining. Sinatra’s life was fascinating to say the least, but a long way from cute.

The four characters in the show are designed to represent four aspects of Sinatra, but those four aspects are elusive beyond the boards. There is no story, no plot. My Way is more a musical tribute to the songs Sinatra sang rather than to Sinatra himself. There’s “Strangers In The Night,” “Come Fly With Me,” “My Kind of Town,” “New York, New York,” “Let’s Get Away From It All,” “It Was A Very Good Year,” “The Best Is Yet To Come,” and, or course, “My Way.” All songs that Sinatra put his stamp on in a way no one else could or will ever be able to.

Maybe it’s too soon for a Tribute to Sinatra. Although he has moved on to another plane, his music remains highly visible. Radio stations play his recordings, his CDs and tapes can be heard whenever anyone wishes to. His movies can be viewed whenever anyone gets the whim. For Sinatra, it’s Sinatra or else. There is no second best.

As a musical revue, yes the cast is highly talented, and they dive in head first, although the high notes at times move just beyond a comfortable range for the women, which always brings an ackward jolt to the senses. It’s a musical, an enjoyable musical of great songs with professional musical artists, but My Way isn’t anything to write home about. It doesn’t have the Magic of Always … Patsy Cline, or the perfect hilarious bonding of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, or the harmony of dreams and magnificent timing of Forever Plaid, but it’s a night of music, flirting with a Sinatra flair, that certainly tips its hat to him.

Under musical director and pianist Lee Stametz, Mark Simon on bass, and Paul Romaine on drums, the musicians fill the Galleria with swing, tenderness, classic, smooth phrasing, accompanied with tapping the toe, want to dance, and drink in the myriad of perceptions that speak to the Sinatraesque mode. It will definitely appeal to a good many people, and will be a great introduction for the younger set that never experienced a close encounter with Ol’ Blue Eyes, and undoubtedly will enjoy a good long run, but it seems the many facets of Sinatra could have been better incorporated without the cute.