Franc
D'Ambrosio, who's most known for playing the title role in The Phantom
of the Opera for most of the show's five-year run in San Francisco is
going solo at Joe's Pubon Sunday night, April 30th at 7:00 pm. Tickets for the Joe's Pub show are $25 and are
available at The Public Theater Box Office (425 Lafayette Street) or
through Telecharge: www.telecharge.com or 212.239.6200. For more info, go to www.joespub.com.
Growing up in a family of bakers in the Bronx, New York, the furthest thing from Franc D'Ambrosio's mind was that he would one day star in the now legendary Andrew Lloyd Weber musical The Phantom of the Opera. In fact, Franc not only portrayed the famed masked man, but did so over 2,600 times, never missing a performance. Thus, the title "The World's Longest Running Phantom" was bestowed upon Franc after bringing more than five million theatre-goers to their feet for over six years.It was in his 3rd grade class production of Cinderella that people first recognized Franc's unusually powerful voice. His singing, as natural as speaking, broke the sound barrier with his innate projection and sense of volume...although he did not sing again until he was 16.Growing up in a questionable section of the borough, many of Franc's childhood friends were getting into trouble-- and Franc was often left alone to pursue his own dreams. He eventually began dating a musician, which rekindled his affair with singing. Franc found that his voice could earn him scholarships, and was a sure-fire ticket out of the Bronx-- to bigger and better things. In fact, Franc even went on to study at the famed Vocal Academy of Lucca in Italy.
Agents and auditions soon became a way of life for Franc- and led to the role of Sweeney Todd on Broadway. He was then called in to audition for a film called Secret Journal 2. What Franc didn't know was the real title of the film-- and that he would be meeting famed director Francis Ford Coppola for the role of Anthony Corleone in The Godfather Part III. Paramount Pictures cast Franc as Al Pacino's opera singing son after an international search lasting more than a year. The film received 7 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Score featuring Franc on the Original Motion Picture soundtrack. Franc had become the first and only person to ever sing Carmine Coppola's haunting Godfather theme.The Godfather III opened many doors for Franc-- but none as significant as that of the casting director for The Phantom of the Opera. Though Franc went in to read for the role of "Chris" in Miss Saigon, he left with the offer for the lead in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony Award winning musical. Casting Franc as the masked man also made him the youngest Phantom ever. "Under a mask, we're all the same age," Franc says. Franc spent a year and a half on the road with the national tour, and five years with the production in San Francisco.
After a decisive choice to remain in musical theatre, Franc starred in numerous shows Off-Broadway including A Little Night Music, She Loves Me, and in the title role of the musical Valentino. It was in Valentino that Franc caught the eye of Barry Manilow, who personally selected him to create and star as the male lead "Tony" in the pre-Broadway tour of Copacabana based on Manilow's hit song. Franc and Barry worked together--side-by-side-- for five straight weeks, culminating in a successful tour and a performance that earned Franc a National Theatre Award nomination for Best Male Performer in a Musical.Television appearances include Regis and Kathy Lee, the Joan Rivers Show, Entertainment Tonight, MTV's Spotlight, various television specials, live events and a starring role in A Little Night Music at both the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles and the Curran Theatre in San Francisco. However, one of Franc's most fond career memories was when Luciano Pavarotti personally invited him to sing and work with the living legend at his home in Italy.
Franc is featured on many CDs and his performance of "Panis Angelicus" earned him a Grammy Consideration for Best Male Vocalist 1999.Olympic Champion Brian Boitano invited Franc to perform as a Special Musical Guest in the skater's NBC special Brian Boitano's Skating Spectacular, in December 2004 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada that aired nationally New Year's Day, 2005. Following the success of his Mandalay Bay performance, Franc was asked to star as Special Musical Guest with Michael Bolton at Boitano's next T.V. special, The 2005 Tribute To The Movies On Ice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Mr. D'Ambrosio's performance of "Music Of The Night" from the movie The Phantom of the Opera, skated to by Mr. Boitano received the evenings standing ovation.Franc's extraordinary rendition of "What Kind of Fool Am I?" was performed by Brian Boitano on The Today Show December 30, 2004 as a cut from D'Ambrosio's first solo CD Franc D'Ambrosio's Broadway (LML Music) released January 4, 2005. One dollar from the sale of each CD will go to Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network which, among other things, includes a mission to help children in South Africa, many of whom have been orphaned by the outbreak of the HIV/AIDS virus.
He will also appear with Michael Feinstein, Amanda McBroom, Maureen McGovern and others on the Lee Lessack CD In Good Company (LML Music) to be released spring, 2005.As a result of his Phantom status, Franc not only attended the American premiere of Joel Schumacher's much anticipated musical film production of The Phantom of the Opera held in New York City December 12, 2004, but also served as the red carpet correspondent for Access Hollywood's coverage of the film.Franc will soon resume a 76 city U.S. concert tour titled after his CD. Having begun the tour earlier this year, with dates throughout 2005 and on into 2006, both the tour and the CD are a celebration of the music that has sustained our hearts and imagination, and established Broadway as an American art form.Franc is currently the #1 selling and touring artist on the LML Music label.
