The world premiere of A Tribute to a Legend: Davi Sings Sinatra opens at Hofstra University's John Cranford Adams Playhouse for three special concerts - Friday and Saturday, July 16 and 17, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 18, at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $30/$25 senior citizen (over 65); $18 matriculated non-Hofstra student with ID; $15 Hofstra faculty/staff/student with current HofstraCard. For tickets and more information call the Hofstra Box Office at (516) 463-6644, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. or visit
http://www.hofstra.edu/HofstraEntertainment .
Hofstra alumnus/Queens native Robert Davi is one of the most recognizable entertainers in the world. He studied acting under the legendary
Stella Adler at the world-renowned Actors Studio. As the indelible villain Franz Sanchez in the James Bond film Licence to Kill to more recent film and television appearances, he has thrilled audiences. He appeared opposite
Marlon Brando in Christopher Columbus: The Discovery,
Clint Eastwood in City Heat,
Bruce Willis in Die Hard, and
Roberto Benigni in Son of the Pink Panther. He also appeared in 88 episodes of the NBC series Profiler playing Agent Baily Malone, and as Commander Acastus Kolya on Showtime's Stargate Atlantis. Other credits include
Steven Spielberg's classic The Goonies and Raw Deal, where he first met his close friend
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Davi's first passion, however, is singing. He studied under Samuel Margolis, famed singing teacher at the Metropolitan Opera, who also taught
Robert Merrill, the man who
Frank Sinatra would sometimes call upon for vocal workshops. Then he studied with
Daniel Ferro of Juilliard and later, opera great Tito Gobbi. It's not until this last year when it all came together, under the careful tutelage of the legendary voice-builder Gary Catona.
Recently, in his directorial debut The Dukes (co-starring
Chazz Palminteri,
Peter Bogdanovich and Miriam Margoles,) Davi returned to his lyrical roots by portraying a doo-wop singer trying to make a comeback. The movie won nine major international festival awards.
Accompanying Davi in concert is the 30-piece New York Big Band, led by Joe Battaglia. Joe has performed with
Frank Sinatra,
Shirley Bassey and
Tony Bennett. His New York Big Band is the house band at The Edison Ballroom in New York City and has performed at Lincoln Center and political fundraisers for
Hillary Clinton, Rudolph Giuliani and
Barbara Walters.
Opening for Davi at all three concerts is Tom Dreesen who has made more than 500 appearances on national television as a standup comedian, including 61 appearances on the Tonight Show. He's a favorite guest of David Letterman and even hosted the show in David's absence. For 14 years he toured the nation as the opening act for
Frank Sinatra.
Additionally, Robert Davi will entertain audiences in a more intimate forum. On Friday, July 9, 2010, at 7 p.m. he will present "An Evening with Robert Davi," which will benefit the Joseph and
Mary Ann Monticciolo Endowed Scholarship at Hofstra University. The evening will include a cocktail reception and conversation with Robert Davi as he shares his memories of a life in show business. Tickets are $100 per person or $175 per couple. Attendees will receive a ticket to Davi Sings Sinatra and a DVD copy of The Dukes.
