Music Theatre of Ct MainStage Presents My Way..., Begins 4/1

Music Theatre of Connecticut MainStage is proud to present "My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra" by David Grapes and Todd Olson. A drop-dead, too-good-to miss musical revue featuring over fifty songs recorded by "Old Blue Eyes," this limited engagement of ""My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra" will begin performances on April 1.

"There are musical legends who have made an indelible mark on our culture, and Frank Sinatra is one of them," says Kevin Connors, director of "My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra" at MTC MainStage. "This tribute show doesn't attempt to impersonate Sinatra, but celebrates his music and style, transporting the audience to the era of supper clubs, vintage Las Vegas and the perfect martini."

"My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra" features over fifty songs recorded by Sinatra, including "The Best is Yet to Come," Theme from "New York, New York, "Fly Me to the Moon," "Strangers in the Night," "How About You?," "I Get a Kick Out of You," "I'll Be Seeing You," "It Was a Very Good Year," "I've Got the World on a String," "Dream," "The Lady is a Tramp," "Chicago," "Let's Get Away From It All," "Love and Marriage," "High Hopes," "One For My Baby," "All of Me," "My Funny Valentine," "Young at Heart," "Summer Wind," "That's Life" and many more.

Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12, 1915 - May 14, 1998) began his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, becoming a successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, the idol of the "bobby soxers". He signed with Capitol Records and released several critically lauded albums (such as "In the Wee Small Hours," "Songs for Swingin' Lovers," "Come Fly with Me," "Only the Lonely" and "Nice 'n' Easy"). Sinatra left Capitol to found his own record label, Reprise Records (finding success with albums such as "Ring-A-Ding-Ding," "Sinatra at the Sands" and "Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim"), toured internationally, was a founding member of the Rat Pack and fraternized with celebrities and statesmen, including John F. Kennedy. Sinatra turned 50 in 1965, recorded the retrospective "September of My Years," starred in the Emmy-winning television special "Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music," and scored hits with "Strangers in the Night" and "My Way". With sales of his music dwindling and after appearing in several poorly received films, Sinatra retired for the first time in 1971. Two years later, however, he came out of retirement and in 1973 recorded several albums, scoring a Top 40 hit with "(Theme From) New York, New York" in 1980. Using his Las Vegas shows as a home base, he toured both within the United States and internationally, until a short time before his death in 1998. Sinatra also forged a successful career as a film actor, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in "From Here to Eternity," a nomination for Best Actor for "The Man with the Golden Arm" and critical acclaim for his performance in "The Manchurian Candidate." He also starred in the screen musicals "High Society," "Pal Joey," "Guys and Dolls" and "On the Town." Sinatra was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1983 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan in 1985 and the CongressionAl Gold Medal in 1997. Sinatra was also the recipient of eleven Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Trustees Award, Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

The cast of "My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra" is Johnny Orenberg, Jillian Schochet, Jodi Stevens and Robert J. Townsend. Johnny Orenberg, a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music, has appeared in the recent NYC workshop/reading of "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" opposite Sutton Foster and directed by Katheleen Marshall. He has also appeared in "Ernest in Love" as Algernon and "Hairspray" as Link Larkin. Jillian Schochet has performed in prestigious venues including Papermill Playhouse, Madison Square Garden, Seven Angels and the MGM Grand. She has appeared as Debbie Gibson's swing in "Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy," The Witch in "Into The Woods," Meg in "Brigadoon" and Janis Joplin in "Flashback: A Trip Through the '60s." Jodi Stevens returns to MTC MainStage, having recently appeared in the critically-acclaimed production of "Love Letters" opposite her husband, Scott Bryce. She earned rave reviews as Hollywood film icon, Marlene Dietrich, in the Off-Broadway production of "Dietrich and Chevalier: The Musical," and appeared in the original Broadway companies of "Urban Cowboy" and "Jekyll & Hyde." Robert J. Townsend recently toured the country with "The Radio City Christmas Spectacular," and has also toured in the national and international tours of "Mamma Mia!" as Father Alexandrios, "Grease" as Kenickie and "Camelot" as Sir Sagramore. He won the Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Award for "The Story of My Life" as Thomas Weaver at Havok Theatre Company and the Broadway World Award for "1776" as Edward Rutledge at Musical Theatre West.

"My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra" is directed by Kevin Connors, who serves as Executive Artistic Director and is a co-founder of MTC. Musical direction by Max Haymer, with musical staging by Marty Bongfeldt and Kevin Connors. Sets by Scott Holdredge, lighting by Joshua Scherr, costumes by Diane Vanderkroef and stage managed by Jim Schilling.

"My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra" will be performed Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, with matinees Saturdays at 4pm and Sundays at 3pm at MTC MainStage Studio Theatre, 246 Post Road East (ColoniAl Green/Lower Level) in downtown Westport, CT. Tickets are available by calling 203.454.3883 or visiting www.musictheatreofct.com Each performance is followed by a wine and cheese reception where the audience is invited to meet the actors and production team.

Tickets to "My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra" are $25-$45 ($5 off for seniors and students.) Call 203.454.3883 or visit www.musictheatreofct.com

To post a comment, you must register and login.