Theatre Arlington Stages MY WAY: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO FRANK SINATRA thru May 29

Theatre Arlington's Bigger, Better and Brighter season takes a moment to slow down and enjoy the beautiful, timeless music of a dearly loved and often-imitated American icon with the opening of MY WAY: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO FRANK SINATRA.

Creators David Grapes and Todd Olson take pride in not building a show around a group of Sinatra impersonators, but rather a musical revue that pays homage to the charisma and mystique of a renowned entertainer. In the days following Sinatra's death on May 14th, 1998, Grapes and Olson knew they had to create something about the life of this man and how he chose to live it, as only Frank could. But how? How to depict Sinatra's "cool" factor or convey his talent with simple song lyrics? They quickly realized that his music said it best.

MY WAY is a subtle portrait of a legendary rebel. Along the way one will see glimpses of the bobby-soxer hero who brought Times Square to a standstill during a 1942 engagement at the Paramount Theater or the singer who influenced generations of musicians with his precise phrasing and natural acting or the "king of cool" who inspired books about the way to wear a hat (raked) and make a martini (a little vermouth, a lot of gin).

Grapes praises Sinatra's devil-may-care personality. ''What I admire most about him is that you've got to be yourself, which is a lot easier to say than do,'' says Grapes. ''He lived his life his way and didn't apologize for it. He took care of the people he liked. He asked parking attendants to reach into his pockets for tips. He refused to play the Sands until the hotel gave Sammy Davis Jr. a room."

Theatre Arlington's production of MY WAY: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO FRANK SINATRA is directed by Dennis Yslas with musical direction by Jonathan Kennedy and choreography by Joshua Sherman. It features Jeff Wells, Johnathan Hardin, Shannah Rae and Graham Galloway.

Production team members include Ashley Moseley (Stage Manager), Tony Curtis (Technical Director/Scenic Designer), Bill Eickenloff (Sound Designer), Kyle Harris (Lighting Designer) with Costumes by Dusty.

MY WAY: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO FRANK SINATRA is presented by special arrangement with Summerwind Productions.

The show opened on Friday, May 6th at 8:00pm. Performances will continue through May 29th on Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets for opening night are $30 and $25 for all other performances. Go online for more information and to purchase tickets at www.TheatreArlington.org, or call the Box Office at 817.275.7661.

Theatre Arlington is dedicated to the cultural enrichment, education and entertainment of the citizenry of Arlington and the North Texas community.

Pictured: Jeff Wells and Jonathan Hardin (background -- Shannah Rae, Graham Galloway). Photo by Eric Younkin.

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