It was a night of gin martinis and evening gloves at the Tower Theatre, an homage to Ol’
Blue Eyes that all ages will fall for. My Way: A Musical Tribute to
Frank Sinatra, produced by Innovation Theatre Works under the artistic
direction of Chris Rennolds and Brad Hills, is a journey to a time
where elegance ruled, men loved dames, dames loved mink stoles, and the
world, at least for the duration of a song, believed in the fable of
perfect love.
An ensemble cast, led by Broadway veteran Daniel
Guzman, croons through a medley of fifty-eight standards intermixed
with Sinatra tidbits delivered with the affability of a vintage
nightclub act. Guzman, a haberdasher’s dream endowed with an engaging
sense of “cool” and a lush voice that refuses to lose its masculine
edge, is the highlight of My Way from the time the curtain opens on his
iconic, tuxedoed silhouette to the magnetic way he commands such
classic songs as That’s Life and New York, New York. Guzman’s reverence
and dedication to the material never drops to the level of
impersonation. My Way is Guzman’s heartfelt and charismatic tribute. He
acknowledges there can only ever be one Chairman of the Board¸ but
effortlessly manages to transfix the audience from his very first note.
Guzman’s “dame” in My Way is played with an astute sensuality by Alyssa Marie. Marie’s timeless beauty matches her voice on such smoky ballads as All of Me, where we really do believe her as she sings, “How can I go on, dear, without you?”
The foil to this sophisticated twosome is played with a chaste sweetness by Tom Kelleher and Noelle Marion. Marion conveys great warmth as she maneuvers through a burgeoning courtship with Kelleher. Their infectious optimism shines on duets like I Believe and Kelleher’s show-stopping I’m Gonna Live Til I Die.
Innovation Theatre Works is a non-profit organization committed to establishing “the only world class professional regional theater in Central Oregon.” With the attention to detail highlighted in My Way-from the talent and musicianship of the actors to era-perfect costumes designed by couturiers Lisa Logan and Denise Wallace to the subtle, yet crucial, ambience created by light designer Michael Nowak-Rennolds and Hill are well on their way to bringing a world class theatrical experience to the high desert.
My Way: A Musical Tribute to
Frank Sinatra
Playing at the Tower Theatre through June 28. See www.towertheatre.org for show schedule.
This article appears in Jun 18-24, 2009.
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“a time where elegance ruled, men loved dames”
And sometimes “dolls” or “broads.”
Nice lede.
Congrats to ITW on the positive response to this production. Wouldn’t it be nice if the organization was not the “only world class professional regional theater in Central Oregon?” I can dream can’t I? Personally, I would love to see more, but the first step is always the most important as well as the most challenging.
COC