Review: Tony Danza Pays Tribute to 'Ol Blue Eyes' in NYC at 54 Below

The famed 54 Below venue brimmed with excited chatter as Tony Danza took center stage for the first performance of his tribute to his friend and mentor, Frank Sinatra.  The show, aptly dubbed Tony Danza: Sinatra & Stories, featured the now silver-haired TV and film star who showed his chops as a true singing (and dancing) force.  

Fresh off a seven-city tour performance with his band, Danza suavely jumped on stage clad in a black tuxedo suit with a black tie, true to the elegant and sophisticated Sinatra legacy!  Beginning with time honored Sinatra hits,  “Come Fly With Me”, “I’ve Got The World on a String” and the Cole Porter classic, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” Danza’s mellifluous vocals reverberated off the renowned walls of the theater.  

It was at this point that Danza began his “stories” of ‘ol Blue Eyes.  It seems his mother was an original Bobby Soxer, yes, one of those teens way back in the 1940’s who swooned over a young but always cool Frank Sinatra.  “Sinatramania” marked the first time that music and film was truly marketed to a younger audience in the US. As a result, Danza was immersed in Sinatra’s music from his childhood in the New York area.  Danza proceeded to reveal how Sinatra lived each word of his life through song, with a rendition of “It Was a Very Good Year”  which the latter had it specifically adapted for him.

Like Sinatra, Danza proudly spoke of his Italian mom who was a driving force in his career.  As his mom pointedly told him “You’ll be a big shot when you introduce me to Frank Sinatra”, despite the fact her son was a star on a national TV hit, Taxi (1978-1983).  His new found stardom on TV propelled Danza’s career into film, thus aligning him in the path of his idol, Frank Sinatra. Relaying how he met the “Chairman of the Board”  Danza did eventually get to introduce his mother to her childhood teen idol!  The adventures of Danza working with Sinatra in films like Cannonball Run II (1984) created an enduring friendship between the two over time, culminating with Sinatra yelling at Danza on a national TV tribute for his 80th birthday.  In the company of many of Sinatra’s famous and talented good friends, Danza fearing Sinatra was unsteady on a steep step rushed to his aid, only to be forcefully told “Back off” by the man himself.  It seemed that even in his older age, Sinatra was still doing it “his way.”   Despite this, he relayed how Sinatra was always a truly generous person in life - always helping people in thoughtful and considerate ways especially those in need as well as fighting against discrimination in the country as well as in the entertainment industry.

Danza’s tremendous singing voice echoed with standout renditions of famed Sinatra songs such as  “NIce ‘n’ Easy”,“The Lady is a Tramp”,”Sammy Cahn Medley”, “After You’ve Gone”, “”Just in Time", “Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry” (with a ukulele solo by the the performer), “Luck Be a Lady” and “One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)” had the audience applauding wildly.  Showing off his fancy footwork tap dancing skills further added to the entertainment - and he can dance folks.

Ending the night with his tale of Frank Sinatra’s endearing behind the scenes performance on Danza’s show, Who’s The Boss (1984-1992),  Tony Danza gave insight into the lovely friendship and camaraderie that existed between the renowned musical and film superstar and the younger TV star.  This reviewer was thrilled to hear of these gracious and charming stories of a Hollywood icon who was truly in reality a wonderful person. Beautiful!

Tony Danza: Sinatra & Stories featured the tremendous talents of Tony Danza, Musical Director, James Sampliner and Band: Dave Schupp (guitar), John Arbo (bass) and Ed Caccavale (Drums).

See a full set of photos from the show snapped by Stephen Sorokoff here.

Learn more about the artist on his website at tonydanza.com

Find more great shows to see on the 54 Below website here