Frank Sinatra News

Now in its 12th season, Hawaii Performing Arts Festival has garnered great acclaim for its world-class performances on the Big Island each summer. This year will be no exception for the festival, as the season kicks off with An Evening At the Stork Club, starring Justin John Moniz, Ashley Lambert, and David Castillo.

JOANNA STRAND AND FRIENDS will perform at The Hippodrome Casino in the heart of London's West End on Thursday 14 July at 11.00pm, in a fundraising cabaret supporting the work of The Make A Difference Trust (MAD Trust). Joanna will be joined by headline guests Gary Williams and Jacqui Tate, alongside an exciting line-up of West End performers.

?TexARTS opens its 2016-17 Professional Series with a tribute to Frank Sinatra. Starring Leslie Hollingsworth (TexARTS' I'll Be Seeing You), Matt Harris Andersen, Michael Marchese (TexARTS' A Cool Yule) and Megan Richards Wright (Zach Theatre A Christmas Carol), My Way runs July 15 - 24 at the Kam and James Morris Theatre.

The legendary lyrical talent of Sammy Cahn takes center stage in FST's first Summer Cabaret production, "Come Fly With Me!" The Sammy Cahn Songbook. With lyrics by Sammy Cahn, music by Jule Styne & Jimmy Van Heusen, this dynamic cast of four will perform from June 14 through July 17 in the John C. Court Cabaret. Subscriptions are available for $39 and may be purchased online at floridastudiotheatre.org or by phone at 941-366-9000.

Over 400 guests including current and past New York City high school students, and the performing arts professional mentors who have participated in TDF's Open Doors, the theatre arts mentoring program that TDF founded in 1998 with playwright Wendy Wasserstein, will attend this year's graduation at 5:30pm on Monday, June 6 at The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College (524 West 59th Street, NYC).

The Ambassador Theatre Group is to produce a brand new stage musical based on the life of the legendary Frank Sinatra, in partnership with Stewart Till and Frank Sinatra Enterprises.  The show, which is planned to open in 2018, will feature a number of timeless hit songs from Sinatra's incredible catalogue of over 1400 tracks recorded during his illustrious career. Script development for the Frank Sinatra musical is planned to start shortly.

Donny Most, veteran of the hit series 'Happy Days,' takes his (musical) act on the road, Singing and Swinging at Feinstein's/54 Below with a nine-piece band today.

Deadline reports that Telsey + Company has commenced casting for a big screen remake of GUYS AND DOLLS at 20th Century Fox. According to the report, Tony Award winner Michael Grandage is set to helm the project.

In their inaugural collaboration with Clifton's Cafeteria, Creating Arts Studios has produced THE CLIFTON'S CANTEEN, a fitting and entertaining tribute to and for our servicemen and servicewomen during Memorial Weekend. Patterned after a USO show, each member of the troupe played a famous celebrity of the 1940s (save for the vocally gifted Lee Marshall and Jason Cichon as Army Guy Lee and Army Guy Jason).

For Blue Note Hawaii, the state's premier venue for the world's most celebrated artists, June begins with one of the most celebrated singer-songwriters in recent history, Christopher Cross, followed by a Reggae Meets Jazz series with Monty Alexander Harlem Kingston Express, contemporary jazz instrumentalist group Acoustic Alchemy and Grammy Award-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton. June also brings a host of local talent including Adagio, Willie K, Paula Fuga, Darren Benitez, Hotclub of Hulaville, Rolando Sanchez, Little Albert and Jake Shimabukuro. Blue Note Hawaii also continues Gospel Brunch every Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. show time and doors opening at 11:00 a.m.

On Saturday 14 May, Birmingham Hippodrome held its sixth successful Gala Dinner on its famous stage for nearly 300 guests.  Over £50,000 was raised for the theatre's award-winning Hippodrome CREATIVE programme of learning, access and free community performance.  

From the pen of the legendary award-winning writing team Richard Levinson and William Link, the creators of the unsurpassable mystery series Murder She Wrote and the award-winning TV detective series Columbo, comes this classic 'whodunnit' murder mystery. 

Loesser Known: The Stories and Songs of Frank Loesser premiered at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal Sunday May 22 with lovely singer Heather Lundstedt O'Neill doing the honors. Lundstedt O'Neill has a beautiful, classically trained soprano voice that she utilizes supremely, lending her an awesome range. She also possesses a wonderfully delicious sense of humor that added so very much to this, her first LA cabaret appearance. She sang lesser known as well as hit songs from the Frank Loesser Songbook and told brief stories about his family and career....but concentrated more on the singing. Joining her were The Beverly Belles, friends Tiffany and Leah for one song and also guest star Jonathan Hawkins who performed one duet with Lundstedt. Sensational musical director John Boswell was at the piano and Randy Landas on bass throughout the 75 minute set. 

I've met Matthew several times over the last decade and a half. The first time was in 2002, right after Hairspray opened. The second instance was at 54 Below, when he was seeing his on-screen arch nemesis, Jane Lynch, perform. Most recently, I got the chance to briefly chat with him backstage after a performance of Finding Neverland.  When I left the theater, I remember saying he was the most gracious star on Broadway.  Friday, was no different.

Julien's Auctions, the world record breaking auction house to the stars, has announced its highly anticipated Music Icons auction event to take place at the Hard Rock Cafe New York today, May 21, 2016.

The New York City Gay Men's Chorus today announced their latest concert, It's Complicated, stories and songs celebrating love in the 21st century. A year on from achieving marriage equality, It's Complicated celebrates love in its entire magical, messy, mad, and magnificent splendor. By weaving stories and song, It's Complicated opens a window into the lives of some fascinating people whose stories will forever change the perspective of your own relationships. It's Complicated explores the ins and outs of 'coupledom' which NYCGMC defines as two people who have acknowledged to live their lives connected with each other, no matter what title they give the relationship. 

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $82 million to fund local arts projects and partnerships in the NEA's second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2016. Included in this announcement is an Art Works award of $14,000 to Ardea Arts for the creation ofBOUNCE The Basketball Opera. The Art Works category supports the creation of work and presentation of both new and existing work, lifelong learning in the arts, and public engagement with the arts through 13 arts disciplines or fields.

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.

The Bushwick Starr presents IKE AT NIGHT, hosted by Ikechukwu Ufomadu with side-kick B. Brian Argotsinger and featuring Jonathan Jacobs aka The Vintage DJ, running tonight, May 18, through June 4, 2016.

Donny Most, veteran of the hit series 'Happy Days,' is taking his (musical) act on the road, Singing and Swinging at Feinstein's/54 Below with a nine-piece band.