“May you all live to be 100 years old and may the last voice you hear be mine!”
That famous quote from Frank Sinatra is apropos this year, because 2015 marks the late entertainer’s 100th birthday and his voice lives on thanks to numerous recordings and films.
Sinatra also lives on in Frank Sinatra Jr., who is bringing a multi-media experience called “Sinatra Sings Sinatra, As I Remember It,” to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts on Saturday, May 2.
During the show, Sinatra, Jr. will share memories of life on and off stage with his iconic father through stories, photos, videos and songs.
Backed by his 37-piece orchestra featuring many members who played with Sinatra, Sr., Sinatra Jr. will perform much-loved Sinatra classics including “Come Fly With Me,” “New York, New York,” “Strangers in the Night,” and “My Way.”
“In the past, I’ve done a program called “Sinatra Sings Sinatra” as an audio concert. But now, because he would be 100 this year, for the first time we are going audio visual,” said Sinatra Jr. during a recent phone interview.
“When he was alive, those who were fond of him know the legend and the stories,” continued Sinatra Jr, who served as conductor and musical director for his father’s final years of live performing. “However, subsequent generations are just becoming acquainted with Frank Sinatra, so for those who did not know the ins and outs, his world and behaviors, they are going to be faced with the one objective: What was the legend like? The people who come to the show who are familiar with Frank Sinatra’s music will hear the hit songs, decade after decade. That is the man’s musical legacy. However, at the same time, because we are celebrating 100 years of a man’s life, the music cannot exist without the life. There were some things going on in his life—some good, some endearing, some funny, and some tragic.”
Sinatra Jr. said it took him nearly three years to put the show together because there were so many details, including questions about how best to present all the material.
“You can’t make this a documentary, it has to be a concert, which it is, although we cannot ignore the documentary side of what we’re doing.”
The show runs 90 minutes, plus an intermission, so Sinatra Jr. said the challenge was not what to include, but what to leave out.
“There’s kind of a saying—when the legend becomes bigger than the man, it’s great for the telling of the legend, but you lose the person. Hopefully when audiences see this show, they are going to be entertained and experience moments that are touching, moments that are informative, moments that are funny, moments that are terrifying. All of this is included in that great entity called truth. We are selling truth.”
And Segerstrom Center is selling tickets to “Sinatra Sings Sinatra.” Visit SCFTA.org or call (714) 556-2787.
