The Voice. The Sultan of Swoon. The Chairman of the Board. Ol’ Blue Eyes. The Greatest Singer of the Popular Song. These are all nicknames for one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century, a man whose career successes spanned more than 50 years, enjoying popularity with each successive generation.
A musical tribute to the Crooner, Grammy- and Academy-Award Winner, the one-and-only FRANK SINATRA! “My Way”, “Fly Me to the Moon”, “I’ve Got the World on a String” and “New York, New York” are some of his greatest hits that will have you singing along!
Book by Todd Olson. Original production directed by David Grapes.
Our thanks to Overabove for producing our video clips!
Rick Faugno* (Man 1) met his wife, Joyce Chittick, in a production of The Boy Friend, directed by Julie Andrews, for which he was also the associate choreographer. Since then, they’ve performed on stage together everywhere; from Broadway, to Las Vegas, to cruise ships and more recently, at Ivoryton Playhouse, in the musical Fingers & Toes. The veteran of six Broadway shows, Rick has performed all across the country, at some of the biggest theaters and venues, including: Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Fords Theater, Goodspeed Opera House, the Curran Theater, The Ahmanson Theater, the Oriental Theater and more. He is very excited to be co-directing and co-choreographing My Way with Joyce, as well as starring in the production. After his engagement at Ivoryton, Rick will be joining the cast of the new musical Roman Holiday, for its pre-Broadway run in San Francisco. He is then slated to play the role of ‘Al’ in A Chorus Line, at the MUNY, in St. Louis. Rick was the original Frankie Valli in the Las Vegas cast of Jersey Boys, where he was awarded ‘Best Singer’ for his portrayal. While in Las Vegas, he also created and starred in 3 one-man shows, at different casinos, for which he was awarded ‘Best Lounge Act’ and ‘Best Off-Strip Performance.’ He currently performs his one man shows around the country and on cruise ships. He was also awarded ‘Best Performance’ at the Orlando Film Festival for his work in the Indie film Virgin Alexander. Recently, he was nominated for an IRNE award for his portrayal of Eddie Ryan, opposite Shoshana Bean, in Funny Girl, at North Shore Music Theater. He also won a ‘Fred Astaire’ award for his work in On the 20th Century, on Broadway. Other recent credits include: Revolution in the Elbow…. (Minetta Lane Theater), Show Boat (Lincoln Center/ PBS), American Dance Machine (Joyce Theater), Sama: An American Requiem (Joe’s Pub/54 Below) and Kiss Me Kate (Studio 54 Concert). TV credits include: American Dreams, America’s Got Talent (Frankie Valli), Tony Awards, The Following, The Newsroom, Al Pacino on Conan O’Brien. Much love to our little girl, Lena.
Lauren Gire* (Woman 1) National Tour: Grease (Rizzo). New York: Something for the Boys (Blossom), Red, Hot and Blue (Nails). Regional: Harmony (Marlene Dietrich/Ingrid), Meet Me in St. Louis (Esther), A Little Night Music (Petra), White Christmas, Damn Yankees, Sunset Blvd. and Sound of Music. TV: Sneaky Pete. So much thanks to Joyce and everyone at Ivoryton Playhouse for this opportunity!
Josh Powell* (Man 2) is thrilled to make his Ivoryton debut straight from appearing as El Gallo in Pittsburgh Public Theater’s The Fantasticks. Prior to that, his regional theater appearances include Goodspeed, Merry-Go-Round, The York, and Cherry Lane. He’s performed in multiple productions of his favorite roles; Billy Bigelow, Harold Hill, and the Phantom of The Opera and he’s toured internationally performing the works of Gian Carlo Menotti. Josh has led numerous non-musical productions including Gaslight, Noises Off, and The Miser, as well as starring with many opera companies including El Paso Opera, Utah Festival Opera, and Connecticut Lyric Opera. Josh’s many TV appearances include Blue Bloods and D.O.A. He has received both a Dramalogue Award and a San Francisco Critics Circle Award.
Vanessa Sonon* (Woman 2) is thrilled to be making her Ivoryton Playhouse debut. Her Broadway credits include Anything Goes, Erma u/s, Spamalot, Lady of the Lake u/s and 42nd St., Peggy Sawyer. Her First National Tours include Anything Goes, Virtue, Erma u/s, Assistant Dance Captain, Spamalot and 42nd St, Anytime Annie. Her favorite Regional roles include Judy in White Christmas, which she’s played numerous times across the country, Polly in Crazy for You, Val in A Chorus Line and Ginger Rogers in Backwards in High Heels. Thank you to the Ivoryton Playhouse and to Rick and Joyce for this amazing opportunity! Thanks to my family and my friends for your constant support! Proud member of Actors Equity Association.
Directed and Choreographed by husband and wife team Joyce Chittick and Rick Faugno
Musical Director: Andy Hudson
Stage Manager: Laura Lynne Knowles*
Scenic Designer: William Russell Stark
Lighting Designer: Christopher Hoyt
Sound Designer: Tate R. Burmeister
Costume Designer: Liz Cippolina
* member of Actors Equity
By David Grapes
In the days after May 14, 1998, my friend and theatrical collaborator Todd Olson and I did what most Americans did – we watched the multitude of tributes to the recently-departed Frank Sinatra. During the entire next week his old TV concerts, interviews, and films, filled nearly every available television channel. I knew that I had to create a theatrical piece about this man. I was always taken by his ease, his albeit a cliché- “cool,” his remarkable way with a simple lyric, his charisma, and the epic and in-your-face way that he chose to live his life, but how could that be translated into an evening of theatre? The solution was obvious the key was in the music. After some quick research, Todd and I were amazed to learn that the man had recorded nearly 1400 songs. The next thing I knew Todd and I were working on MY WAY.
So, if you are here tonight to see a group of actors impersonate Sinatra then you have come to the wrong show. For the goal of MY WAY has always been to construct a musical revue that recalls the essence of the man through the glorious music he sang. Tonight, you are here to celebrate Sinatra’s mystique, and his myth, through the music he loved best the American standard. We feel that it is a respectful tribute to a figure unlike any other in the last century. And it’s all for Frank the affection that Todd and I have for him as a singer, as a man, and a legendary talent.
Check back here for press releases, photos and video clips!
The Ivoryton Playhouse is delighted to welcome Rick Faugno back to our stage for MY WAY: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO FRANK SINATRA. Rick, last seen in Ivoryton in FINGERS AND TOES, was the original Frankie Valli in the Las Vegas production of Jersey Boys for 3 and 1/2 years, receiving the award for Best Singer. He will be joining us in March in MY WAY: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO FRANK SINATRA opening on March 22nd. Check out this video and his incredible moves!
Press Release March 6, 2017 A Toast to Ol’ Blue Eyes – My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra at the Ivoryton Playhouse March 22nd – April 9th, 2017
Ivoryton – The Ivoryton Playhouse opens its 2017 season with a treasure-trove of hits by the Chairman of the Board himself – Frank Sinatra. The musical equivalent of a soothing hot toddy on a cold winter night, this trip down memory lane includes such Sinatra signatures as “I’ve Got the World on a String,” “One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)” and “Fly Me to the Moon”
Conceived by Todd Olson and David Grapes, this revue, performed by a cast of two men and two women, pays homage to America’s all-time coolest crooner by trotting out a few dozen of the more than 1,300 songs Ol’ Blue Eyes recorded in his unbelievably prolific career. This musical revue recalls the essence of the man through the glorious music he sang – a celebration of Sinatra’s mystique, and his myth, through the music he loved best ¬- the American standard.
The show is co-directed and choreographed by husband and wife team Rick Faugno and Joyce Chittick. Playhouse audiences will remember their phenomenal performances in the 2014 production of Fingers & Toes. Their brilliant tap routines and heartfelt musical numbers endeared the pair to everyone that saw them. Joyce is currently working on the Broadway musical Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, but she is joining her husband to help direct and choreograph.
Rick Faugno* was the original Frankie Valli in the Las Vegas production of Jersey Boys for 3 and 1/2 years, receiving multiple awards for his performance. Also in Las Vegas, he created and starred in 3 one-man shows, winning awards for Best Vegas Lounge Act. He recently won a ‘Fred Astaire’ award for his work in On The 20th Century, on Broadway. Joining Rick in this production Lauren Gire*, Josh Powell* and Vanessa Sonon*
The production is co-directed by Joyce Chittick and Rick Faugno, musical directed by Andy Hudson, set design by William Russell Stark, lighting design by Christopher Hoyt and costumes by Elizabeth Cippolina.
My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra opens at the Ivoryton Playhouse on March 22nd and runs through April 9th, 2017. Performance times are Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2pm. Evening performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm.
Tickets are $50 for adults; $45 for seniors; $22 for students and $17 for children and are available by calling the Playhouse box office at 860-767-7318 or by visiting our website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org (Group rates are available by calling the box office for information.) The Playhouse is located at 103 Main Street in Ivoryton.
*denotes member of Actors Equity
Members of the press are welcome at any performance after October 28th. Please call ahead for tickets.
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