The Chairman of the Board would have approved.
It takes seven dreamy crooners to reproduce his style in The Songs of Sinatra, a tribute to the small man from Hoboken with the blue eyes and big voice.
Naturally, no one will ever muster the swagger of “Ol’ Blue Eyes” and his smooth baritone, but his genre is recollected with real charm and talent by The Sinatra Seven.
The music stands without the context of its era; without the great loneliness of wartime and Sinatra’s own bad boy backdrop with mob ties, drinking, gambling and womanizing.
It transcends time and generations to be revered and honoured by seven handsome young men in tuxedos, with mysteries and wiles of their own.
Frank Sinatra himself felt his formula for success was simple: “When I sing, I believe. I’m honest.” That characteristic of great singing stood out in all seven performers.
Many of the numbers were performed as close to the front of the stage as possible, creating a personal touch with the audience. “Smoky” lighting added to the effect.
Some dialogue was included with the song medleys that provided intriguing facts about Sinatra, who is often touted as the greatest singer of all time.
So appealing, Michael Vanhevel’s resounding baritone strongly recalled “The Voice” in numbers such as All the Way, The Best is Yet to Come and Strangers in the Night. He was originally discovered by artistic director Alex Mustakas singing on YouTube as a young Sinatra fan.
Kevin Forestell, George Krissa, Graham Parkhurst, Adam Francis Proulx, Chris Sams and Chris Zonneville each enthusiastically recalled a piece of Sinatra, whether in look, nuance or note.
The onstage band consisted of music director John Yun, a personality on piano, Tony De Luca on woodwinds, Fil Stasiak on bass and Kevin Dempsey on drums. Though a smaller band, the music is pleasing, creating music and moments that Tommy Dorsey would have enjoyed.
David Rogers conceived, wrote and directed the production. A Drayton Entertainment favorite onstage, offstage and beyond, he is well known for his lead performance in the Toronto/National tour of The Phantom of the Opera.
The audience thrilled and seemed spellbound at moments, and the finale drew an ovation that successfully produced an encore.
The Songs of Sinatra plays until June 1 at the Drayton Festival Theatre. For tickets visit the box office, call 519-638-5555 or toll free 1-855-372-9866 or visit www.draytonfestivaltheatre.com.
