Hunter College is honoring the enduring musical legacy of Frank Sinatra with two performances the Danny Kaye Playhouse in Manhattan.
Presented by Hunter’s American Voices, Frank Sinatra — From Band Singer to Icon will feature Tony Award winners and acclaimed jazz vocalists on Tuesday, October 6, and Wednesday, October 7, at 7 pm, in celebration of Italian American Heritage Month.
This production of Frank Sinatra: From Band Singer to Icon traces Sinatra’s rise from big-band crooner to cultural icon, showcasing classic standards and timeless arrangements performed by some of the most respected performers in theater and jazz today.
Broadway legend, Tony, Grammy and Primetime Emmy Award winner and avid jazz fan André De Shields joined WBGO's Doug Doyle to talk about the show and his amazing career.
De Shields has appeared in so many wonderful shows including The Wiz (he was the original Wizard), Ain't Misbehavin', The Full Monty, Death of a Salesman, Hadestown, playing “Hermes” and, most recently, Cats: The Jellicle Ball.
De Shields has been long-time fan of Frank Sinatra.
"Frank Sinatra, in his interpretation of a song, opens it up with a very succinct point of view. No messing around with the tune. No changing the lyrics, straight ahead and not even any elongation of a note. He hits it and goes right to the period. Every nuiance becomes clear. Every nuance becomes clear. You realize immediately this is poetry. There's meaning here. It appeals to my intellectual senses. It appeals to my emotional senses and it appears to my spiritual senses. A lot performers have any combination of that, especially in jazz because jazz is, if nothing else, intellectual. It challenges you.Very few singers can say "I did it my way".
"My Way" is one of the tunes De Shields will be singing in the show, along with "Strangers in the Night", a tune he'll perform with acclaimed jazz vocalist Hilary Kole.
De Shields has many jazz connections. He is famous for starring in major jazz-centric theatrical productions. He won an Emmy Award for the 1982 NBC broadcast of Ain't Misbehavin', which celebrates the jazz music of Fats Waller. The actor-singer received Tony and Drama Desk nominations for his role in Play On!, a Broadway musical built entirely around the songs of jazz legend Duke Ellington. De Shields co-wrote and starred in Ambassador Satch, a production at the White Plains Performing Arts Center that celebrated the life, cultural impact, and music of jazz icon Louis Armstrong.
The lineup at the upcoming concerts at the Danny Kaye Playhouse also includes:
Matt Doyle, Tony Award winner for his standout performance as Jamie in the Broadway revival of Company
John Lloyd Young, Tony Award winner for originating the role of Frankie Valli in Broadway’s Jersey Boys
Max von Essen, Tony Award nominee for An American in Paris and veteran of major Broadway productions including Anastasia and Les Misérables
Musical accompaniment will be provided by Ryan Keberle’s Big Band Living Legacy Project, a 15-piece jazz orchestra featuring pianist Adam Birnbaum that has earned high acclaim on the Kaye stage.
Each concert, supported by The Francesco and Mary Giambelli Foundation and The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, is a standalone performance. Tickets and information are available through the Kaye Playhouse box office.
The program is the latest installment of American Voices, a series launched in 2023 by Paul Alexander to celebrate American artists, writers, and cultural icons. Recent concerts have included “Louis Armstrong: A Celebration of the Father of Jazz” and “Women in Jazz: A Celebration of Legends,” spotlighting Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Lena Horne, and Billie Holiday.
You can SEE Doug's entire interview with André DeShields below:
