When the words “Frank” and “Washington, D.C.” are used in the same sentence, what likely comes to mind is House of Cards’ powerhouse of political corruption, greed and unchecked ambition manifest in a sophisticated southern drawl. This past weekend, however, a very different Frank captivated audiences at the National Symphony Orchestra Pops performances of “Let’s Be Frank: The Songs of Frank Sinatra.”
Under the baton of conductor Steven Reineke, the NSO and soloists Tony DeSare, Storm Large, Frankie Moreno and Ryan Silverman transported audiences back to a time when it was Frank Sinatra, and not the fictitious Frank Underwood, who had “the world on a string.”
The orchestra set the tone for the concert with an infectiously energetic instrumental arrangement of the theme from “New York, New York.” The evening continued with such classic favorites as “It Had to Be You,” “That’s Life,” “Night and Day,” “My Funny Valentine,” “Something’s Gotta Give,” “The Best Is Yet to Come,” “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “I’m Gonna Live Till I Die,” “Moonlight Becomes You,” “The Birth of the Blues,” “Mack the Knife,” “I have Dreamed,” “One For My Baby (and One More for the Road),” “All of Me,” “Just in Time,” “Somethin’ Stupid“ and “My Way,” concluding with an encore medley of several Sinatra favorites.
Each of the four soloists embodied a different aspect of Sinatra’s persona. Frankie Moreno, the Las Vegas headliner, brought out the electrifying entertainer, filling the entire concert hall with his unamplified vocals, and even breaking out the harmonica for an unbelievable virtuosic solo during his rendition of “That’s Life.”
Singer and composer Tony DeSare exuded confident and cool New York essence in both his demeanor and the audible smile in his vocal stylings. His ability to perfectly capture the lilt in Sinatra’s voice in his piano duet of “All of Me” with Moreno demonstrated a tremendous amount of artistry.
Storm Large possessed a punk-rock flavored sensual quality that harkened back to such classic knock-outs as Rosemary Clooney—and a voice to match. The range and sensitivity in her interpretation of “My Way” at the concert’s close was absolutely breathtaking.
Broadway’s Ryan Silverman encapsulated the many facets of Sinatra’s personality; mischievous and playful at one moment, all elegance at the next. His stunning deep baritone in “Moonlight Becomes You” towards the close of the first portion of the program sent me into the intermission with chills.
There’s always a danger when doing a tribute concert to a musical icon of Sinatra’s stature of simply emulating the style without adding anything new, and consequently falling short. “Let’s Be Frank” managed to sidestep this issue completely by reimagining and reinventing, yet staying true to Sinatra’s “scrumptious” sound.
Under the baton of conductor Steven Reineke, the NSO and soloists Tony DeSare, Storm Large, Frankie Moreno and Ryan Silverman transported audiences back to a time when it was Frank Sinatra, and not the fictitious Frank Underwood, who had “the world on a string.”
The orchestra set the tone for the concert with an infectiously energetic instrumental arrangement of the theme from “New York, New York.” The evening continued with such classic favorites as “It Had to Be You,” “That’s Life,” “Night and Day,” “My Funny Valentine,” “Something’s Gotta Give,” “The Best Is Yet to Come,” “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “I’m Gonna Live Till I Die,” “Moonlight Becomes You,” “The Birth of the Blues,” “Mack the Knife,” “I have Dreamed,” “One For My Baby (and One More for the Road),” “All of Me,” “Just in Time,” “Somethin’ Stupid“ and “My Way,” concluding with an encore medley of several Sinatra favorites.
Each of the four soloists embodied a different aspect of Sinatra’s persona. Frankie Moreno, the Las Vegas headliner, brought out the electrifying entertainer, filling the entire concert hall with his unamplified vocals, and even breaking out the harmonica for an unbelievable virtuosic solo during his rendition of “That’s Life.”
Singer and composer Tony DeSare exuded confident and cool New York essence in both his demeanor and the audible smile in his vocal stylings. His ability to perfectly capture the lilt in Sinatra’s voice in his piano duet of “All of Me” with Moreno demonstrated a tremendous amount of artistry.
Storm Large possessed a punk-rock flavored sensual quality that harkened back to such classic knock-outs as Rosemary Clooney—and a voice to match. The range and sensitivity in her interpretation of “My Way” at the concert’s close was absolutely breathtaking.
Broadway’s Ryan Silverman encapsulated the many facets of Sinatra’s personality; mischievous and playful at one moment, all elegance at the next. His stunning deep baritone in “Moonlight Becomes You” towards the close of the first portion of the program sent me into the intermission with chills.
There’s always a danger when doing a tribute concert to a musical icon of Sinatra’s stature of simply emulating the style without adding anything new, and consequently falling short. “Let’s Be Frank” managed to sidestep this issue completely by reimagining and reinventing, yet staying true to Sinatra’s “scrumptious” sound.