By Cynthia Citron
HOLLYWOOD — If you are a Frankie freak—and who among us is not?—you will find no greater pleasure than flying away to the
Pantages Theatre before November 6th. There Sinatra reigns supreme, singing 27 of his all-time hits—songs that make you want to hug whoever’s sitting next to you.
Come Fly Away is the brainchild of dancing legend Twyla Tharp, who conceived, choreographed, and directed the production when it debuted on Broadway last year. In L.A. its 22 amazingly energetic and rambunctious dancers are directed by John Selya and dance captain Laurie Kanyok.
What little “plot” there is centers around four couples in a nightclub looking for romance. They flirt, hook up, separate, change
partners, tease each other, all the while moving to Sinatra’s incomparable vocalizing and the backing of a 14-piece live band on stage.
The dancers are superb. The lead couples come in various sizes and a variety of attitudes and talents, from the acrobatic to the balletic. In fact, the whole ensemble appears to be ballistic—capable of flying 10 feet into the air.
It hardly seems necessary to reprise the career landmarks of Sinatra and Tharp. Suffice it to say that each of them has been awarded
nearly every celebratory award imaginable, including the Kennedy Center Honors, Tonys, and Emmys. In addition, Ms. Tharp has received 19 honorary doctorates, the National Medal of the Arts, and the Jerome Robbins Prize, while Sinatra has won three Oscars, three Golden Globes, 10 personal Grammys and another 20 for his albums, a Peabody, the Presidential Medal of Honor and the Congressional
Gold Medal, Congress’ highest civilian award.
Although Sinatra has been dead for 13 years, his music reaches across generations and moves young people who never saw him perform in person or onscreen. For those of us who have, his ballads are the background music of our lives.
For a nostalgic treat, fly away to the Pantages Theatre at 6233 Hollywood Blvd. Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 1 and 6:30 p.m. To make reservations, call 323-468-1770.
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Citron is Los Angeles bureau chief for San Diego Jewish World. She may be contacted at cynthia.citron@sdjewishworld.com