The Sedona International Film Festival, in partnership with pianist Charly Spining and vocalist Lynn Timmons Edwards, will present a musical revue, Salute to Sinatra, at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on Sunday Aug. 5, at 2 p.m. This ensemble made its debut last summer at the theater with its revue Richard Rodgers in Story and Song.
“Salute to Sinatra” will feature Sedona’s own Jeanie Carroll, Doug Riddle and Christy Welty as well as Timmons Edwards, accompanied by Spining on piano and Devin Haaser on bass.
Stories and insights about Sinatra and his musical life will be provided by Bobby “Bones” Edwards, a “friend of the family” from Hoboken. The audience will delight to songs recorded by Sinatra between the years of 1941 and 1994 but the vibe will be Las Vegas circa 1960. For those patrons who like to dress for the show, gentlemen can don their black tie or get their mobster on and ladies can think Sands Hotel showroom, where you might be seated next to John and Jackie Kennedy.
Salute to Sinatra spans a musical horizon of songs like the Irving Berlin classic “Blue Skies” recorded in 1941 when Sinatra sang with Tommy Dorsey’s Big Band, to one of his signature songs, “My Way.” Although too numerous to list, some of the songs most identified with Sinatra are “Chicago,” “My Kind of Town,” “Strangers in the Night,” “New York, New York” and “The Best is Yet to Come,” which was the last song he sang in public. The title words are etched on Sinatra’s tombstone. The music will take the audience back in time to the days of big band swing, fedoras and the Rat Pack.
Frank Sinatra was born Dec. 12, 1915, so this year marks the celebration of his 102nd birthday.
“Our production is not an attempt to imitate or impersonate Mr. Sinatra but to capture that style and swagger in a concert of some of his greatest recordings,” director Timmons Edwards said. “It is thrilling to work with Doug, Christy and Jeanie, who all have extensive credits as singers and performers.”
Sinatra rose from teen idol in the early 1940s to a legendary artist with 11 Grammy awards, an Oscar, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. He has three stars on the Hollywood walk of Fame for his work in music, film and TV. Sinatra died May 14, 1998, at age 82.
Salute to Sinatra: A Musical Revue will take place Sunday, Aug. 5, at 2 p.m. at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. Tickets are $22 general admission and $20 for Film Festival members. Tickets and more information is available by calling 282-1177 or at SedonaFilmFestival.org. Tickets
can also be purchased at the Sedona Film Festival office and Mary D. Fisher Theatre, located at 2030 W. SR 89A in West Sedona.
