Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera

Pittsburg Tribune
February 2009 by Alice T. Carter

As warm and welcome as a summer breeze, the show distills the nearly 1,400 songs Sinatra recorded down to 56 selections performed in part or entirety by a cast of four.

Andrea Shockling contributes a sleekly sophisticated setting, and Gavan Pamer adds small bits of choreography. Director David Grapes and a live band of three led by music director and pianist Deana Muro contribute to the pacing, mood segues and overall enjoyment.

This is no nostalgia-ridden blast from the past. It's a fresh, entertaining evening of great music sung well and with intelligence.

… a warmly romantic evening best enjoyed with one hand around a glass of something special and the other hand joined with someone special.

Lux Magazine
February 2009 by Bethany Hansel

John Fredo, Kristiann Menotiades, Karen Jeffreys, and Cabaret favorite Joseph Domencic make up the cast of four that brings My Way to life. Though there are no clear leads – the songs are evenly distributed among them – but Mr. Fredo has the most distinct “Frank” look about him. From the cool tilt of his fedora to the smooth cadence of his voice, he makes numbers like My Lean

Baby and The Tender Trap really soar. Kristiann shines during a great, melancholy My Funny Valentine, and Karen wraps an impressive soprano around the lovely All of Me. The contrast between the two women, by the way, was a brilliant choice by director David Grapes. Not only do they physically differentiate from each other – Kristiann is a brunette with Carrie Bradshaw-type curls; Karen is a blond with soft waves like Sleeping Beauty – but their voices are also like night and day. One is a belter, the other is a nightingale. Amidst the smooth crooning of Fredo and Domencic, their voices add a certain auditory texture to the show, and it really livens things up. Speaking of Domencic...the biggest laughs of the night easily went to him. He has his timing down to an art, and the banter between him and John Fredo was especially humorous. And pianist and Music Director Deana Muro was simply sublime – the glue that held the whole show together.The audience certainly appreciated the journey; the ovation at the end of the show was stunning. From the old to the young to the young at heart, the eclectic mix of patrons at the Cabaret proved only one thing: My Way is the right way.


Washington Observer Reporter
February 2009 by Brad Hundt

PITTSBURGH - For all the legends about his mercurial behavior, Mafia connections and complicated love life, it's not Frank Sinatra's flamboyant personality that made him so memorable - it was his music.

If the human race exists for another couple million years, could anyone ever hope to bring the same sense of playful romance to "I've Got You Under My Skin" that Sinatra did? Or the kind of existential heartbreak that he brought to "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry"? It's entirely likely that as long as people listen to music, they'll be appreciating Frank Sinatra.

Pittsburgh Post Gazette
February 24, 2009 by Sharon Eberson

The revue was formed as a tribute -- no impersonations here -- although smooth operator John Fredo is definitely the leader of the pack for this CLO Cabaret show. When the spotlight is on him, there is a feeling of authenticity and even a bit of that ol' Sinatra magic. His part is listed as "Man #1" in a quartet of performers, and it is an apt description. He does a bit of tap, has a bit of snap and wears a white dinner jacket as if he owned it.

..;you'll marvel at the range of Sinatra's repertoire and get a kick out of this musical trip down memory lane.

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