Contact Information: Contact: Michael Hartman/Tom D'Ambrosio/Michelle Bergmann (212) 398-1800 Ellen Jacobs (212) 245-5100 Lellie Capwell (for Sinatra) (212) 741-1000
From the Visionary Creator of the Tony Award-Winning "Movin' Out" Comes Broadway's New Musical Love Affair "COME FLY AWAY," a New Musical Conceived, Choreographed and Directed by Twyla Tharp; Vocals by Frank Sinatra
Begins Preview Performances March 1, 2010 With an Opening Night of March 25, 2010 at Broadway's Marquis Theatre
| Source: Frank Sinatra Enterprises
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - January 4, 2010) - The new Broadway musical, "COME FLY AWAY,"
conceived, choreographed, and directed by Tony Award-winner Twyla Tharp and
featuring vocals by Frank Sinatra, will open this spring at the Marquis
Theatre (1535 Broadway). Previews will begin on Monday, March 1, 2010 with
an opening night slated for Thursday, March 25. "COME FLY AWAY" played its
sold-out, critically lauded world premiere engagement at Atlanta's Alliance
Theatre this fall.
"COME FLY AWAY," the new musical from visionary director/choreographer
Twyla Tharp, follows four couples as they fall in and out of love during
one song and dance filled evening at a crowded nightclub. Blending the
legendary vocals of Frank Sinatra with a live on stage 19-piece big band
and 14 of the world's finest dancers, "COME FLY AWAY" weaves an
unparalleled hit parade of classics, including "Fly Me To The Moon," "My
Way," and "That's Life" into a soaring musical fantasy of romance and
seduction.
The show's score combines classic and newly discovered vocal performances
from the Sinatra archives along with signature arrangements (Nelson Riddle,
Billy May, Quincy Jones) as well as brand new charts for this fresh
innovative musical.
"COME FLY AWAY" is the next and most elaborate chapter in one of the most
fruitful collaborations in contemporary dance. Twyla Tharp's creative
relationship with the music of Frank Sinatra began in 1976 with the
premiere of "Once More Frank," a duet created for the American Ballet
Theatre, performed by Ms. Tharp and Mikhail Baryshnikov. The collaboration
continued with "Nine Sinatra Songs," Ms. Tharp's acclaimed piece for
fourteen dancers which had its world premiere with Twyla Tharp Dance in
1982, and was followed by "Sinatra Suite," a duet featuring Mr. Baryshnikov
and Elaine Kudo, which had its world premiere in 1984 with American Ballet
Theatre at the Kennedy Center.
Citing it as one of the purest expressions of his body of work, Mr. Sinatra
requested that "Sinatra Suite" be performed when he received his Kennedy
Center Honors Award.
Complete casting and producing team will be announced shortly.
"COME FLY AWAY" features scenic design by James Youmans, costume design by
Katherine Roth, lighting design by Donald Holder, and sound design by Peter
McBoyle. Music supervision is by the late Sam Lutfiyya and Patrick
Vaccariello. Additional arrangements and orchestrations are by Dave Pierce
and Don Sebesky.
BIOGRAPHIES
TWYLA THARP. Since graduating from college in 1963, Twyla Tharp has
choreographed more than one hundred thirty-five dances, five Hollywood
movies, directed and/or choreographed four Broadway shows, written three
books and received one Tony Award, two Emmy Awards, nineteen honorary
doctorates, the Vietnam Veterans of America President's Award, the 2004
National Medal of the Arts and many grants including the John D. and
Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship. She is a member of the American Academy
of Arts and Sciences and an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts
and Letters. In 1965 Ms. Tharp founded her dance company, Twyla Tharp
Dance. In addition to choreographing for her own company, she has
choreographed for many other companies including: American Ballet Theatre,
The Paris Opera Ballet, The Royal Ballet, New York City Ballet, The Boston
Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance and The Martha Graham Dance Company. Ms.
Tharp's work first appeared on Broadway in 1980 with "When We Were Very
Young," followed in 1981 by her collaboration with David Byrne on "The
Catherine Wheel" at the Winter Garden. Her 1985 production of "Singin' In
The Rain" played at the Gershwin and was followed by an extensive national
tour. In 2002, Ms. Tharp's award-winning dance musical "Movin' Out," set to
the music and lyrics of Billy Joel, premiered at the Richard Rodgers and
ran for three years. A national tour opened in 2004 and also ran for three
years. For "Movin' Out" Ms. Tharp received the 2003 Tony Award, the 2003
Astaire Award, the Drama League Award for Sustained Achievement in Musical
Theater; and both the Drama Desk Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award
for Outstanding Choreography. For the London production Ms. Tharp won Best
Choreography (Musical Theatre) Award of the UK's Critics' Circle National
Dance Awards 2006. In 2006 Ms. Tharp worked with Bob Dylan's music and
lyrics to create "The Times They Are A-Changin'" which played at the Brooks
Atkinson. In film Ms. Tharp has collaborated with director Milos Forman on
"Hair" in 1978, "Ragtime" in 1980, and "Amadeus" in 1984, with Taylor
Hackford on "White Nights" in 1985 and with James Brooks on "I'll Do
Anything" in 1994. Her television credits include choreographing "Sue's
Leg" for the inaugural episode of PBS' "Dance In America;" co-producing and
directing "Making Television Dance," which won the Chicago International
Film Festival Award; and directing "The Catherine Wheel" for BBC
Television. Ms. Tharp co-directed the television special "Baryshnikov By
Tharp," which won two Emmy Awards as well as the Director's Guild of
America Award for Outstanding Director Achievement. In 1992 Ms. Tharp wrote
her autobiography "Push Comes To Shove." Her second book, "The Creative
Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life," was published in October, 2003, and
she recently released "The Collaborative Habit: Life Lessons for Working
Together." Today Ms. Tharp continues to create and to lecture around the
world.
FRANK SINATRA. Sinatra is an American icon and one of the most recognizable
and admired artists of the 20th and 21st Centuries, with a catalogue of
music that is a soundtrack for our lives. Long acclaimed as the world's
greatest performer of popular music, he is the artist who set the standard
for all others to follow. More than a singer -- he was an actor, recording
artist, cabaret and concert star, radio and television personality, and, on
occasion, producer, director, and conductor. A beloved entertainer for six
decades, Sinatra earned three Oscars, three Golden Globes, including the
Cecil B. DeMille Award, ten personal Grammys (and a total of 20 for his
albums), an Emmy, a Peabody, and the Kennedy Center Honors Award. A
generous charitable contributor, he was honored with the prestigious Jean
Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences. In addition, Sinatra was awarded the Presidential Medal Of Honor
and the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress' highest civilian award. Besides
recording nearly 1,500 songs released on scores of records, he has starred
in some 60 motion pictures. Frank Sinatra has been called the most popular
entertainer of the 20th century.
About Frank Sinatra Enterprises (FSE)
Frank Sinatra Enterprises (FSE) is a joint venture between the Sinatra
family and Warner Music Group (NYSE : WMG ). FSE owns Sinatra's recordings
from the Reprise era as well as a treasure trove of films, television
specials and unreleased footage, photos and audio recordings, which
collectively represent one of the foremost bodies of artistic work of the
modern era. FSE also owns and manages Sinatra's name and likeness rights
and represents the artist's rights to the Columbia and Capitol catalogues.
FSE pursues innovative new product and venture opportunities with respect
to the legendary entertainer's name and likeness, as well as Sinatra's
audio and visual recordings.
"COME FLY AWAY" will be performed at the Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway) on
the following schedule from March 1 - March 27: Monday - Saturday at 8pm,
Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm.
Beginning March 30, 2010, the performance schedule will be: Tuesday -
Saturday at 8pm, Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm, and Sunday at 3pm.
Tickets, ranging in price from $66.50 - $126.50, can be purchased via
www.TicketMaster.com or by calling 212-307-4100.
For groups of 20 or more, please contact Nederlander Group Sales at
212.840.3890 or 800.714.8452 www.nederlandergroupsales.com.