Life + Arts

Broadway brings classic Ol’ Blue Eyes to life

“Come Fly Away” is an exclusive production that is currently running for one week only in Houston. The musical will have its final run on Sunday evening. | Courtesy of Joan Marcus

“Come Fly Away” is an exclusive production that is currently running for one week only in Houston. The musical will have its final run on Sunday evening. | Courtesy of Joan Marcus

“Come Fly Away” is a 90-minute dance concert choreographed and directed by Tony Award-winner Twyla Tharp with all of the vocals piped through speakers to bring the late, great Frank Sinatra back to life.

Twyla Tharp’s vision and award-winning choreography meet Sinatra’s enchanting melodies and distinctive voice onstage in a musical that tells the story of four couples’ experiences with love, hate and jealousy in a crowded nightclub.

The couples range from the awkward girl-next-door and her budding romance with a local lanky bartender to a sultry femme fatale and her new hunky beau.

The scenes are filled with background dancing as well as foreground action, usually by a pas de deux, or a duet.

Each character made a few costume changes during the course of the production. The dancers adjusted between casual attire to evening attire and were accompanied by the dulcet tones of a Sinatra ballad and the glimmering flashes of a disco ball suspended high above the promenading couples.

“Come Fly Away” also sports a live onstage band that performs not only accompaniment for the vocal tracks of Sinatra, but a few jazz classics on its own such as Take Five.

Dance captain of the production Amy Ruggerio, enjoyed working with the living choreography legend Twyla Tharp and the moves she created to reflect the energy and romance of the days of the Rat Pack.

“As a dancer, it’s a thrill to work with Twyla Tharp because her choreography has made a major impact on the world of dance,” Ruggerio said.

“There’s also a lot for the dancers to relate to in this production; we switch between roles for different performances and each role has something for us to relate to either our current situations or previous experiences that we’ve had.”

The musical was a successful synthesis of modern-meets-vintage dance style and costumes. Although it consisted of eighty minutes of the same voice (albeit a sweet and familiar one), it was entertaining and captivating for its duration.

The variety of archetypal characters also made it endearing to almost every member of the audience who like the performers could find something of themselves on the stage.

“Come Fly Away” will be performed every evening between today and April 15th, with two performances each on Saturday and Sunday as part of the Gexa Energy Broadway at the Hobby Center 2012- 2013 season.

For more information regarding show times and tickets, call the Hobby Center box office at (713) 315-2525 or visit thehobbycenter.org.

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