The Phoenix Theater Company will be concluding their outdoor show performances series that started in November 2020 with My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra at the company’s outdoor venue.
The show’s mission is to present Frank Sinatra’s story and musical trajectory through a series of performances of his well-known masterpieces. Some of the classics the audience will have the opportunity to hear are “New York, New York,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “One for my Baby,” “My Funny Valentine,” and as anticipated by the show’s title name, “My Way.”
“I want these songs to transport them. I want it to bring back wonderful memories, funny memories, sad ones too,” actress Trisha Ditsworth said. “The beauty and the joy of this music and storytelling will mean something different to each audience member.”
The timing and setting of the production are based on a mid-century cabaret-style bar. At the same time, the theater company is giving the production a touch of modern details in the actors’ costuming and stage lighting by incorporating LED screen projection used as a backdrop.
My Way performers include real-life partners Trisha Ditsworth and Matravius Avent, as well as Jessie Jo Pauley and James Gish. The actors have been preparing for their roles for approximately three weeks.
According to Avent, rehearsals haven’t been anything like what actors were used to doing since precautions such as social distancing and wearing face coverings have been incorporated. But overall the actors said they have worked their best on adapting to the new normality and giving their all on the outdoors stage.
“We have to rehearse in face masks and face shields so when you’re doing a fully choreographed number it just gets very tiring,” Avent said. “That’s been probably a little bit of a challenge, not because we couldn’t do it, but it’s different.”
My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra concludes a series of outdoors socially-distanced show performances that the Phoenix Theater Company has been hosting due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
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One of the main reasons these shows are concluding by May is due to the high-temperature changes Phoenix is preparing to experience this upcoming summer. Plans about what is coming up next for the company’s performances are still in process.
For Avent and Ditsworth, the outdoor performances have gone amazingly well. Avant said that since the entertainment industry was shut down for a while, they had been “starved for live performances.” Making a comeback to the stage, even if it is outside, is something that they said they truly appreciate and have been enjoying a lot.
“Working outdoors has many distractions. Sounds of birds, sirens, and such have been common. It requires us to be even more focused,” Ditsworth said. “My favorite part is seeing the night sky and looking out into the beautiful courtyard, seeing the trees and nature dimly lit. The outdoor theatre is absolutely magical.”
The pandemic created a significant impact on the arts, humanities, and entertainment industries during the last year. Just like the Phoenix Theater Company, other organizations have been working on adapting in the best way possible to continue offering great experiences to their audience.
“I really hope that the audience realizes how devastating this whole time has been toward the arts and entertainment,” Avent said. “I hope it makes them want to support the arts a little bit more and that this performance brings them a little bit more of joy.”
My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra starts running this Wednesday, April 14 and will continue all through Sunday, May 23. The company’s outdoor venue offers all the precautionary measures such as socially distanced seating and contactless ticketing procedures. For more information go to phoenixtheatre.com/myway.
Contact the reporter at pbsoria@asu.edu.
