Tharp's Sinatra Dance Piece, Come Fly With Me, Concludes Atlanta Premiere Run Oct. 11

By Adam Hetrick
11 Oct 2009

Come Fly With Me stars John Selya and Holley Farmer
Come Fly With Me stars John Selya and Holley Farmer
Photo by Greg Mooney

The world premiere of Tony Award winner Twyla Tharp's Come Fly With Me, a new theatrical dance piece set to the Frank Sinatra songbook, concludes its Atlanta engagement at the Alliance Theatre Oct. 11.

With the blessing of Frank Sinatra Enterprises and the Sinatra family, Come Fly With Me incorporates original masters of Sinatra's voice, which are backed by a live on-stage band. The production began performances Sept. 15 and officially opened in Atlanta Sept. 23.

Producers are planning a summer 2010 North American tour launch, with a possible eye for Broadway and international engagements.

The cast features Movin' Out veterans Keith Roberts, Matthew Dibble and Tony nominee John Selya, as well as Karine Plantadit (Damn Yankees), Rika Okamoto (Tarzan), Charlie Neshyba-Hodges (Tharp's The Times They Are A Changin'), Alexander Brady, Laura Mead, Holley Farmer, Carolyn Doherty, Heather Hamilton, Ashley Tuttle, Todd Burnsed, Eric Otto, Justin Peck, Kristine Bendul, Jodi Melnick, Joel Prouty, Matt Rivera and John Sorensen-Jolink.

Come Fly With Me, according to the Alliance "follows four couples over the course of one night falling in and out of love." Songs included are "Let’s Fall In Love," "Witchcraft," "Summer Wind," "Body & Soul," "It’s All Right with Me," "Take Five," "That’s Life," "Nice ‘n’ Easy" and "My Way." Jazz artist Dee Daniels is featured at the piano, providing occasional vocals and “the female point of view.”

"Twyla Tharp is America's dance laureate, a genius who understands among other things: discipline, music, dance, relationships, emotions and the human body. Somehow she reaches through the chaos of our lives and, with the help of Frank Sinatra's voice, shows us that everything is going to be all right," said Nancy Sinatra in a statement. "Having watched her in this process of creating - inventing - from the smallest detail in pre-production: the casting, set, lighting, clothes and the choice of songs, to the final show we are about to enjoy, I can say she is hands on and in charge. This is one hell of a show. We can all be grateful for the works that she shares with us and I often think, wistfully, about the wonders in her brilliant, beautiful mind that we may never get to see."

The Alliance production has set design by James Youmans (West Side Story), lighting by Donald Holder (The Lion King, Movin’ Out), costumes by Katherine Roth and music supervision by Sam Lutfiyya (Movin’ Out).

Visit AllianceTheatre.

The Alliance Theatre is located within the Woodruff Arts Center, at the corner of Peachtree Street and 15th Street, in Atlanta, GA.