Dancap Productions Inc. presents

COME FLY AWAY
A Canadian Premiere!

Four Seasons Centre for
the Performing Arts
Thursday, August 18, 2011

“Come Fly Away” Musical Review
By: Cynthia Yan

Some people, although dead, still lives in the heart of their supporters. Frank Sinatra is such a person, whose songs shall always echo in the memory of his audiences, whose spirit shall always live in the heart of his fans. Today, in commemoration of Frank Sinatra the legendary vocalist who passed away two decades ago, the Frank Sinatra Family and Frank Sinatra Enterprises devoted substantial effort to recreate the Sinatra ambience by launching the musical “Come Fly Away”.

Nevertheless, to perceive “Come Fly Away” as a mere musical is like seeing only the tip of an iceberg. Taking place in the Four Seasons Center for the Performing Arts from August 18th to 28th, this extraordinary 70-minute show is a truly delicate combination of various refined components. Whether it is the exceptional talents, the high technology, the genius choreography, or the original vocal recording of classic Sinatra songs like “Fly Me to the Moon”, “My Way, “That’s Life” and so on. Thanks to high technology, the Sinatra’s vocal recording is combined immaculately with the live music performance of a professional 14-piece on-stage band. While indulging in Sinatra’s charming voice, one can’t help but marvel at the adept application of modern technology that rendered such reminiscent yet authentic Sinatra air possible.

As the classic Sinatra songs produced through advanced technology gives “Come Fly Away” a soul, the breath-taking choreography conceived by Tony Award®-winner Twyla Tharp gives the musical wings to soar. In addition to the several traditional ballet moves like fouettés en tournant and the graceful grand jeté, various creative new moves are also incorporated into the musical, rendering the audiences to break-free from the conventional framework of dance moves. In introducing such innovative choreography in “Come Fly Away”, Tharp impressively brought ballet to a whole new level.

Meanwhile, under Tharp’s training, the 15 professional dancers subtly yet precisely performed each move in perfect correspondence with specific lyrics and melody of the Sinatra songs. Moreover, each character would exhibit a distinctive set of dance moves to reflect a unique personality. Not to mention the comedy that brilliantly kicks-in every now and then that never fails to trigger a good laugh. Thanks to the refreshing choreography, the dancers’ skilful change in facial expressions, as well as the well-designed costumes, the characters’ complex emotions were successfully conveyed to the audiences. From the sweetness of first dance to the grief of farewell, it would not take long for one to become deeply engaged in the vivid sentiments of romance, sorrows, passion, and deception that brought alive the beautiful love story featuring four distinct couples in a nightclub.

Now, such remarkable ballet performance on stage would not have existed without the dancers’ persistent and countless effort dedicated to the off-stage practicing, sustained primarily by their passion towards dancing. Upon interviewing Marina Lazzaretto, one of the dancers in Frank Sinatra Enterprises, much is revealed about the dancers’ life back-stage. With nine years of experience as a professional dancer, Marina undertook multiple roles in “Come Fly Away”, namely two principle roles along with all the ensemble girl roles. In fact, according to Marina, it is not uncommon for dancers to cover multiple roles. “This way, in case someone is injured, there will always be back-up.” Marina pointed out, “No matter what, the utmost priority for us as professional dancers is for the show to go on.”

Growing up in a small town in Alberta, Marina’s love for dancing can be traced back to early childhood. With much talent and persistence, Marina later made it to New York, and eventually seized the chance to dance with Twyla Tharp. “The opportunity to work with Twyla Tharp meant a lot to me.” Marina proudly stated, “Tharp is a legendary choreographer. She was, is, and still will be my source of inspiration.” In turn, Marina hopes to inspire young dancers, as she advised, “to achieve your dream, you have to first follow it. Sometimes, goals that seem large are not necessarily out of reach.”

Behind the stage, there are in fact numerous dancers like Marina, who deem dancing as not merely a job but a passion for life; who are inspired by and also hope to inspire; who have achieved their dreams by following it; who have practiced diligently to deliver an outstanding performance in “Come Fly Away”, as to contribute to the recreation of the Sinatra ambience.

Surely, this summer evening can be like any other summer evening. You could perhaps take a walk outside, watch TV at home, chat with friends, or read a book… Until you walk into the Four Seasons Center in Toronto between August 18th and 28th, and start watching the extraordinary musical “Come Fly Away”. There, you will find the legendary Sinatra voice meets the legendary Twyla Tharp’s choreography. There, 15 talented dancers tell a vivid story of comedy romance. There, it is as if the modern technology takes you back for more than two decades to experience Sinatra’s live performance. There, high quality art conglomerates to make your summer evening unlike any other.