Sinatra and Basie at the Sands at Arts Center
Conductor Michael Berkowitz , vocalist Tony Babino and members of the New Gene Krupa Orchestra will present an incredible musical re-creation of Sinatra’s first Live album “Sinatra at the Sands” on Saturday, October 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arts Center in Elkins. This signature event is the first concert in the 2011 – 2012 Evening Concert Series.
Tickets for the Saturday performance are $15 for adults; $13 for seniors; and $5 for students. Tickets can be purchased at the RCCAC office, by phone at (304) 637-2355 with credit or debit card or at the door while they last. Doors will open at 7 p.m.
Season tickets are available for the 2011–2012 Evening Concert Series and provide subscribers with a 20% season discount. Adult season tickets for the seven event series are $77 and senior season tickets are $67.
Sinatra’s first Live album, “Sinatra at the Sands,” performed in April 1966 with Count Basie is recreated by these premier performers. The concert is filled with Basie instrumentals like Makin’ Whoopee, Splanky, I Can’t Stop Lovin’ You, and All Of Me along with all the Sinatra tunes Luck Be A Lady, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, I’ve Got A Crush On You, Come Fly With Me, Street Of Dreams, One For My Baby, Fly Me To The Moon, My Kind Of Town, and many more.
While the show contains the actual big band arrangements of Nelson Riddle, Billy Byers, Quincy Jones and others, Michael Berkowitz notes, “Tony is not a Sinatra impersonator, but a wonderful performer who understands this music better than anyone else currently on the scene.”
Berkowitz is currently the conductor for Liza Minnelli. He has performed with Nelson Riddle, Henry Mancini, Michael Crawford, Billy Joel, Sting, Elton John, Bette Midler, Marvin Hamlisch, Roberta Flack, Maureen McGovern, Michael Feinstein, and Sarah Brightman. He has also lead the Boston Pops, London Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, Pittsburgh Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, National Symphony; and is featured on recordings with Steve Lawrence, Placido Domingo, Linda Eder and countless Original Cast Albums, Movies, Jingles and Television Performances including The Academy Awards, The Tonight Show, The Tony Awards, The Today Show, A Capitol Fourth, Great Performances, Live From Lincoln Center and Concerts at the White House.
Tony Babino, recognized as one of today’s premier vocalists, consistenly presents a high energy show that continually brings audiences to their feet. His credits include movies (“The Ice Harvest”, and “The Crew”), television & radio commercials (ESPN, USA Network, Exxon, DOVE, Reisens, TUMS, QVC), CD’s, and books. Selected by the family of Harold Arlen to represent the song “I’ve Got The World On A String,” and internationally acclaimed for his uncanny vocal impression of Al Jolson, he is also a frequently requested headliner for the Cruise Lines. Stage credits include Milton Berle, Connie Haines, Les Paul, Freddie Roman, Tex Beneke Orchestra, Artie Shaw Orchestra, New Gene Krupa Orchestra, Showboat Casino, Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Marina, Bally’s Grand, Hilton Casino, Tropicana, Mohegan Sun, The Sands, and more.
Sponsors for the Evening Concert Series are The Inter-Mountain, WDNE Radio, FirstEnergy Foundation, Graceland Inn and Conference Center, Family Dental Practice, Allegheny Insurance, Davis Health Systems , the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts, Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, a program developed and funded by The Heinz Endowments; the William Penn Foundation; the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency; and The Pew Charitable Trusts; and administered by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. and several anonymous donors.
