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Franc accomplished the impossible,
absolutely riveting the audience for 1 hour and forty-five
minutes at the Sugden Theatre on Tuesday night, May 10th.
The audience agreed at the CD-signing session after the show
that they never wanted the show to end.
Franc D'Ambrosio, known to many
as the world's longest running Phantom of the Opera, star
of "Godfather 3" as Al Pacino's son, student of
Pavarotti, and Broadway singer extraordinaire, made a one-night
appearance at the Sugden Theatre courtesy of Gulfshore Playhouse.
Franc began the evening by highlighting his humble beginnings
in the Bronx, the son of an Italian baker. He described sneaking
into theatres and how wanting to be on the stage was a lifelong
passion. He sang songs from Godfather 3 as well as a variety
of Broadway favorites such as "Bring Him Home" from
Les Mis, a Bob Fosse medley, and even did impressions as far
reaching as the great Satchmo and Al Jolson. Franc left audience
members speechless with breadth of his range - from lyric
"Irish Tenor" to hearty operatic baritone - and
his ability to capture the true meaning of a song. Franc brought
the crowd of 300 jumping to their feet in three successive
standing ovations, replete with hollers and cheers of bravo.
To buy a CD go to www.lmlmusic.com
Join Franc for a lovely cabaret-style
one-man show filled with songs, stories and stardom. Tap your
toes to tunes from all your favorite Broadway musicals including
Les Mis, Chicago, West Side Story and Phantom.
FRANC D'AMBROSIO
Growing up in a family of bakers in the Bronx, New York, the
furthest thing from Franc D'Ambrosio's mind was that he would
one day star in the now legendary Andrew Lloyd Weber musical
The Phantom of the Opera. In fact, Franc not only portrayed
the famed masked man - but did so over 2,600 times, never
missing a performance. Thus, the title "The World's Longest
Running Phantom" was bestowed upon Franc after bringing
more than five million theatre-goers to their feet for over
six years.
It was in his 3rd grade class
production of Cinderella that people first recognized Franc's
unusually powerful voice. His singing, as natural as speaking,
broke the sound barrier with his innate projection and sense
of volume…although he did not sing again until he was
16.
Growing up in a questionable section
of the borough, many of Franc's childhood friends were getting
into trouble - and Franc was often left alone to pursue his
own dreams. He eventually began dating a musician, which rekindled
his affair with singing. Franc found that his voice could
earn him scholarships, and was a sure-fire ticket out of the
Bronx - to bigger and better things. In fact, Franc even went
on to study at the famed Vocal Academy of Lucca in Italy.
Agents and auditions soon became
a way of life for Franc - and led to the role of Sweeny Todd
on Broadway. He was then called in to audition for a film
called Secret Journal 2. What Franc didn't know was the real
title of the film - and that he would be meeting famed director
Francis Ford Coppola for the role of Anthony Corleone in The
Godfather Part III. Paramount Pictures cast Franc as Al Pacino's
opera singing son after an international search lasting more
than a year. The film received 7 Academy Award nominations,
including Best Picture and Best Score featuring Franc on the
Original Motion Picture soundtrack. Franc had become the first
and only person to ever sing Carmine Coppola's haunting Godfather
theme.
The Godfather III opened many doors for Franc - but none as
significant as that of the casting director for The Phantom
of the Opera. Though Franc went in to read for the role of
"Chris" in Miss Saigon, he left with the offer for
the lead in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony Award winning musical.
Casting Franc as the masked man also made him the youngest
Phantom ever. "Under a mask, we're all the same age,"
Franc says. Franc spent a year and a half on the road with
the national tour, and five years with the production in San
Francisco.
After a decisive choice to remain
in musical theatre, Franc starred in numerous shows Off-Broadway
including A Little Night Music, She Loves Me, and in the title
role of the musical Valentino. It was in Valentino that Franc
caught the eye of Barry Manilow, who personally selected him
to create and star as the male lead "Tony" in the
pre-Broadway tour of Copacabana based on Manilow's hit song.
Franc and Barry worked together - side-by-side - for five
straight weeks, culminating in a successful tour and a performance
that earned Franc a National Theatre Award nomination for
Best Male Performer in a Musical.
Television appearances include
Regis and Kathy Lee, the Joan Rivers Show, Entertainment Tonight,
MTV's Spotlight, various television specials, live events
and a starring role in A Little Night Music at both the Ahmanson
Theatre in Los Angeles and the Curran Theatre in San Francisco.
However, one of Franc's most fond career memories was when
Luciano Pavarotti personally invited him to sing and work
with the living legend at his home in Italy.
Franc is featured on many CDs
and his performance of "Panis Angelicus" earned
him a Grammy Consideration for Best Male Vocalist 1999.
Olympic Champion Brian Boitano
invited Franc to perform as a Special Musical Guest in the
skater's NBC special Brian Boitano's Skating Spectacular,
taping December 18, 2004 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las
Vegas, Nevada and airing nationally New Year's Day, 2005.
Franc will appear as a guest on
The Today Show December 30, 2004 to debut a cut from his first
solo CD Franc D'Ambrosio's Broadway (LML Music) set for release
January 4, 2005. One dollar from the sale of each CD will
go to Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network which, among other things,
includes a mission to help children in South Africa, many
of whom have been orphaned by the outbreak of the HIV/AIDS
virus.
He will also appear with Michael
Feinstein, Amanda McBroom, Maureen McGovern and others on
the Lee Lessack CD In Good Company (LML Music) to be released
spring, 2005.
As a result of his Phantom status,
Franc not only attended the American premiere of Joel Schumacher's
much anticipated musical film production of
The Phantom of the Opera held in New York City December 12,
2004, but also served as the red carpet correspondent for
Access Hollywood's coverage of the film. Please visit FrancDambrosio.com
for recordings and tour schedule.
CHUCK LARKIN (Musical Director)
Since moving to Chicago in 1987, Chuck Larkin has written
music for a variety of cabaret performers and musical theatre
productions. Most recently Chuck's music and lyrics appeared
in the Lifeline Theatre adaptation of Mary Jane Auch's Hen
Lake. He collaborated with playwright Dwight Okita on The
Hiroshima Project: If The Radiance of a Thousand Suns and
created the score for the Chicago premier of The Night Larry
Kramer Kissed Me. A collection of Chuck's songs was showcased
by vocalist Tony Gibson in the Davenport's production of Keep
Me In Love: The Words and Music of Chuck Larkin, which was
honored as Chicago's "After Dark" #1 Cabaret Show
of 2000. Chuck is also the recipient of the "After Dark"
Cabaret Artist of the Year Award for 2000. He was an invited
songwriter/performer at last December's ASCAP/MAC songwriter
showcase in New York.
Chuck studied Commercial Piano
and Voice at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, and
Commercial Composition and Arranging at Belmont College in
Nashville, Tennessee. In 1994, Chuck was one of five Chicago
composers selected by the Minneapolis-based New Music Theatre
Ensemble for their Midwest Composer-Librettist Workshop. He
is an active member of Chicago Musical Theatre Works, an organization
focused on fostering the creation and production of new musicals
by Chicago writers.
Chuck has appeared as a pianist,
arranger and musical director with numerous Chicago performers
and national artists such as Jason Graae, Lee Lessack and
Megon McDonough in cabaret rooms including Davenport's, The
Raccoon Club, Boombala, The Tambourine, Royal George Cabaret
Theatre, Toulouse on the Park, and in cabaret series at Metropolis
Performing Arts Center and The Barns of Wolf Trap. In Nashville,
Chuck worked as conductor and pianist for live Broadway, popular
and country music revues at Opryland USA for three seasons,
and toured with corporate-sponsored shows traveling outside
of Nashville.
Produced by Lee Lessack
Directed & Staged by Abe Reybold
Conceived by Franc D'Ambrosio & Abe Reybold
Musical Arrangements John Boswell
"Franc D'Ambrosio's Broadway"
is available on CD from LML Music.
Order On-Line at www.LMLmusic.com
Or Call Toll-Free (888) 856-9202
For Upcoming Tour Dates Please
Visit www.FrancDambrosio.com
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