‘Frank The Man. The Music’ Star Bob Anderson Channels Sinatra

Some say you can’t re-create magic, but actor and singer Bob Anderson is proving otherwise. The entertainer, who was deemed “America’s greatest singing impressionist” by People Magazine, has recently been credited with capturing the multidimensional talent of Frank Sinatra in a unique historical musical format that promises to leave audiences with goosebumps. This month, Anderson takes to the Las Vegas stage in the one-man show Frank The Man. The Music. backed by a 23-piece orchestra directed by Vincent Falcone, Sinatra’s former musical director. With vocal accuracy and the magical touches of Hollywood’s leading makeup artist Kazu Tsuji, Anderson will hit the stage at The Palazzo, Las Vegas in true “Chairman of the Board” style. Bob Anderson recently joined me for my podcast Whine At 9 to discuss the show which opens January 23rd and his thoughts behind portraying a music legend.

“I’ve been working on this (show) for almost two and a half years,” notes Anderson who admits to being a bit nervous about taking on the role of an entertainment icon. Prior to showcasing the project, Anderson couldn’t help but worry about the implications. “What are these people going to think? And what is the press going to think about– who’s this guy who thinks he can be Frank Sinatra for an hour and a half you know– and never come out of character, and take on the look, and the persona, the personality and the voice. So it was really a daunting task and very intimidating and it’s a humble experience….I’ve been studying him my whole life but he’s an absolute master at what he did.” Anderson’s anxiety was put to rest when positive audience and press previews flooded in. “It took a lot of pressure off. Now I can go out there and relax more and just come out and then be Frank Sinatra. (I can) Step into his character and just be it.” It didn’t hurt that some of those reviews were from Sinatra’s friends and contemporaries like Jerry Lewis, Steve Lawrence, Rich Little, and Tony Bennett.

Prompted by what would have been the 100th birthday of Frank Sinatra this year, Anderson wanted to capture the essence of the singer. “When I took him on, I did not want this to be a caricature. I wanted it to be a sincere salute to the greatest singer of the 20th century and finest saloon singer of all time.” Anderson purposely omitted rat pack and Marilyn Monroe references, because he wanted the focus to be only on the music. The 3-segment show includes glimpses of Sinatra’s personal appearances, his Capital Records’ recording life, and television specials.

With Sinatra’s former conductor Vince Falcone leading the orchestra, along with the rest of the Frank The Man. The Music team, Anderson couldn’t be more excited to launch the new show. “Everything is right. The sound is right. The lighting is right. The set is right,” says the singer. Fascinatingly, Sinatra seems to have indirectly played a role in this already acclaimed production. Says Anderson,“(Before he died) Frank Sinatra gave Vince a whole bunch of his music and said, ‘Vinnie just keep the music going, that’s all’.” And that’s just they’ll be doing.

Find out more about Frank The Man. The Music. and get ticket information here.

Listen to Nancy’s interview with Bob Anderson here, on iTunes, or Stitcher Radio.

Nancy Berk, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, author, comic and entertainment analyst. The host of the showbiz podcast Whine At 9, Nancy digs a little deeper as she chats with fascinating celebrities and industry insiders. Her book College Bound and Gagged: How to Help Your Kid Get into a Great College Without Losing Your Savings, Your Relationship, or Your Mind can be seen in the feature film Admission starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd.