This was supposed to be my column covering Bob Anderson’s debut performance of “One More for the Road,” at New York’s world-famous Carnegie Hall, where Frank Sinatra would once again walk out on Its famous stage to entertain the more than 2000 paying fans. Unfortunately, I was unable to make the trip, but luckily among the audience were a few New York reviewers. With credit I have selected three of the many outstanding stories for you to read. Here they are:
Dec. 13, 2021 – New York critic A.A. Cristi wrote the following review:
“ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD,” the award-winning authentic reenactment concert honoring the music of Frank Sinatra and starring Bob Anderson, a singer, actor, and the #1 singing impressionist in the world, played in the Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall Saturday, December 11, 2021, on the eve of Sinatra’s 106th Birthday.
The captivating production featured a 32-piece orchestra, Sinatra’s original charts of his most-beloved songs, the work of Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning makeup artists and singing impressionist Bob Anderson – who not only sounds like Sinatra but looks like him too.
During Anderson’s residency of “FRANK The Man The Music” at the Palazzo Casino in Las Vegas he won Best Headliner, Best Live Performance and Best Live Show. VH1 voted Bob Anderson the number one celebrity impersonator in the world – an honor that was also given to him by People Magazine. In addition to his exacting impressions, he is a highly acclaimed singer in his own right. Anderson’s story reads like a classic novel.
In 1973, he snuck into the Sahara’s Congo Room to watch a Nancy Sinatra rehearsal. During that rehearsal, the Everly Brothers (Nancy’s opening act) got into an argument and walked out. Enter 23-year-old Anderson, who told the musical conductor that he was a singer; with only a few hours until the start of the show and no opening act, Nancy Sinatra’s producer handed Anderson a mic and let him prove himself. He did: Anderson went on in place of the Everly Brothers and played the entire two-week engagement at the Sahara.
Dec. 12, 2021 – Stephen Sorokoff (his photographs, videos and articles appear on Broadwayworld.com, T2Conline.com and The New York Observer, and is also an Honorary Board Member of The Society For The Preservation of The Great American Songbook) was in the audience and wrote the following review:
Back in the day all the guys I knew who frequented night clubs wanted to be like Frank Sinatra. We would exit a venue after his performance, arm in arm with our gals mimicking his swagger and trying to sing like him. I also worshiped Jack Jones, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme , Vic Damone, and all those other great male vocalists but I never left a show trying to “be them”. Sinatra appealed to everyman, and we all liked to believe that in some small way we had some of him in us.
There have been lots of Sinatra type tribute shows over the years performed by many talented artists. However, the one that brings you the closest you will ever come to the man and his music, was performed by Bob Anderson last night at Carnegie Hall. Backed by a 32-piece Orchestra and the original Sinatra charts supplied by Frank’s longtime music director Vincent Falcone, Sinatra and his music were on stage again. You had to remind yourself that it was really Bob Anderson and not the Chairman of The Board. To quote Tony Bennett after he was at a Bob Anderson Sinatra show…”You had me the second you walked on stage, Frank would have loved this show”
Bob Anderson’s performance paradoxically gave me a deeper appreciation of the musicianship of Frank Sinatra. Because Bob is able (as he writes about it) not to mimic Frank’s phrasing but “feel” it I was able to inhale the magic of a Sinatra live performance that I never got from recordings. Bob highlights the unique rhythmic ability Frank had in turning around the beat on a word and creating a more intense meaning to a lyric.
Bob Anderson, who also does singing impersonations of many other male vocalists is truly the best singing impersonator in the world (as his PR states}. Dean Martin critiqued, “You do me better than I do me”. He is the only one that ever tried to impersonate my musical hero Buddy Greco, and Bob was spot on with Mr. G.
Thank you Bob Anderson for bringing Frank Sinatra back to Carnegie Hall.
Dec. 9, 2021 – Suzanna Bowling (co-owns and publishes the newspaper Times Square Chronicles) wrote the following:
Ahead of his one-night-only concert at Carnegie Hall, Bob Anderson, star of One More For The Road the award-winning authentic reenactment concert honoring the music of Frank Sinatra, will make a special visit with the students at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York City this Wednesday, December 8.
At the assembly, Anderson will present five lucky students and their parents with tickets to the event in the Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall on Saturday, December 11 at 7:00 PM (the eve of Sinatra’s 106th birthday).
“Frank Sinatra was a very generous man. His kindness was expressed through outreach to the communities where he lived and worked––all around the world,” Anderson said. “It is part of my life’s work to keep Frank’s music alive and appreciated by all. These students are deserving of experiencing Frank with music from his great American songbook performed using his original arrangements. And we want to give them that opportunity.”
“We are very excited to have Bob Anderson at the school and talking with our vocal and orchestra students,” said Gideon Frankel, Principal of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. “Our school is a tribute to Frank Sinatra, and we impress on our students that staying dedicated to their art will help them achieve success. Bob’s career is an exemplary example of that. The winners of the tickets to One More For The Road will be able to see a performance as close to Frank Sinatra as you can get.”
Additionally, in appreciation of their service protecting the citizens of New York City, more than 150 active and retired first responders have been invited to attend Anderson’s one-night-only concert. This effort was made possible in collaboration with Tony Orlando, American singer, songwriter, producer, music executive, and actor, and Kevin Schroeder, Owner/President at Black Tie Protection Services Inc., President of the Retired Detectives of the Police Department of the city of New York and a 28-year retired veteran of the New York Police Department, Bob Anderson Productions and Twin Palms Entertainment, producers of One More For The Road.
So there, gang, you now have the facts of my friends performance in New York. As many of you readers out there in the world of Las Vegas, and elsewhere know, I’ve been a friend, and a fan, of Mr. Anderson ever since I first watched him performing in the famous “Top of the Dunes” (a classic showroom in its day) back in the 80s, along with my friend and client Robert Goulet.
Of course, I’ve been there when he performed in various showrooms up and down the Las Vegas Strip, and when he headlined in Atlantic City and elsewhere. But the one performance I really wanted to share with Bob, was not to be. I had the tickets, the hotel was booked for me, and something personal needed my attention here in Vegas land. However, you can bet I will be there when he opens in 2022 on Broadway – fulfilling a lifetime dream of bringing Frank Sinatra to his Broadway debut.
Well, gang, that’s about it for this week.