Bruce Hammond as Frank Sinatra and Seth Abrahms as Dean Martin will perform Oct. 3 at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre. -COURTESY PHOTO
Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre may be best known for bringing Broadway musicals to its stage, but this season, the theater is tapping into musical nostalgia while expanding beyond traditional musical theater. Beginning in September, Broadway Palm is expanding on its concert series featuring music that spans decades and genres, giving audiences the chance to revisit familiar favorites and more entertainment options for Southwest Florida audiences.
“We’ve always had a concert series during our main season, but we wanted to try something different during the off-season,” explained Prather Productions Executive Producer Will Prather. “We also wanted to offer something different than the smaller, less-known musicals we’ve done in the past during this time of year.”
The concert series opens with Yacht Rockin’ on Sept. 4 and Sept. 5. Audiences can expect favorites from Ambrosia, Toto, America, Michael McDonald, Gary Wright, Steely Dan, Christopher Cross and many more, as noted in the Broadway Palm press release.
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Yacht Rockin’ features an all-star lineup of Southwest Florida musicians led by drummer and Musical Director Darrell Nutt, with James Albritton on guitar and vocals, Matt Baxley and Hunter McDaniel on keyboards, guitar and vocals, Jennifer Mazziotti on saxophone and Steve Friedman on bass.
Collectively, these accomplished musicians bring decades of recording and live experience, with credits that include working with members of Steely Dan, Yes, The Moody Blues, Goo Goo Dolls, Glenn Frey, Counting Crows and Sly Stone. Together, they bring sophisticated musicianship, smooth harmonies, soulful vocals and instrumental firepower that defined the golden era of Yacht Rock, as described in a press release.
More than a tribute concert, Yacht Rockin’ is a trip back to a time when impeccably crafted songs, lush vocal arrangements and world-class studio musicians ruled the radio, as noted in the press release. It’s music that evokes summer nights, convertibles, FM radio and a soundtrack that has never really gone away.
“We chose Yacht Rockin’ to open the concert series on Labor Day weekend since many people will be enjoying a day of boating, swimming or relaxing on the beach,” he said. “If it happens to rain that weekend, all the better to see a great concert inside.”
When curating the concert series, Prather said, “I worked with one the hardest working and best-known professional musicians, drummer Darrell Nutt. He’s assembled an all-star group of local musicians well known in the area who are coming together to create these specialty concerts. The Tom Petty tribute concert is also a friend of mine whose group performs often in the community and has a strong local following.”
Nutt describes his approach to putting together a concert like Yacht Rockin’, from choosing the musicians, who are all independent artists and musicians from Sarasota to Naples, to deciding how these familiar songs will be arranged and performed live.
“For a show like Yacht Rockin’, I did my research and selected songs that ranked high in the Yacht Rock genre,” he reflected. “As a producer, I’ve worked with most of these musicians in the studio, so I already knew their skill levels and individual strengths. I selected the singers and musicians I felt would honor and elevate the music for all three concert genres. The added bonus for me is all of these artists and musicians are complete joys to be around and that makes is easier to create great music!”
Prather adds that these selected unique bands appeal to a wide variety of audiences.
Broadway Palm’s concert series spans several generations and musical styles from yacht rock and ’60s and ’70s favorites to ’80s music, Tom Petty and Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
“I definitely selected musical styles that would appeal to multiple generations spanning over the past 60 years,” Prather adds. “I thought it would be an effective way to find different audiences for each style of show.”
Nutt added that he was excited about selecting music across genres.
“I got the most excitement from picking and choosing songs that I’ve always wanted to play in the past, but didn’t have the right outlet to do it. I grew up in the ’80s, so I knew that music well,” Nutt continued. “I’m also a big fan of Steely Dan and have worked with some of those musicians, so Yacht Rock was a no-brainer. And I’ve been performing with a band called The Incorrigibles, which plays ’60s and ’70s Boomer music. So, in one way or another, I already had a connection to all three genres.”
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Nostalgia is a common theme in this season’s lineup. “Tribute shows are really a trend right now that are selling to multiple generations as they enjoy reliving the music of their youth and connecting to those memories of the past,” Prather believes.
Integrity in keeping these well-known musical songs is a goal.
“The biggest challenge for any of these concerts is learning the parts the original artists played. These songs were hits for a reason,” Nutt believes. “There’s no need to try to change them or make them our own. We want to recreate how the music made you feel the first time you heard it.”
When audiences hear these songs performed live and are taken back to another time in their lives, Nutt said, “The biggest joy from performing these shows would be having the audience feel nostalgic, younger and happier—to let go of the outside world for a while and enjoy the music that connects with them. As a professional musician, I’ve had struggles in life, and there’s one motto that has always stayed with me: Music heals.”
As a musician and performer, Nutt is looking forward to playing a few songs in particular.
“For personal reasons, I’ve always wanted to play ‘I Keep Forgettin’ by Michael McDonald. One of my favorite drummers is Jeff Porcaro, who passed away in 1992. Jeff played drums on that song and was the original drummer and co-founder of Toto, as well as a legendary session drummer with numerous credits from the ’70s through the early ’90s,” Nutt said. “From the Boomer show, ‘Chuck E.’s in Love’ by Rickie Lee Jones is one of my favorites, and I’d have to say ‘Sledgehammer’ by Peter Gabriel for the 80s show.”
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Each concert is performed in Broadway Palm’s main theater and has a dinner option, but is designed with an intentionally intimate experience factor.
“These concerts will be more intimate in nature with less audience members while still enjoying the high caliber of professional musicians that are based throughout SWFL,” Prather described. “I think the Las Vegas-style seating at tables, which allows you to enjoy a pre-show meal, or if you’re attending just the concert, a great place to sit and enjoy a couple of cocktails. Plus, there is not a bad seat in the house, plenty of free parking, and no lines at the restrooms!”
The fall concert series includes Yacht Rockin’ on Sept. 4 and 5; My Boomer Generation: The Music You Forgot You Remembered on Sept. 11 and 12; 80s REWIND on Sept. 24 and 25; Learning to Fly South: Honoring Tom Petty Since 2009 on Oct. 1; Frank & Dean Live: A Timeless Tribute on Oct. 3;
The venue just released a “September Spotlight Savings” pricing, which will be $55 for dinner and a show, or $25 for just the concert. Tickets are on sale now and can be reserved by calling 239 278-4422, visiting BroadwayPalm.com, or stopping by the box office at 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.
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