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Bruce Hammond as Frank Sinatra and Seth Abrahms as Dean Martin will perform Oct. 3 at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre. -COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n
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.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve always had a concert series during our main season, but we wanted to try something different during the off-season,\u201d explained Prather Productions Executive Producer Will Prather. \u201cWe also wanted to offer something different than the smaller, less-known musicals we\u2019ve done in the past during this time of year.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
The concert series opens with Yacht Rockin\u2019 on Sept. 4 and Sept. 5. Audiences can expect favorites from\u00a0Ambrosia, Toto, America, Michael McDonald, Gary Wright, Steely Dan, Christopher Cross\u00a0and many more, as noted in the Broadway Palm press release.\n<\/p>\n
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Yacht Rockin\u2019 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.\n<\/p>\n
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.\n<\/p>\n
More than a tribute concert, Yacht Rockin\u2019 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\u2019s music that evokes summer nights, convertibles, FM radio and a soundtrack that has never really gone away.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe chose Yacht Rockin\u2019 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,\u201d he said. \u201cIf it happens to rain that weekend, all the better to see a great concert inside.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
When curating the concert series, Prather said, \u201cI worked with one the hardest working and best-known professional musicians, drummer Darrell Nutt. He\u2019s assembled an all-star group of local musicians well known in the area who are coming together to create these specialty concerts.\u00a0The Tom Petty tribute concert is also a friend of mine whose group performs often in the community and has a strong local following.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Nutt describes his approach to putting together a concert like Yacht Rockin\u2019, 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.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a show like Yacht Rockin\u2019, I did my research and selected songs that ranked high in the Yacht Rock genre,\u201d he reflected. \u201cAs a producer, I\u2019ve 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!\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Prather adds that these selected unique bands appeal to a wide variety of audiences.\n<\/p>\n
Broadway Palm\u2019s concert series spans several generations and musical styles from yacht rock and \u201960s and \u201970s favorites to \u201980s music, Tom Petty and Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely selected musical styles that would appeal to multiple generations spanning over the past 60 years,\u201d Prather adds. \u201cI thought it would be an effective way to find different audiences for each style of show.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Nutt added that he was excited about selecting music across genres.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI got the most excitement from picking and choosing songs that I\u2019ve always wanted to play in the past, but didn\u2019t have the right outlet to do it. I grew up in the \u201980s, so I knew that music well,\u201d Nutt continued. \u201cI\u2019m also a big fan of Steely Dan and have worked with some of those musicians, so Yacht Rock was a no-brainer. And I\u2019ve been performing with a band called The Incorrigibles, which plays \u201960s and \u201970s Boomer music. So, in one way or another, I already had a connection to all three genres.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
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Nostalgia is a common theme in this season\u2019s lineup. \u201cTribute 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,\u201d Prather believes.\n<\/p>\n
Integrity in keeping these well-known musical songs is a goal.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest challenge for any of these concerts is learning the parts the original artists played. These songs were hits for a reason,\u201d Nutt believes. \u201cThere\u2019s 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.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
When audiences hear these songs performed live and are taken back to another time in their lives, Nutt said, \u201cThe biggest joy from performing these shows would be having the audience feel nostalgic, younger and happier\u2014to let go of the outside world for a while and enjoy the music that connects with them. As a professional musician, I\u2019ve had struggles in life, and there\u2019s one motto that has always stayed with me: Music heals.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
As a musician and performer, Nutt is looking forward to playing a few songs in particular.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cFor personal reasons, I\u2019ve always wanted to play \u2018I Keep Forgettin\u2019 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 \u201970s through the early \u201990s,\u201d Nutt said. \u201cFrom the Boomer show, \u2018Chuck E.\u2019s in Love\u2019 by Rickie Lee Jones is one of my favorites, and I\u2019d have to say \u2018Sledgehammer\u2019 by Peter Gabriel for the 80s show.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
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Each concert is performed in Broadway Palm\u2019s main theater and has a dinner option, but is designed with an intentionally intimate experience factor.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThese 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,\u201d Prather described. \u201cI think the Las Vegas-style seating at tables, which allows you to enjoy a pre-show meal, or if you\u2019re attending just the concert, a great place to sit and enjoy a couple of cocktails.\u00a0Plus, there is not a bad seat in the house, plenty of free parking, and no lines at the restrooms!\u201d\n<\/p>\n
The fall concert series includes Yacht Rockin\u2019 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;\n<\/p>\n
The venue just released a \u201cSeptember Spotlight Savings\u201d 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<\/a>, or stopping by the box office at 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.\n<\/p>\n COURTESY IMAGE<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\tCOURTESY IMAGE<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\tCOURTESY IMAGE![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FRANK-AND-DEAN-WEB-SQUARE-NEW-1024x748.png\")
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