"My Way': Sinatra tribute at Walnut's Studio 3

A lovely lady sat beside me at My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra. She and her husband of 65 years knew, listened to and idolized Sinatra in the 1940s, when they were sweethearts at Bartram High School, then young marrieds and ultimately suburban parents. "There'll never be another Frank Sinatra," the woman told me. "Nowadays it's so different."

I suppose so. Nor will there ever be another Elvis or Beatles or Lady GaGa. But in this walk down memory lane, the Walnut's Independence Studio 3 has hewed to the spirits of the times. Upon entering the third floor lobby, you find yourself in a nightclub with a standing full-order bar. With my customary Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio in hand, I repaired to the theater, only to find an amazing recreation of Philadelphia's legendary old nightclub, the Latin Casino.

As a bass and piano played (by Andrew Nelson and Alex Bechtel, respectively), I sensed excitement, and I hadn't sipped my wine yet. So much for getting me "In the Mood."

Nightclub king

Of course, like my seatmate, I'm easily hooked on this sort of nostalgia. My uncle was Arnold Orsatti, owner of The Pump Room in Philadelphia and Tony Mart's in Somers Point, N.J. I spent my summer months toggling between Cape May and Ocean City, learning how to pour tea at the Chalfont and shimmy with Pearl Bailey at the Bay Shore in Somers Point (another one of my uncle's establishments). My uncle's discothèque crowds of the '70s, as it turned out, were a last of a dying breed. I was lucky to witness their beautiful sunset.

These were Frank's Sinatra's people, and I liked them. My Way is as much of a tribute to this crowd as it is to Old Blue Eyes. These folks wore their hearts on their sleeves and spoke what was on their minds. Sinatra's songs expressed the belief that life was a game and, "if you're riding high in April and shot down in May…you pick yourself up and get back in the race."

Remember Eartha Kitt?

The cast of seasoned actors captures the chic of the lyrics and the insolence of Sinatra's manner perfectly, and while they're at it manage to belt out some mean songs in true casino tradition. It's not just their singing you relish but the characters they project and the genre they recreate.

Carl Clemons-Hopkins, tall muscular and svelte, brings elegance and refinement to all his melodies as he does some depth-defying Chairman of the Board flipping of his hat. Danielle Herbert brings a sexy sultriness to her renditions, complete with Eartha Kitt purring and eye-flapping. Ellie Mooney plays the gamine femme whose wiry body can wrap around any frame and drink down all your expensive champagne. And if you close your eyes when Fran Prisco smacks out "One for My Baby," you'll think "The Voice" is holding court again.