The young Brandon Tomasello stars in Resorts' new show 'Swing, Sing, Sinatra' through Feb. 16.
At first glance, there’s nothing really unique about what Brandon Tomasello is doing as he tries to make his way and find his place in the world of modern music.
In what’s becoming an increasingly common way of doing things, Tomasello is a singer whose musical support comes from a DJ spinning tracks in a booth, not from a traditional band.
But those tracks aren’t the pulsing, pounding, repetitive and bass-heavy sounds favored by today’s artists. Instead, the music pouring from the speakers is a sound that’s rapidly becoming an endangered species.
Backed by the big-band tracks of a 40-piece orchestra, Tomasello, who’s all of 19, is singing the songs of Frank Sinatra. What’s more, he’s channeling the music of Ol’ Blue Eyes on the same Atlantic City casino stage where Sinatra performed more than 30 years ago.
Barely six months after working his first solo gig at a church in Brigantine, Tomasello is currently headlining his own show, Swing, Sing Sinatra, in the Superstar Theatre at Resorts Casino Hotel. The show will be presented on select dates through Feb. 16.
“It was amazing just being able to walk up there and know that Sinatra stood right there in the middle of that stage,” the young Philadelphian says.
The way Tomasello landed the gig is equally amazing. He was first exposed to Sinatra’s music when he was eight and spent time at his grandmother’s home in South Philadelphia, where community rules decree that every house must contain a shrine to the Chairman of the Board.
Tomasello was instantly smitten by Sinatra’s voice, his style, the cooler-than-cool musical swagger that wafted from the speakers. He was so captivated by the music that he stole his grandmother’s collection of Sinatra CDs and played them over and over and over, committing the songs and the lyrical phrasing to memory.
“When you hear the same song 40 times in a row, you kind of remember them,” he says. “I listened to them so much that I knew where he took his breaths [during the songs] and remembered how he sang them.”
Chef Sal says: "Everyone will be getting a cookbook and a jar of Pasty’s sauce as part of the admission to the event. You have the food, you have the singing, and you have the dancing. It will be a wonderful night.”
Once again, greetings and salutations. Hard to believe — just one more week, and then the summer season ends for most folks. Not for the Geator, because even though we close Memories, we still will be doing our thing. And we’ll keep you posted about our fall schedule as you continue to read the Weekly. Last weekend, again, nothing but stars. It began with our favorite international personality, Pat Croce, making his annual return to Memories. Then there was Congressman Brady with his entourage. Of course, ever present was the amazing Pete Ciarrocchi and his lovely wife, Lisa, from Chickie’s & Pete’s, and one of my favorite attorneys, Fortunato Perri, whose dad, Fortunato Sr., is one of the classiest guys you’ll ever meet. The Longport kids were there, as...
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1. sallyseahshore said... on Jan 13, 2012 at 04:48PM
“I think it's great that this young guy is into the music of generations ago! Brave to resorts for giving the kid a chance..can't wait to see show..will ac weekly run a contest???”