‘Main Event’ pulls no punches with Sinatra legacy

Friday, May 10, 2002 | 8:30 a.m.

Impresario Jeff Kutash has created a magnificent tribute to the life and times of Frank Sinatra.

"The Main Event" at The Venetian Showroom is billed as "an unauthorized biography of an era." But the era in this production is clearly Sinatra's, and the rest of us are mere footnotes to the history.

Kutash, who also produces "Splash" at the Riviera, chose 50 of Sinatra's most memorable songs to tell the story of a legend whose life was as memorable as his music.

The full-bodied, big-band sound of a live 14-piece orchestra adds great depth to a production whose main weaknesses are: a stage that is too small, a couple of singers in the supporting cast whose voices were no match for veteran entertainer Bob Anderson, and Stephen Triffitt, a relative newcomer to show business.

Though Triffitt portrays Sinatra through the ages, Anderson clearly is the star of the show.

Anderson is one of the world's great singing impressionists, with a catalogue of about 100 voices. However, he only needs a handful for "The Main Event," including Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett, Tom Jones and Nat "King" Cole.

For most of the show, Anderson narrates the storyline and Triffitt sings the Sinatra songs that reflect the stages of the crooner's progression, from a teen idol in the early '40s to the elder statesman of the stage in the '80s.

One of the benefits of having Anderson at the helm is that he is able to think on his feet and smooth over any rough edges. A light that exploded in the rafters didn't phase him; neither did an ill-mannered comment yelled by a member of the audience during a recent performance.

This show is not an in-depth biography. Sinatra's life was so high profile most fans merely need to have their memory jogged, such as the story about his relationship with Ava Gardner, which almost sank his career.

"The Main Event" doesn't pull any punches. It covers Sinatra's tantrums, his womanizing, his confrontations with the press and the public and his ties with the mob.

Behavior that would have been considered boorish and unacceptable for most of us somehow added stature to the man with the blue eyes and a voice that was unforgettable.