This weekend, the Wick Theater Supper Club in Boca Raton will bring back memories when South Floridians flocked to have both dinner and musical theater or a singer perform at venues such as The Colony Hotel in West Palm Beach, the Jan McArt and Burt Reynolds Dinner Theaters in Palm Beach county, the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood and the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach.
The Wick Supper Club is enticing their audiences in the slow summer season for “An Evening In Italy” for two shows on July 26-27 starring contemporary classical, jazz and pop singer/songwriter Anthony Nunziate singing, as one would expect, Italian songs, perhaps songs he recorded such as “Funniculli, Funnicula”,”O Sole Mio” and “That’s Amore” along with his own hit songs from his latest CD “The Love Album” such as “Can’t Help Falling In Love’ and “Unchained Melody” and the Italian version of “It’s Now Or Never”.
Prior to Nunziata performing, the Wick Supper Club will treat their patrons to a choice of meals served to them by waiters, as expected. However, the creative twist to the show is that the waiters who will be carrying the food plates, will also be singing songs and are billed as “Summer Singing Waiters.” Five actors/singers who are known to Wick Theater audiences for their talents in comedy, dance and song in musical productions, rather than carrying food to their tables.
Leah Sessa, seen recently at the Wick Theater in their past season production as “Rosie”, dancing and singing in “Bye Bye Birdie” knows both the creative and less glamorous side of show business in her ten plus years in theater in South Florida.
“My side hustle has always been bartending and waiting tables, so it seems only fitting to do both at the same time,” said Sessa.
Lots of actors that perform at the Wick Theater do their part to do whatever it takes to please audiences whenever they can. Actor Aaron Brower, when not performing at Wick Theater musicals, was a greeter to patrons who entered the theater. Wick Theater actors are sometimes seen working at the box office.
Britte Steele, well-known for her comic and singing performances notably in “Mamma Mia” among other Wick Theater musicals, is looking forward to being a singing waitress.
“It’s all about loving the work you do and connecting with the audiences. As an actor, you remember the teamwork, the rehearsals, the preparation, but the ultimate satisfaction is feeling the emotions from the audience and having a wonderful time with everyone you work with,” said Steele.
Along with Sessa and Steele, the other Summer Singing Waiters in the two shows are actors Aaron Atkinson, Christina Carlucci and Casey Kunmann.
The singing waiters will all be dressed in Italian peasant garb.
Some of the musical highlights from the singing waiters include the following songs:”Be Italian” by Steele; “Come Fly With Me’, a duet with Atkinson and Sessa;
“Perhaps, Perhaps” by Sessa and “Volare” by all the Summer Singing Waiters.
“The fun part of the experience is that the audiences will have singalongs, and many of the songs will be solos, duets and the wonderful part of the show is interaction,” said Steele.
The “Summer Singing Waiters” are entertainers, but they are waiters as well, taking orders on the menu from patrons sitting at tables and bringing them their dinners. Obviously, they have to be talented at carrying plates as well.
“It would not be proper or funny if any of us (Summer Singing Waiters) accidentally dropped plates or delivered the wrong food to the wrong table. We are all set to make sure that our audience will experience an Italian evening of entertainment and food that they will never forget,” said Steele.
In all probability songs made famous by Italian singers such as Andrea Bocelli, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Frankie Valli will be performed by Nunziata and the singing waiters.
Nunziata has performed over 400 concerts in his 15 year career, performing with orchestras, such as the South Florida Symphony Orchestra in Ft. Lauderdale. Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Nunziala has also performed with his twin brother Will, who also is a tenor singing contemporary popular songs, jazz, arias and operas, as well as a film director.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Singer/songwriter Anthony Nunziata stars in “An Evening In Italy”, a dinner show at The Wick Supper Club, 7901 N. Federal Hwy. in Boca Raton on Saturday, July 27 at 6 p.m. and on Sunday, July 28 at 4 p.m.. Also starring will be the five member “Summer Singing Waiters” who will be performing songs as well as serving dinner. in the two shows. Tickets are $150. To buy tickets, go to thewick.org or call 561-995-2333.
