Sixteen crooners took the stage at Sinatra Park on the Hoboken waterfront on Thursday night for the 10th annual Frank Sinatra Idol Contest, drawing contestants from around the country to mimic the locally born swing singer.
While in the past, the competition has lured participants from as far as Canada, this year’s longest traveler was Dwayne Lawson from Encinitas, Calif. Though he did not start singing until he was 40, he said he was always a “closet Sinatra fan,” and he ultimately placed third in the competition.
“When I was 13, my voice dropped,” Lawson laughed. “And it was so low. Back then, everyone was singing the Beatles and the Beach Boys, so all the songs were high and meant for tenors and altos. But then when Sinatra came out with ‘Strangers in the Night,’ I thought, ‘This guy’s in my key!’”
Sinatra’s second cousin, Dale Monaco, who sat on the panel of five judges, said she is always “amused” by the Sinatra-style singers who compete each year.
“I really enjoy this because I’m his last living relative here in Hoboken,” Monaco said. “I was born and raised here. My grandmother and his mother were sisters. I love that the people who come here go all out, and they’re really serious about it.”
Other judges included Bob Foster, the director of the Hoboken Historical Museum; Bill LaRosa, the director of Hudson County Cultural Affairs; Richard Muti, the author of an award-winning biography on Sinatra titled “Cent’ Anni: The Sinatra Legend at 100;” and Barbara Simon, a professional singer and voice teacher who owns BJ Simon Singing Studio.
101 years later
Sinatra Idol welcomed a few returners to the competition. Humphrey Uddoh, an attorney from Jersey City who also performed in 2015, said he is intrigued by Sinatra’s songs because they have similar vocal ranges. And though some say smoking made Sinatra’s voice sound better, Uddoh admitted to the audience that he had successfully quit smoking and remained cigarette-free for the past few years.
While Uddoh enjoyed a two-year streak in Idol, other performers had to wait for their turns.
“This is my fifth year applying to the contest,” said Stephen Verrone, an accountant from Parsippany. “I’m glad I finally made it. There’s no better place to do a show like this.”
“The preservation of the Great American Songbook is extremely important to me.” – Zachary Alexander
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“It was really exciting to win last year, especially because it was the centennial event,” Corrao said. Sinatra would have turned 100 in December 2015.
A new generation of jazz
Some of this year’s most captivating contestants were also the youngest.
This year, the Sinatra Idol winner was Zachary Alexander, 20, a TV production major at Hofstra University, originally from Red Bank. Alexander started listening to Sinatra in high school and began performing his songs at age 16.
“The preservation of the Great American Songbook is extremely important to me,” Alexander said. “And I can think of no better way to do that than singing Sinatra’s music.”
“I’m glad I can represent my generation here,” he said to the audience before performing “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.”
Last year’s runner-up, New York-based singer and dancer Marcqiese Rainey, made a return to Idol as well, tying for third place with Lawson. While the panel of judges favored authenticity, they did not mind when Rainey brought his own flavor to the competition. Not only did he wear a pair of studded dress shoes that stood out among the traditional tuxedos in the crowd, but during an instrumental section of his song, he flipped and cartwheeled across the stage.
Barbara Simon, a professional voice teacher who sat on the judges panel, told Rainey, “Sinatra always gave his audience everything he had. And that’s what you did. If he could flip, I’m sure he would have.”
But ultimately, Alexander’s performance was the one what won judges over, scoring fives from each of them, except for Bob Foster, who held up a five and then added a one to show his enthusiasm.
“I’m in love,” Foster said, lauding Alexander’s skills.
After the show, Alexander said, “It was fantastic. I had a lot of fun doing this and I’m glad Hoboken does this contest every year. You know, it’s different because you’re up against more experienced people who perform regularly.”
However, age did not seem to be an obstacle when Alexander performed his cover. He had a captivating stage presence and seemed to be as gracefully thin as Sinatra himself, who often made jokes about his skinny frame on stage.
“Being at my age, you don’t know if it’s a disadvantage or not,” he said. “A lot of people do impersonation competitions, and they usually capture Frank in his older age, but not so much his younger years. So tonight, I guess being young worked for me.”