Connie Francis Concert Reviews, 2000 to 2003

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Connie in Newark, New Jersey
on November 13, 2003
by Michelle

The Legend Finally Comes Home Show

Well I have to say, Connie’s voice was AMAZING. She had so much power to it and it was the smoothest I have ever heard it live. (I have only been seeing her for 10 years!). But yes, she was incredible. Connie did not come out escorted by policemen or fireman but simply entranced the stage from the side. There was one vase full of roses on the piano and right before Connie came out the ushers came down the aisle and gave us all roses. The first few rows went up to the stage and gave Connie all the roses which I thought was very nice. But I have to say the audience was less than enthusiastic. (sorry New Jersey). I mean I am from New York and this was a BIG DEAL. There were a few big fans yelling. Connie did her regular line up, opening with “Let Me Try Again.” and closing with “God Bless America.” About half way through the concert, Mayor Sharp James came out and presented Connie with a Key to the City which was very nice. They also announced they would be putting her name on the front of the building, and the Mayor said some wonderful things about Connie. It was really a nice show all in all.

After the show, we met up with my girlfriend’s bosses friend. He knows Connie and he led us up to the Meet and Greet. I waited on line with a wonderful lady, Phyllis, who also has the pleasure of knowing Connie for many years. Phyllis wanted me to be introduced personally to Connie so she told me to stick with her. Phyllis proceeded to tell me great stories of how she first met Connie when she was a teenager. We got up to the meet and greet and I had the envelope with Alie’s picture in it. Connie had her marker ready to sign something for me and I pulled the picture out and said this is a gift for you from your fans. I explained we had the mailing list group on the internet and I said one of the lady’s from the group, Alie from the Netherlands, put together this picture and we wanted to give it to you. I also said, I’m sure you will recognize some of us. She picked up the picture and said, “This is Beautiful, yes I do recognize some of the people, this is wonderful. Thank you so much.” So Alie, your picture was a big hit. I took a picture with Connie, which is all I ever wanted. After I met her and stepped down, I was introduced to Pat Niglio, who remembered me from PA. He is such a great guy and we chatted with him for quite a while. I was also introduced to Connie’s friend Francine, who was so nice and said that Connie would definitely save the picture because she loves things like that. We stayed around for about and hour talking to all these people. I try to remember details but things are a little blurry. When I met Connie, I kind of got into a zone and it seems like a dream.

It was an amazing night though and I am very thankful I could see Connie again and especially thankful her voice sounded so wonderful.

The Oct 30 issue of the Italian Tribune features a front page article on Connie. The New Jersey Newark Ledger has a nice article on Connie which can be read online at http://www.nj.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-4/106775488713690.xml?starledger?nex. Also, see John Donatelli’s webpage at http://www.12mb.com/connie go to the “News” section to see the Ledger article on Connie.

Seeing Connie at Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre, PA
on October 18, 2003
by Michelle

I just got home from Pennsylvania where I saw Connie at the Kirby Center. I was so excited to write to you. Here is how it went. We got to our Hotel on Friday at about 4:00pm. We checked in and went for dinner. When we were driving back to the Hotel a Limo stopped short in front of us and popped the trunk open in front of the hotel. I said, "would't it be funny if that was Connie?" My girlfriend said, "Probably is, who else would pull up to hotel in a limo". I said No way. We go around the building and park the car. Walk in the door and who is checking in but, CONNIE. SO what did I do you ask? I ran to the elevator while my girlfriend is screaming, "We just drove four hours, you better say hello." I could not so I went back up the room and freaked out for 5 minutes. My girlfriend suggested we go downstairs to check out the Hotel. So we were walking around and no sign of Connie. We decided to g back to the room. Standing in front of the door and "bing" the elevator doors open and standing directly in front of me is Connie. My first words, uncontrollably were "OH MY GOD." Connie looked at us and smiled, and it took me two seconds but I walked over to her and shook her hand and I said, "Hi Connie, I'm Michelle, we drove four hours from New York to come and see you." She said, "Nice to meet you. Thank you so much for coming," and then she opened her arms and gave us both a big hug on kiss on the cheek, said thank you again, told us to enjoy our night and she would see us tomorrow. I got back in the elevator and my girlfriend was hysterical. I was shaking so much and got a major case of the giggles. Called everyone I knew and told them. It took me a good 6 hours to wind down.

The show was at 2:00 today and it was AMAZING. Connie hit notes I haven't heard come out of her in a long time. She was energetic, funny and sounded so amazing. She got three standing ovations. It was so unbelievable. Afterward we had the meet and greet. That was a little disappointing. Very crowded, Connie sat at a table and we couldn't take pictures with her although we could take pictures of her. She signed autographs but they rushed us along so not much talking. I shook her hand again and told her the show was amazing. She said thank you. Nice to meet you. So I am glad I did get to run into her in the lobby. Was an amazing experience and I still am high from it. I did take pictures at the autograph signing. I will post them as soon as I have them developed. It was a great 4 hour hike and all the worthwhile. I am so excited.

More about the Pennsylvania show

It looked to me as if the show was sold out. It was about the size of a Broadway theater. It had the bottom and the Mezzanine. Looked packed to me. She got her first standing ovation the second she walked out. Some of what she sang were:

Of course: American Bandstand, Old Time Rock and Roll, Tribute to Elvis, Tribute to Buddy Holly, Tribute to "The Chairman of the Board", Standing ovation for Mama, Who's Sorry Now, Where the Boys Are, A request for "Don't Break the Heart the Loves You", "Lipstick on Your Collar/Everybody Somebody's Fool Medley, Stupid Cupid. She did an Italian song, (Sorry don't remember which one), a Spanish song...(I knew I should have written these down). And she sang "If I never sing another song." She then got a standing ovation and left the stage. She came back and closed with "God Bless America." She sang Mama soooo beautifully, brought the audience to tears. She was really in tip top shape. She tripped over her stool three times and finally said that, "She was going to kill herself on that tonight." She also had a sore throat and was sipping brandy with a water chaser and cringing each time she took a sip, joking how she gets drunk on scotch tape. Ha Ha. She was in great form joking like her old self. She had on her black sequined dress with the slit up the front. Her hair was blonde and in an up do. She looked beautiful. She moved around a danced quite a bit too. Backstage there were about two hundred people waiting to meet her.

"Looking For Love" Movie promo poster I had Connie sign. Connie liked it too. What I thought was wonderful was when she came out of the elevator, and I went up to her, Terry and the man with her, stood aside and waited for Connie to finish talking to me. They really gave us space. I thought that was great. God, yes, I am still on cloud nine, and loving every minute of it. I am going to the show in New Jersey next month too and am hoping I get to meet her again. It is so great being able to share this with you all.

Webpage editor's note: Joe Ranieli with the radio show "Bocci Alley" was the promoter for Connie's Wilkes-Barre show. Bocci Alley website is at http://www.boccialley.com

Connie at Texas Station in Las Vegas
on November 22 and 23, 2002
by webpage editor. Additional comments and other photos contributed by Michael Dardenelle.

Concert went very well last night (Saturday). Connie’s voice was strong though she did pace herself to give her best voice when singing “Mama” and “God Bless America.” Overall, same format is the same as before but like the nearly full house it is always good to see her. I heard Friday performance was also great except a whole sound board went out and Connie’s microphone went out also. She humored about it and with her conductor Doug Walters managed to continue on with a really big show. Friday’s performance was nearly sold out.

Overall, everyone appreciated Connie’s sincerely and honesty. Connie even mentioned that she appreciated the warmth she gets from her fans.

Prior to the show, some radio stations have constantly been playing Connie Francis songs.

The show began as usual with the orchestra playing her overture, then with the bass drum and fanfare, the spotlight focused on the side rear door, and in came Connie Francis, hugging those she could reach, and showing genuine appreciation for over 1600 people being there.

She opened with “Let Me Try Again” and many times throughout the concert Connie received standing ovations. The second half of the show opened with “Comme Bella A Stagione” and she sang "Mama" that was the best of the evening. Connie sang “God Bless America” which closed the show.

After the show, I met briefly with Connie (along with several other fans) and was able to convey my regards to her.

I met some friends: Cora, Eric, John, Bobby and others whom I’ve not seen for sometime, including Jurgen from Germany who always lends great fan support for Connie in Germany. On the subject of international fans, Connie has many fans in Poland and a store in Warsaw has a nice selection of her CDs as can be seen here.



Overall, this was a great concert. Many of the people at the concert collected a number of Connie's records years ago. They remember singing the same songs and now after all these years they finally got to see Connie "live". So even if Connie were to have a frog in her throat, as can happen to any singer, they still admire her. That did not happen at this engagement.



Connie has a new upsweep hairdo, lighter color, tall and lightly poofed. I said to Connie, “I like your hair, it’s very Gina Lollobrigida.” (Gina has her hair big these days).

Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, New Jersey, Oct 12, 2002
by Gail Berkman

I saw Connie’s performance at the Count Basie theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey. My husband and I celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary. I must say it was one of our most wonderful and memorable anniversaries. Her performance was simply WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!! We didn’t want the concert to end. Connie’s voice is superb along with her warm personality and humor. It is so good to see her in public again.

Thank you for an evening we will never forget. Connie is an inspiration to humanity.

Connie Francis at Resorts, April 2002
Review by Pat Niglio, photos contributed by Diana Ambrose

More photos at Resorts here.

What I do want to state is that Connie sold out to capacity audiences. Here's a little review:

Despite the fact that Connie was completely dehydrated and fighting a serious throat and ear infection, Connie wowed the Resorts International audience as she stepped out into the over-capacity crowd at 10:15 P.M. Each show was oversold by 250 people and there were still people clamoring at the box office. Connie went through the show, nevertheless, and even though she personally was not pleased with her vocals on Friday night, April 5, the audience gave her several standing ovations. Resting up a little and a visit to the the doctor's office on Saturday, April 6, resulted in an almost recovery and a more personally triumphant concert on the crammed second night. Connie attended a cocktail party given in her honor and received several guests which included fans from all over the United States, England, Holland and Germany. Her third night Connie outdid herself on numbers such as "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" and "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?" In addition to these her repertoire on the other nights included: LET ME TRY AGAIN, O LONESOME ME, ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT?, HITS MEDLEY, COMME BELLA A STAGIONE, SCAPRICCIATIELLO, MAMA, OLD TIME ROCK'N ROLL, SINATRA IS THE CHAMP, IF I NEVER SING ANOTHER SONG, OVER THERE and GOD BLESS AMERICA. For many of these, she received standing ovations. Tirelessly, she signed autographs for at least 90 minutes afterward. The buzz in the casino was that she brought all the excitement back to the hotel. For those of you who missed this concert, it was well worth the travel for many.



During this engagement, Connie was invited to place her handprints on cement which will be a forever momento of her many visits to the Atlantic City area, an honor not bestowed on every performer in AC. The ceremony was attended by a group of friends and fans.

Regards, Pat

PS: One the mornings following the concerts, Connie had breakfast with her foreign fans.




More photos at Resorts here.

Westbury Concert Review, 2001
by Ted Simone

This was an EXCELLENT concert engagement.

Vocally, Connie performed numbers like “Oh, Lonesome Me,” “Many, Many Tears Ago,” “Comme Bella a Stagione,” and “Scapricciatiello.” People were moved to tears when she sang “Mama” and when recounted her experiences in Viet Nam singing “God Bless America” to the troops. I got to fulfill a life-long ambition and sing that song with Connie tonight. (All right... so a thousand people sang with us... I couldn’t exactly tell them all to shut up).

But it was her appearance and state of mind that really pulled the concert off. Connie looked absolutely radiantly beautiful. She wore that black outfit with the cape, but it really does become her more matronly figure today. As she handed the cape to her arranger she told him to have it cleaned and then burned. Her hair was on the shorter side (no wing flip) and was dyed a very becoming shade of red. She looked glamorous and nothing near her age.

She was sharp as a tack all through the performance and had a retort for every call she heard. She did not lose her place or seem in the least disoriented. At one point she commented on her height saying that she wasn’t short -- she was just vertically challenged. She did make mention of the movie of her life and stated as we have read here that Gloria Estefan will portray her, Olympia Dukakis will play her Mom, and they are hoping to sign Danny DiVito as her father. No date was announced. Bobby Grasso was back on his drums and she quipped that the two of them have been together for forty years now while all four of her marriages didn’t even total seven years.

For the second half of the show I’m not quite certain who dressed her, but she would have been better served staying in the black affair. She appeared in a red, broad striped pants suit with, of all things, a leather cap with a brim that hid her face for a good portion of the latter part of the show. Not exactly the image of her you’d think of first while singing Mama. The hat HAS to go. One person DID call out for her to remove it but it stayed on till she left the stage.

One other disappointment was that she expressly asked that the rotating stage not move during her performance. Consequently section F where we were seated got to see her shapely backside for most of the first half of the performance. I went into the lobby where they were selling her CD’s and photos at intermission and noticed Pat Niglio behind the counter. I told him that we’d like to get a glimpse of her face every now and then. To his credit, she did remark that there were complaints she was favoring one side of the audience and she did her best to compensate during the second half of the show.

I am happy to announce that the only people who left early were a few dorks who wanted to beat the traffic jam out of the parking lot and departed while she was singing “Over There.” I somehow find this behavior even more rude than those who leave earlier in the middle of the performance.

I was prepared to take photos as I was told she would be coming out to sign autographs after the show and seated myself in the first row when the aisles cleared. But unfortunately my earlier assumption was correct and you needed your name on a list or a pass to get to see her after the concert. I left to face the traffic jam.

On the whole, even with her impaired voice, I think people really enjoyed the concert. Again, she was not in a fog and she was in full control of what she was doing and saying which compensated for the high notes that no longer come to her easily or the fact that she no longer holds her end notes without cascading down the scale today to a more comfortable range. Surely not the big Connie Francis endings we hear on her recordings but they were respectable enough. People seemed just genuinely happy to see her.

And despite the seven people in the row behind me who were talking incessantly while they ate popcorn and drank, and despite the woman seated next to me who sang along with every song she knew, I will honestly admit that I very much enjoyed this evening with Connie. If she can continue in this vein there is no real reason for her to stop performing. I would LOVE to hear her at a small supper club do nothing but Italian songs and I really think that would go over well -- at least here in New York and in Boston. And she got at least three standing ovations... when she sang Mama, when she sang “If I Never Sing Another Song,” and while we all sang “God Bless America.”

I was surprised that she sang most of her hits in their entirety instead of in medley form. The concert lasted at least a good hour and a half.

That’s about it from here. I copied down the sequence of songs below. I hope this review pleases just about everyone.

Ted

Concert Program

Let Me Try Again
Oh Lonesome Me
Are You Lonesome Tonight
Bandstand Theme
Who’s Sorry Now
Stupid Cupid
Lipstick on Your Collar
Everybodys Somebody’s Fool
Among My Souveniers
Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You
My Happiness
Together
Many Tears Ago
Vacation
Where the Boys Are
Who’s Sorry Now (reprise to Dick Clark)

Intermission

Comm’ e’ Bella A Stagione
Believe Me
Scapricciatiello
Mama
Old Time Rock and Roll
Brother Can You Spare a Dime
Frank Sinatra Tribute (sung to The Lady is a Tramp)
If I Never Sing Another Song
Over There
God Bless America

Connie’s show at Westbury Music Fair was one of her best in years. Definitely a few notches above the last time I saw her. Connie’s voice held strong and she didn’t need honey or hot tea to soothe her voice. Connie looked terrific, trim and her hair was styled short for a fresh look. Some new songs (“Over There” and “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me”) and new jokes (it’s about time) were added to her act: “I’m going to Afghanistan, folks. I’m gonna cook for the Taliban. They’ll know what poison really is.” Connie received many standing ovations, including one when she entered the theatre. Her show was sold out, as usual. After the show Connie received visitors in her dressing room, and it was announced that she would sign autographs in the lobby later. A huge line of fans formed and waited for Connie to arrive. Before long, the Music Fair security people threw the fans out. Really, no class at all. Most unlike the headliner, who is a very classy lady.

Connie was back in her homeland, singing to a sold-out crowd. After a two year absence from New York, everyone was happy to see her in the place where she spent most of her life!

The outpouring of friends, family and fans was overwhelming and people crowded the backstage area and lined up outside the theatre to see Connie and say HELLO.

Connie opened with “Let Me Try Again” and sailed through two country songs and an extended medley of her hits including “Many Tears Ago.” For the second half of the concert, Connie wore a pants outfit and during the second half wore a scarf around her neck. She also wore a chic cap during the second half over her own hair hanging down her back. Italians from New York enjoyed “Scapricciatiello” which she has performed for the past year but never at Westbury. She also did a great version of “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” followed by “Mama.” She followed with “Old Time Rock’n’Roll," "Band Intro,” “Brother Can You Spare A Dime?” with some touching footage and a speech about September 11. She followed with “Sinatra Is The Champ” and spoke about the movie about her life she is planning to work on with Gloria Estefan. A medley which moved her to tears of “Over There” and “God Bless America” ended the show. She got standing ovations for “Mama” and “God Bless America.” People were very happy to see her and conveyed this to her several times during the show. Connie remarked several times about some happy show business moments she had with Frank Sinatra and others doing her career and jokingly asked the audience to forgot about her million seller hit “Frankie” which the audience requested several times! In all, it was an enjoyable afternoon and the weather was brisk but perfect. Connie was unforunately unable to return home the next day because of the airline mishap but she kept her cool and returned to the hotel.

Too bad you weren’t there, Mike. Incidentally, some of the dates for Florida are changed or will be changed and I guess you heard that she is doing the Palace Theatre in Cleveland on December 16.

Connie’s concert in Greensburg
on Oct 30, 2001
by Ed Amori:

I just wanted to let you know that I attended Connie’s concert in Greensburg, PA on Tuesday evening. This is about the fifth time I have seen Connie in concert. The first was her ‘comeback’ in 1981 at Westbury Music Fair. ( I lived in NY at that time)

My impressions of the concert are these:

The audience didn’t realize Connie entered from the rear of the theatre. I turned around and she was half way down the aisle before people realized it was her. Since I had an aisle seat, I was able to shake her hand before she stepped onto the stage.

Her voice was strong and sure. There were a few technical snags, but overall I think the show was fabulous. She began at 8:05PM and sand until just befre 9:30PM. I was very impressed.

One of my favorite songs, “Al Di La,” was removed from the Italian set, but Connie blew me away with her rendition of “Believe Me,” which I think was made famous by Dusty Springfield.

Mike Church’s comments: [received Nov 3]

This week’s concerts

I just landed in Phoenix about an hour ago. Boy, am I BEAT. I was just catching up on some posts, and thought I would respond to some of the inquiries. I will give a summary of the week. Due to the Columbus cancellation, our flights were all messed up. We all had to fly into Cleveland on Monday and ride for 3 hours to get to Greensburg, PA. The Palace Theater holds about 1300, and it was entirely sold out. It is a very old, elegant theater, and had limited lighting. Therefore, with the exception of the video (with added segments), and the huge American flag drop at the end, there was less production, and more focus on Connie herself. Connie was in surprisingly great voice, especially considering she was just getting over the flu. She received at least 2 or 3 standing ovations. The sound company arrived 2 hours late to set up... and their unprofessionalism showed a bit, with some audio pops happening every now and then. Though it was somewhat annoying, the show was definately a success. The song everyone has been trying to figure out was “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me.” Connie also sang “Over There” before “God Bless America.” When she sang the lyrics “We won’t be coming back until it’s over over there,” the crowd went wild. The next day we traveled 3 hours to Hagerstown, MD. The Maryland Theater was also an old, elegant theater. Same technical restrictions. This theater held about the same...and though not sold out, it was nearly sold out. We used the same orchestra as in Greensburg. Thank GOD for that. Much to our horror, when we showed up for rehearsal and soundcheck... we found that the promoter had neglected to inform the orchestra to show up. We freaked, of course. The orchestra was all coming from 3 hours away... so there was little we could do to get them there. It is VERY important with such an orchestra to have a soundcheck, so the levels can all be mixed properly in the house, and so Connie’s levels can all be checked against the music level. Nervous about the situation, but not wanting to disappoint the fans, she held the doors a short time, and she did a last minute sound check right before the show. What a trooper! Talk about crazy! Despite the obstacles, Connie put on a fabulous show. We got up at 5:30am this morning and travelled to Baltimore, where we flew home from. I just got in, and I think I will take a much deserved nap :)

Las Vegas at Texas Station
on October 19, 2001
by the webpage editor

Editors Note: I most welcome reviews from others that attended this concert (there were well over 1500). This review was a quick brain dump.

Many thanks to Mike Craig who sent photos of Connie on stage.

Absolutely outstanding. Sold out and they had to still turn people away. Connie even sang Mama, probably the best I’ve seen. She went through the song with soft portions and the belt out the emotions on other portions. very dynamic and Connie did the same for her other songs, she did not do “old time rock-n-roll” because she saved her performance for the last group of songs “Brother Can You Spare a Dime,” “Over There” (the song from 1917 WW 1), “Sinatra is the Champ,” and closed with Irving Berlin’s God Bless America (which all the audience stood up and sang it with her).

Connie sang her traditional Italian songs for all her paisanos. It’s difficult for me to describe how the audience and Connie relate, and how particularly strong Connie was at this concert. Perhaps when she saw how many people attended so she did all she could to give people a performance they will remember. I hope to get some more feedback from other fans to post on the webpage.

They had a really good set of musicians, and of course Doug Walters did great with the arrangements. Her sound man Don, did a good job balancing the system. Her swinging drummer boy Bobby Grauso was right with her (he performed with her back in the 1960s in the Congo Room at the Sahara Hotel). Connie asked how long he has performed with her. He said “Forty years!” Connie said, “oh my! I shouldn’t have asked that question!” The next night I went to the Sahara to see the show The Rat Pack is Back with singer/impersonators of Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Sammy Davis Jr., and the CEO Frank Sinatra. I took some photos of the Congo Room after the show.

Everyone stands for ‘God Bless America’

Connie also mentioned that they may actually do a movie of her life. Gloria Estefan will play Connie, Olympia Dukakis will play her mom, and Danny Devito will play her father. There are still some details to work out but there is now a good possibility this will happen.

Connie also announced a new Patriotic CD should be released. Right now, hold back for further news. I don’t know anything else but obviously God Bless America is included. The CD will also have The Impossible Dream. Once this CD is available you will hear the news. In the meantime, be patient!

My friend commented that she was amazed how good Connie was, how strong her voice was. She also mentioned that Connie really cares for her fans. Someone else at the show said Las Vegas no longer has that many entertainers like Connie (most shows today are laser lights, etc). Connie was not able to meet all 1600 fans but she did have a VIP party after and thanks to Angelo who gave me a pass. I had Connie autograph a couple photos for some particular individuals (I can’t really do this service for all requests, there’s too many) and I also gave Connie a few notes from her fans that wanted to express how wonderful Connie is (one is from a fan in South Korea).

Connie signing autographs. This was taken after much of the crowd already met Connie. The child (below) was exhausted after an exciting evening.

I met some people and gave them the URL for the CF webpage asking for some articles and more contributions. This is important because it is her fans that have contributed most of the material. Thanks to Bob who introduced me to other fans. I also met [Maggie] Maggi Albisani who is a local singer and she will be doing a musical tribute to Connie. Maggi is pretty like Connie and she should do an excellent portrayal of our favorite beautiful singer (with the poofy hair, pretty dress, and stylist makeup). I forgot to ask Maggi if she will be singing in 12 different languages like Connie. However, this will be excellent exposure for Connie and I will try to find out when Maggi will do her tribute. I also met Johnny Ventura, former publisher of a New York state newspaper and a Knights of Columbus. He was thrilled to see Connie and he managed to get a ticket at the last minute.

I also heard that sales for tickets were steady and they sold out last Tuesday. This was a concert in big demand as compared to Johnny Mathis and Crystal Gale were performing the same weekend (and much more advertising) but sales for their concerts were not as strong.

I forgot how long the concert was but it was a great success. Supposably she may return to Texas Station so let’s see. Although Connie did not sing all the songs we wanted for her to sing. I would have loved her to sing Al Di La (the Italian ‘national anthem’) and people asked her to sing Frankie. But Connie did a 110% on the songs she sang.

For someone who is not familiar with Connie Francis would have seen at this concert how precious her fans feel about Connie and how devoted Connie is to her fans.

Good job Concetta!

Mike Church’s comments: [received Oct 21]

I just got home from Las Vegas yesterday. The show at Texas Station went perfectly. Connie sounded absolutely fabulous. The orchestra was flawless, and the production (even if I say so myself) went right on without a hitch. The beautiful convention center the show was held in seats 1,950 (or so it is supposed to). The Casino was a little paniced to find that all the high rollers they sent tickets to came. That left the room oversold by about 150. It was standing room only at this point...and people were standing in the back of the room for the entire show. Connie added “Brother Can You Spare a Dime” back into the show. She had me edit the videotape to include a shot of the World Trade Centers...replacing the Empire State Building..and adding the lyrics “Once we built these towers....now they’re gone.” The crowd went nuts.



She closed the show with “God Bless America”..and we added the huge American flag drop at the end of the show. There was a VIP reception following the show. I saw a few faces I had not seen in awhile, including Mike Wright and Mike Giambra. Angelo was there, of course, along with Pat Niglio...and my favorite..Connie Rose. My business partner, Tasha, whom had never met Connie, flew down from Denver to join us, and a couple of my friends from Tucson flew in also. It was a great time. I have about a week to be at home, and then it is off to Columbus. Hope to see some of you at the next dates.

Youngstown Italian Festival
on July 21, 2001
Pat Niglio’s Review of Youngstown Italian Festival

Connie was the most relaxed we have seen her in a while. Not only was she in perfect command of the stage but was equally comfortable with the audience on and off stage. On stage, she sang out with gusto and was in perfect voice throughout. Looking sharp in a cute black and white pants outfit, Connie made jokes about her recent mishap and cleverly disguised the bandage. She also made reference to the stupid article which recently appeared in the tabloids dispelling any truth to the ridiculous exaggeration of her weight.

Notably outstanding was her Italian repertoire and her very heartfelt rendition of “Mama,” perhaps more meaningful now than ever before. However, from her opening “Let Me Try Again” to the closer “God Bless America,” Connie was perfection.

Afterward, she stayed on to sign autographs for about another two hours and the crowd truly appreciated Connie’s kindness and warmth toward them.

Connie’s next performance is again in Columbus, Ohio. Even the limousine driver remarked how Connie’s performance at the festival will never be forgotten. The people already were making pitches to invite her back next year.

Connie Francis at Rochester, NY
on November 18, 2000
by Bill Soule

I was there, and she was terrific. It had been 13 years since I had seen Connie perform. She looked great and her singing seem to be with less effort then I remember. She admitted that her weight was high but that she had joined Weight Watchers and counting points, she said she was working on next week already. She followed the Tokens and the crowd was ready for her. She got a great welcome and seemed very relaxed. She sang Lonesome Me with as much style and energy as I had ever seen, it sounded like the ol Connie. She included a Buddy Holly song Oh Boy and of course her Italian selections were much appreciate by the crowd. She sat on the piano and did a tribute to Frank which was very good, but the real show stopper was God Bless America. BOY she brought the house down. Chills ran through out the audience. Then of course Connie met with her fans after the show out in the lobby. She was all smiles and just beautiful, it was so good to see her, I want to do it again real soon. She is a legend in her own time, everyone should experience seeing her live.

Mike Church writes:

The show went fabulous. Connie didn’t miss a beat. She received two standing ovations. After the show, she signed autographs in the lobby for about 1500 people.

Connie Francis at Monterey, CA
on October 7, 2000
by Diana G. (as posted on the OneList 10/8/00)

Hello all,

Just a little note to let you know that Connie was in fine form this evening at her concert in Monterey California. Johnny Tillotson, David Somerville (lead singer from the Diamonds) and Bobby Rydell sang during the first half of the show. They all signed CDs, posters, and photos during the intermission. Then Connie came on for the second half of the concert... looking lovely in a casual black lounging suit - with gorgeous tan cowgirl boots! She also wore a modern black cowgirlish hat. ... her hair - auburnish - pulled back into a ponytail. I was seated front-row center and I suspect I may have caught several fine photo shots of Connie. As soon as these are developed (ie tomorrow!!) I’ll try to get them posted here right away. I know all of you will be very pleased to know that Connie really rocked. At one point she even attempted to sing “Mama"... I was quite shocked when I heard the band strike up the tune... but after the first verse she became a bit emotional and asked the band to stop. She apologized for not being able to sing the song. The crowd was great and very sweet with her. It seems Connie has this effect on so many - she brings out the tenderness in others, doesn’t she? AND to my fabulous surprise she sang one of my very favorites Che bella stagiona. I couldn’t believe it. I thought this was going to be a rock n roll only kind of show, but her contribution was diverse and greatly received. Afterwards, per usual, Connie stuck it out til the end signing photos, posters, etc and posing with admirers for photos. It was a lovely evening and how wonderful to see Connie in such great shape. Oh, there was another sweet bit... when the concert had ended the crowd kept calling for an encore. Connie came back onto stage and apologized that she had only had an hour rehersal with the band... and that they didn’t have anything else they could do together. A gentleman in the audience yelled out “So sing Where the boys are again.” And, do you know, she did. It was lovely. Tonight I got to hear Connie Francis sing Where the Boys Are live - twice - from a first row seat! O che bella notte...

Regards to all,
Diana G.

Click here to see the Monterey photos from Diana

Hi all,

from the webpage editor; Here’s a quick brain dump of the Monterey concert

I thought Connie was much stronger than the last few concerts I’ve been to. Especially outdoor concerts where if the air is very dry, it then becomes very difficult for Connie to sing. This night, she really belted out the tunes. It was quite chilly at this outdoor event. After the second song, she had to borrow Mike Church’s coat, and then quickly got into the Buddy Holly song “Oh Boy.” Connie mentioned she would have wore a long gown and cape but she was freezing her behind off so she dressed for warmth. Connie was not able to use her trademark entrance from the rear (and meeting fans along the way to the stage) because the arena was quite large and there were no front steps to the stage. It seemed the concert went much quicker than usual but Janis said she sang quite a bit. Maybe time flies when you are having great time. There were a couple of people that walked up the stage front and shook her had, I got a bit excited myself and bolted from the second row to shake her hand (but not a full grasp, just a light touch so not to inadvertently pull her off her feet). This is a no-no as the stage is quite high, she had to bend down, and stage staff person had direct people back. Well, we are all thrilled to see Connie.

I took some photos but I don’t think they will turn out very good as I had a simple point-and-shoot and stage photos are difficult to take. So we’ll rely on Diana G. for the good photos. I took some “overview” photos of the crowd surrounding the table where Connie signed autographs. It is nice that Connie spends the time to sign things. All these people crowd around (there was no line), “ooooooooooo, I got Connie to sign this!!!” “Oh Connie, can you please sign this for my friend?” “Oh Connie, I’ve got all your albums.” “Oh Connie, I enjoyed your show so much.”

On the rehearsal, it seemed it was more for the band having to learn when and where to start the songs. Doug Walters would tell the band things like “we will do the first 16 bars and then jump directly to bar 64.” Connie didn’t rehearse that much (she didn’t really need to and she wanted to conserve her voice for the actual concert), mostly it was for musicians to understand subtlies of when to start playing. Example, Connie would say, “OK everybody lets start together” as couple of times, they would not exactly start when they w ere supposed to. Also, many of the sound systems had to be adjusted. During rehearsal, the instruments were very loud (earplugs were needed) and could barely hear Connie’s voice. She even commented could not hear herself and could not hear the beat. Don Tittle, Connie’s soundman, was working full speed running back and forth to check levels and to adjust everything. I was impressed of what they accomplished by showtime.

Yes, Connie did try singing Mama but she had to stop because it was too emotional for her as she said her mom, Ida, recently passed away. However, she asked Doug Walters, her conductor, to put on something more lively. He thumbed quickly through his sheet music, signaled the rest of the band, and they immediately began “La Bamba” right on cue. Now this is a team that can keep the show going.

Connie ended the concert with God Bless America and with everyone standing singing with her. She then waved to everyone and walked off. The audience was screaming for an encore and a number shouted Where The Boys Are again. So she came back (and all the musicians scrambling for the their sheet music of that song) and boom! A second performance of Where The Boys Are. A few of the audience danced together in front of the stage.

Janis has been working more on her singing and is learning more of what Connie does. She said Connie really puts herself out and she is a perfectionist. Meaning that Connie will find herself not able to quite sing a particular note but yet she really wants to express herself so she continues on. This is emotional honesty.

The Herald (a local paper, I think) had a photographer with lots of cameras taking a zillion photos. This is for a photo story of the concert and he was with Connie during lunch, rehearsal, and throughout the show. During rehearsal, he became interested in Janis’ Connie Francis Song Book (the one with the red-n-white checkered background with many songs from the movie Looking For Love), he took some photos of it, and asked for our names. I gave him a fan club newsletter from 1998 that had articles of Connie’s singing in other languages. I asked if they can mention in their article that in addition to the R&R hits, Connie has released a wide variety of music in many different languages. He was receptive so it would be nice for Connie to get more widespread recognition. I also mentioned of the webpages people can go to get more info on Connie. PBS was there as they were doing a documentary mostly on American Bandstand and wanted to get some of Connie relating to that.

Besides the parking situation stinked, the seating plan was disorganized, it took a long time to start the concert... other than that, this was a great show. I said to Connie, "thanks for taking the time to sign autographs because all of us really appreciate that."

PS: I asked Connie what is it like wherever she goes, there’s all these people taking photos of her (including when she walked to the limo after rehearsal). What does she think of all this? Connie kind of laughed and said, "oh, it’s a part of this business.”

Mike Church adds,
Thanks to everyone who came to the show. The arena was certainly not Carnegie Hall, but it had a certain appeal to it anyway. Our next show is a short week and a half away... in Michigan. Hope to see some of you there.

Cute photos...say, isn’t that MY jacket? [ grey ] LOL. (p.s. it was so warm, she kept it.)

Connie Francis at Casino Magic Bossier City, LA
on Sept 1 - 2, 2000
by Jim Swords (as posted on the OneList 9/6/00)
Photo courtesy of Jim Swords

Hi, guys and gals, Jim from Georgia here, just returned from the 1,200 mile round trip to see Connie at Casino Magic. She was fantastic and wonderful as always. Wish all of you could have been there.

Connie was fantastic, show was just wonderful, she looked like a million $."

Labor day weekend 2000, the end of summer and what a magical way for it to end, a concert by the lady of song, Connie Francis at Casino Magic.

From the first strand of “Maybe This Time” to the final note of “If I Never Sing Another Song,” Connie Francis held the sell out audience in the palm of her hand. The magic connection between star and audience was one bound with love.

Connie delighted her audience with a performance that was a little bit country and a little bit rock n’ roll, including a tribute to Elvis, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” Connie took us down memory lane with a medley of her hits including: Who’s Sorry Now, Lipstick on Your Collar, My Happiness, Many Tears Ago, Stupid Cupid, My Heart Has a Mind of It’s Own and of course, Where The Boys Are. It was an evening of pure Connie Francis magic. An evening of beauty, grace and humor presented in that unmistakable Connie style. As an encore Connie sang “God Bless America” as the audience joined her in song.

If you have never seen Connie Francis “live” you should make a point to do so. If you have seen her in concert, you will want to do so again. I know I will.

Jim Swords,
Georgia

Luella writes:

I must tell you a touching anecdote that occurred I believe outside the Casino. Connie and a couple others in her party were sitting on the bench alongside an elderly lady. The woman sort of glanced at Connie then looked straight ahead, then her head did a slow turn and she looked ahead again, then her head took a really fast turn with a look of amazement on her face. She said, “Are you Connie Francis?” Connie answered yes, and the lady was so happy and Connie gave her a kiss on her cheek. Isn’t our lady great??

Pat Niglio writes:

Connie did add “It Had To Be You, Am I Blue?, Ain’t Misbehavin’” with a new arrangement to her act. Other songs include Let Me Try Again, Will You Still Be Mine? O, Lonesome Me, I’m Movin’ On, Oh, Boy!, La Bamba, Talk, Old Time Rock’n Roll, and Sinatra Is The Champ.

Connie was very well received in the south and asked to come back again. She was also asked to play New Orleans in the near future.

Connie despite a dry throat from 110 degree temperature was very good and in great spirits. She looks forward to working steadily this year.

Connie Concert at Muriel’s in Palm Springs
on Feb 18, 2000
by webpage editor (as posted on the OneList 2/19/00)

Photos courtesy of Rick Hensley

Hi all,

I went to Connie’s concert last night in Palm Springs and she did quite well. The audience was thrilled and loved her very much. I am visiting Janis right now but I will let all of you know how the concert went. I have attached two photos from last night (Friday) and you can see from these how small and intimate it was. These photos were taken from where I was sitting which was the bar (I was the 9th to the last ticket sold). However, it is very close. I didn’t take too much photos as I was mesmerized by Connie (I forgot to even think of taking pictures) these were taken as she "God Bless America” with other singing along with her and also taking photos.

Connie mentioned the last time she performed at a place like this where she is so close to the audience when she was 15 singing at a nightclub. This was the common concert arrangement. The songs “Mama” and “Al Di La” were removed from the songlist for that night (these are very emotional songs and may have been too much for Connie considering recent events). Her voice was strong though she was just a tad bit off the beat but halfway through, Connie was right on track. They had an *excellent* orchestra. Her conductor Chris Caswell had more time to spend on the piano instead of having to keep everyone else on track. The guy who keeps it all together, Bobby Grauso, did a superjob on the drums.

Although I have been to concerts before and have heard these songs by her before, Connie still can deliver or provide or emulate or what-how-what-she-does-that-does that she still sing those songs like nobody else can. In summary, I don’t know how to express in words how Connie can do what she does. You simply had to be there to know what I mean. Right now, I will send this out from Janis’ email let everybody know how the concert went. The orchestra music was very loud and a few occasions it swamped Connie’s voice. This place is very small so just by the sheer power of the speakers this happened. Her soundman, Don Tittle, was able to make the necessary adjustments shortly after the concert began to balance everything (i.e. he turned off the microphones for the horns). It was a lot of work for Don but he was successful.

This club, Muriels in Palm Springs (www.muriels.com) sold only 300 tickets, but it seemed like only 100 as seen in the photos. This is normally a regular club but they also have concerts. They placed extra seats and tables on the dance floor in front of the stage. After the concert, they removed the extra tables and then it seemed it was a different subculture that filled the place. I was looking forward to dancing with Connie but this did not happen. She did a interview for a radio station and a newspaper after the show. She did meet some of the fans and signed autographs. A couple of fans (who have collected her music for 25 years but never been to her concerts or seen her) was able to meet her after the show (they were very thankful for that). Connie autographed a photo for the owners of the dance studio I take lessons at. This photo will go with a collection of other autographs at the studio so Connie will get good exposure there.

Shortly before Connie entered the limo that took her back to the hotel, I met a press photographer. We talked a little, I mentioned how I admired Connie’s talent in singing other languages (i.e. “Strangers In the Night” in Spanish, and he said that he was not aware of this. He gave me his card as I mentioned I could forward to him some info about this (which he mentioned is good for international articles). I did have a copy of a Nov 98 newsletter which featured articles and CDs on Connie’s foreign languages but forgot I had it in my pocket. I put it in the mail today to him, perhaps he will pass it on to his print reporters.

On the subject of languages, Connie and the band started a song in English but she said “Stop! wait a minute, OK... let’s start over and do this in Spanish.” So the band members went back to the beginning and started over. It was great. I think she did this song better in Spanish (sorry, I don’t know the name of the song, I would recognize the title. I really don’t know much about music or anything except how to dance to it, and better, listening to Connie). Audience roared with delight. You should have been there. You can only get this kind of feeling at a live concert.

This message may be kind of a rambling but there is a lot of feeling in Connie’s music and it’s always difficult to express all this in words.

Additional Notes:

Connie would have received many more standing ovations but because the place was small, people were aware that if they stood up, they would block the view of people behind them.

Larry writes: It was great just being at Muriel’s. I thought Connie was simply fantastic.

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