“He Knows More Now :: Brian De Lorenzo Returns with His New CD
by Kilian Melloy
Wednesday Mar 11, 2020

It's been two decades since Brian De Lorenzo's previous CD, "Found Treasures," but in the meantime, De Lorenzo has been busy with Boston theater, cabaret shows, and other engagements, including shows at Sculler's and Club Café in Boston, the Crown & Anchor in Provincetown, and New York venues like 54 Below and Birdland, among others.

Along the way, De Lorenzo has racked up multiple nominations for his cabaret acts from the (sadly, now-disbanded) Independent Reviewers of New England, not to mention winning the distinction of being named Talent America's 2001 "Performer of the Year." Now he brings his cabaret style — and a wide-ranging mix of tracks that dip into Great American Songbook territory, as well as pop and musical theater — to a cleverly-named follow-up CD, "I Know More Now."

EDGE caught up with De Lorenzo to hear about the new CD. De Lorenzo started the chat by volunteering the story of why he's brought out his second CD at this particular time.

"A few years ago, after hearing the question 'When is your next CD coming out?' many times, and also saying to myself, 'I want to do another CD,' but never getting around to it, I decided to do two things: 1) start putting money aside; and, 2) start making a list of songs I'd like to record.

"At the beginning of last year," De Lorenzo added, "I finally said, 'OK. I have my list and my savings. I'm going to contact my old friend Doug Hammer (my often-time accompanist, collaborator, and recording engineer for my first CD) and book some time in his studio."

If the 16 tracks on the new CD feel fresh as well as familiar — in the sense of intimately contemplated, that is — it's because some of these tracks have been on De Lorenzo's setlist for years, as is the case with "I'd Rather Be Sailing," from the musical "A New Brain."

It was a delight to catch up to Brian De Lorenzo and delve deeply into the stories behind the songs he's brought us on his new CD.

EDGE: The title "I Know More Now" seems like a nod to your first album, 1999's "Found Treasures." Are you saying you have grown as an artist, or you're now taking more or a far and wide approach to putting together your material?

Brian De Lorenzo: As Doug and I reviewed the material, along with my husband (John Amodeo), a pattern of growth and learning started to emerge and the phrase "I know more now" from the song "No More" (from Zippel & Hamlisch's "The Goodbye Girl") struck a chord. Because I've lived with many ups and downs in the 20 years since my first solo recording, I know a lot more about life.

EDGE: "Found Treasures" was mostly drawn from musical theater — and that's also true with your new album, to a large extent, but you also have some pop songs, cabaret songs, and standards. What's your main criteria for wanting to record a song?

Brian De Lorenzo: Initially, melodies, harmonies, and arrangements are what spark an interest in a song, but the lyrics and the story of the song are what keep me attracted. If a song is musically beautiful, but the lyrics don't click with me, then I'm not interested in singing it.

I want to mention that three of the songs on the new album are by composer, arranger, songwriter, and author David Friedman. His songs really speak to me and move me. I first heard his songs in 1991—the year I met my future husband, John Amodeo. In 1997, during the closing credits of the film "Trick," I heard a song called "Trick of Fate" and I knew I had to sing it. Turns out, it was by David Friedman. It hadn't been published yet, so I contacted David and he sent me a lead sheet. I sang it during my wedding reception in 2001, accompanied by Doug Hammer. Of course, it's one of the three Friedman songs on the new album.

EDGE: You sound like you might be classically trained.

Brian De Lorenzo: I have a degree in Musical Theatre from the State University of New York (SUNY) Fredonia, but my voice teachers in college taught classical technique, so the students would learn to sing in a healthy way and not injure themselves, as so many pop singers do.

When I was a child, my parents and my four sisters and I always sang together. My father was a semi-professional singer, even appearing regularly on a local radio program sometime in the '50s. I started piano lessons when I was nine. That same year, the local community chorus — The Fine Arts Chorale of Weymouth, MA was looking for three boy sopranos to sing a small section of Benjamin Britten's St. Nicholas Cantata at Christmastime, and I was hired for my first "semi-pro" gig.

One of the nuns at my grade school (St. Francis Xavier in South Weymouth) attended one of the performances and told my parents about a new choir school (which eventually became New England Children's Choir) that had just opened, and I started attending the following year.

It turned out to be a good fit for this future gay man, who didn't like to play sports or go to gym class. The school held classes on Saturdays from 9 am to 2 or 3 pm, teaching kids how to read music, play instruments (recorder), and to sing children's choral music. I actually didn't mind missing Saturday morning cartoons on TV. We also learned music history and performed in children's musicals and operas (I played "Hansel" in a children's version of Humperdinck's "Hansel & Gretel.") That led to singing in Concert Choir in high school, which led to singing in All-State and All-Eastern Chorus.

I knew I would go to college for music. I started at the University of Lowell as a music major, but I really wanted to go into musical theatre, so after two years, I transferred to SUNY Fredonia, one of only a handful of colleges that offered a musical theatre degree at the time.

I've continued satisfying my love of choral music over the years. While at Fredonia, I was in an ensemble called the Fredonia Chamber Singers. With them, I traveled outside the US for the first time, when we toured Israel for nine days. One of the musical high points of my life was singing the solo part of the spiritual "Ain't Got Time to Die" in Rehoboth, Israel. I felt — "one with the universe" for those few minutes.

Later tours with the Chamber Singers brought me to the UK and Germany. I'm so happy to still be in touch with so many of the Singers. We have had two reunion concerts over the past five years — of singers not just from my time at Fredonia, but over an almost 20-year period of time. Coincidentally, I have been singing in a church choir for the past 17 years and we have four members as well as a few substitutes who are Fredonia grads.

Another musical high point of my life happened just last September when I was invited to return to Fredonia to participate in the 50th-anniversary celebration of the I.M. Pei-designed Michael C. Rockefeller Arts Center, along with many other graduates in theatre and music. In addition to singing close-harmony jazz vocals with new and old friends, accompanied by the Little Apple Big Band, I sang "This Is the Moment" (Jekyll & Hyde) with the Western New York Chamber Orchestra.

EDGE: You have sung a lot in live venues like Scullers and been active in theater (The Company Theatre in Norwell) — why have you got only two albums?

Brian De Lorenzo: It's a combination of things: life getting busy; the idea of all the work that goes into making an album was somewhat daunting; and having the funding in place. Now that I have the second one under my belt, and now that I can wrap my head around all the changes that have taken place in the music industry over the past 20 years, there's going to be much less time between recordings. The wheels are already in motion for the third album and maybe even a fourth.

EDGE: 21 years is a long time between albums. Is there some special significance to the timing of "I Know More Now?"

Brian De Lorenzo: The only real significance is that a couple of years ago I realized that the 20th anniversary of the release of "Found Treasures" was coming up, so that's when I decided to make a conscious effort to make some song selections and go into the studio.

EDGE: The tracks on "I Know More Now" include a selection from "Dear Evan Hansen," and have some other picks that will delight gay listeners.... including, I think, the raucous "Entering Marion," by John Forster. Did you have an eye to the gay/bi audience when making your selections of the 16 tracks on the new CD?

Brian De Lorenzo: Most of the material was chosen because I like the songs and I want to perform them for people because I think people will enjoy them. "I'd Rather Be Sailing" is written for a gay character in the musical "A New Brain," but it can be sung by anyone of any gender or sexual identity. Similarly, "Trick of Fate" was written for a film about two gay men, but it can be sung by anyone to anyone.

I did choose to make a little change to Loesser & Styne's "I Said No." It was written for a straight female, but as a male singer, it works better and is funnier if I sing it as a gay man, rather than either pretending I'm a straight man, or singing it from the point of view of a straight woman. I did a similar thing with "Tonight at Eight" on "Found Treasures."

EDGE: I'd love to know who did the arrangements for these songs, especially your read on "Some Enchanted Evening."

Brian De Lorenzo: Doug Hammer is a great collaborator, which is why I went back to him after 20 years. I can bring an idea to him, and he'll flesh it out at the piano. Or he'll suggest a different feel to the style and accompaniment of a song. We'll discuss each song and determine if the written arrangement from the sheet music is what we want to use, or if we want to make changes. Sometimes, we might change only the intro. Or we might start in one style or tempo, then change it 16 bars into the song, as we did with "Who Will Buy?" on my first CD.

The arrangement for "Some Enchanted Evening" (from Rodgers & Hammerstein's "South Pacific") is based on one that was recorded by one of my favorite singers to listen to in the late '70s/early '80s, Jane Olivor. I love the feel of it, which we kept, but Doug's accompaniment is his own — it doesn't mimic what's on Jane's recording. I told Doug that when I sing and play it at my piano, in certain places I hear a motif from "Bali Hai," which is from the same show. So Doug subtly included the motif in the accompaniment. We also added a key change for dramatic effect.

EDGE: Your longtime accompanist is Doug Hammer, who you also worked with in the recording of the CD. How does the chemistry between singer and accompanist work?

Brian De Lorenzo: I first worked with Doug in 1995. I was taking my first cabaret masterclass with the illustrious Helen Baldassare and Doug was the accompanist for the class. He was a good sight-reader and good at incorporating ideas from the singers and Helen, so naturally, I began working with him after that. Because we're both trained musicians and open to different ideas, we work well together. We're able to incorporate ideas from each of us into particular numbers. Other times I might say, "What if we tried it this way?" and after trying it Doug may feel the idea doesn't work, so we drop it.

A verse might not work out of the context of the musical, so Doug might recommend we cut it. Or he might suggest cutting one iteration of a phrase that's sung three times and I'll say "No, I like it — I want to keep it. We can make it work." There's a lot of give and take. I've also worked with a number of other Boston-area and NYC-based accompanists over the years. Many times, it comes down to who is available for the gig. Sometimes, I might want to stretch my chops and work with someone who's mainly a jazz accompanist.

EDGE: One standout on this new CD is "Every Morning (Mary)," which you are the first singer to put on an album, and which comes from the new opera "Moby Dick." Obviously, your personal canon is not a closed book! You're very much up to the moment in terms of musical tastes and ambition.

Brian De Lorenzo: Actually, the song is not from the new opera that was recently done at A.R.T., but from a musical called "Moby Dick: An American Opera" that was written in the mid-1990s by playwright Mark St. Germain and composer Doug Katsaros. I was in the 2001 New England premiere at New Repertory Theatre (in Newton Highlands at the time). None of my characters had the good fortune to sing the song, but I fell in love with it and have performed it over the years since. When I was applying for recording licenses for the CD, I discovered no one had ever recorded it. I contacted Doug (Katsaros) and he and Mark gave their blessing. I think a lot of people will wonder how such a beautiful song has been around since 1996 without ever having a professional recording.

I guess I'm a little bit more up-to-date with "Waving Through a Window," which is the newest song on the recording. It's also the most challenging musically, lyrically, and emotionally.

EDGE: It may be too early to ask if you're thinking about a third CD, but what theater and concert prospects might you be looking at for the near future?

Brian De Lorenzo: Next up, I'll be participating in Provincetown's annual CabaretFest!, which I've performed at many times since cabaret impresario John O'Neil founded it 20 years ago. It's now produced by the indomitable Patricia Fitzpatrick. The festival runs from May 28-31 at The Pilgrim House. On July 28 I'm doing a show at Club Café's Napoleon Room called "Come What May: Pop, Hollywood, and Broadway Duets" with my friend Joyce MacPhee, who also sings with a group called Divas with a Twist. I also plan to bring "I Know More Now" to New York City — and anyplace else that would like to book it!

It's not too early to ask about a third CD because it's in the works. Over the past five years, I've been doing a lot of standards, including tributes to Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, and Frank Sinatra, so my friend Tom LaMark has been doing "small big band" arrangements for me. We plan to go into the studio sometime in the next few months.

For more about Brian De Lorenzo and his new CD, "I Know More Now," please go to https://briandelorenzo.com.

Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Assistant Arts Editor. He also reviews theater for WBUR. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.” - Kilian Melloy

“Brian De Lorenzo Presents ‘Come Fly With Me: Sinatra at 100

The Palm Cabaret and Bar features several shows that will be opening this coming week, of which Brian De Lorenzo’s tribute to Frank Sinatra on December 4 & 6 is a must. As a seasoned cabaret entertainer with a rich voice and a strong connection to his audiences, Brian De Lorenzo takes you back in time to commemorate the 100th Birthday of Frank Sinatra and his music. A nostalgic musical journey down memory lane, with personal stories and anecdotes added along the way, De Lorenzo is in true cabaret form as he belts out some of Sinatra’s most famous tunes from his extensive songbook, including favorites like “The Best ​Is Yet to Come,” “Come Fly with Me,” and “Luck Be a Lady”. These classics and well-known Sinatra ballads from stage and film make this an ‘Old Blue Eyes’ fan favorite. While Sinatra tribute shows are nothing new, De Lorenzo brings something extra special to the stage, a real connection that leaves audiences clamoring for more! 

Brian De Lorenzo is equally at home in theaters, concert halls, and cabaret rooms. He has performed in such places as Israel, Wales, Spain, Scotland, Italy, and England. He has sung at clubs such as The Metropolitan Room, Eighty-Eight’s, 54 Below, The Iridium, Birdland, Don’t Tell Mama in New York; and at The Palm Cabaret and Bar in Puerto Vallarta. ‘Come Fly With Me, Sinatra At 100’ will have two performances only, December 4 & 6 at 7:00 pm.

The Palm is well-known for bringing top notch, cutting-edge entertainment to Vallarta. Inside you’ll find an intimate, completely refurbished 90-seat cabaret with outstanding sound and lighting, creating the ambiance of cabarets from days gone by. Shows are scheduled seven days per week with two different shows nightly through April, 2015. The Palm also offers matinees at 4:00 p.m. on selected shows. 

The Palm is non-smoking (a patio is provided for smokers) and is located at Olas Altas 508, in Colonia Emiliano Zapata. Tickets may be purchased online 24 hours a day, and at The Palm’s box office, open at 10:00 am daily. A full calendar of performances, information and online tickets are available at www.ThePalmPV.com.” - Editor

“Come 'Fly' With Brian De Lorenzo (and Frank Sinatra)
by Robert Nesti, EDGE National Arts & Entertainment Editor
Thursday Nov 5, 2015

Actor/singer Brian De Lorenzo returns to the cabaret scene with a tribute show to Frank Sinatra that comes to Club Café this week prior to engagements in New York & Mexico. EDGE caught up with De Lorenzo about his show, "Come Fly With Me."

In the past 25 years Brian De Lorenzo has carved a career as a Boston-based actor and singer. Either on stage in musicals as varied as Andrew Lippa's "The Wild Party," "Little Mary Sunshine," "Forever Plaid" and "Next to Normal" or on cabaret stages in Boston, New York City, San Francisco and Chicago, De Lorenzo has repeatedly shown his vocal and acting prowess. He has also shown keen intelligence in his choice of material, be it on his debut CD "Found Treasures," a collection of lesser-known Broadway songs, or in the programs he draws from the Great American Songbook. He also pays his respects to the great singers that have come before him, as in his Nat King Cole tribute show and, coming up this week in Boston before traveling to New York and Mexico, a new show that celebrates Frank Sinatra, specifically Sinatra in the mid-1950s when he re-invented himself and became the hip leader of "The Rat Pack." It was a great comeback for a singer whose career had hit bottom in the first years of that decade. The show, "Come Fly with Me," takes its title from Sinatra's 1958 best-selling LP that featured the singer on a musical trip around the world with songs arranged and conducted by the great Billy May. De Lorenzo premieres the show this Thursday (October 29) at Boston's Club Café, before moving on to New York City next month and the Mexican resort Puerto Vallarta in December. Accompanied by the Scott Nicholas Trio, Brian's sly mix of swing and romance selections take audiences through a musical tour of Rome, Paris and Bombay with fresh arrangements of Sinatra classics interwoven with stories about the singer as well as some from De Lorenzo's career.

EDGE spoke to De Lorenzo about the show inspired (in part) by the 100th anniversary year of Sinatra's birth.

Why Sinatra?EDGE: Perhaps this is asking the obvious, but what is it about Sinatra that makes him a great singer?

Brian De Lorenzo: More than a great singer, I think of him as a great entertainer. He had an ease about his performing. People were drawn to that ease, that 'coolness.' That was especially apparent in his live performing with 'The Rat Pack.' A lot of singers from the 50s and 60s tried to imitate him, but no one really matched him. He had a very long career and, although his career waned a couple of times, especially in the mid-to-late 60s, people have always come back to him and those wonderful songs. He had a great influence on popular music in the 20th century, and it's kept on going into the 21st. I also have respect for him because he had praise for other singers -- like Mabel Mercer and Tony Bennett.

EDGE: How did you come to this material, being primarily a musical theatre performer?

Brian De Lorenzo: Over the years I've participated in many concerts, revues, and benefits for groups like American Classics, New England Light Opera, and Upstage Lung Cancer. Many of those events were in tribute to singers and songwriters of the 'Great American Songbook' -- people like the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Nat King Cole, and Rosemary Clooney. For these events, I learned material I hadn't performed before and was able to add that to my solo repertoire. I also wanted to stretch my stylistic choices, in addition to choice of material, so I began putting more 'swing' into my shows, and working with a jazz trio or quartet.

A great innovator

EDGE: Is there a period in his career when you think he was at his best?

Brian De Lorenzo: Vocally, I think he was probably at his best in the 1940s, though the sound quality from recordings from that period isn't very good. However, overall, I think he was at his best in the 1950s, when he brought more of his life experience into his interpretations of the material.

EDGE: He is appreciated as a singer and personality, but do you think he was a great innovator, especially with his Capitol collaborations with Nelson Riddle and Billy May?

Brian De Lorenzo: Tommy Dorsey was probably in charge when Frank sang with the orchestra in the late 30s/early 40s, but I imagine that when Frank became a big hit as a solo artist, he became the decision-maker on what kind of material he would be willing to do. So I'm sure a lot of the ideas that were used in the making of the Nelson Riddle and Billy May recordings came from Frank. So yes, I do think he was a great innovator. By the way, I read that Frank said that his favorite album of his own recordings was one he did with Billy May -- 'Only the Lonely.' I do a number from that album which most people probably don't associate with either me OR Frank Sinatra: 'Blues in the Night.' Of course, I've changed it up a little by modifying the time signature in a few places and by doing a different ending, which I heard the lyricist of the song (and co-founder of Capitol Records) Johnny Mercer do on a recording I have. Mercer was such a great lyricist and we do five songs in the show with his lyrics.

EDGE: His album 'Come Fly with Me' offered a musical tour of the world. Are you doing the same thing with your show?

Brian De Lorenzo: I do have a section in the show that is a little tour of the world, though I sing only one of the other songs from that album -- 'I Love Paris,' which was a bonus track on the CD re-issue. My husband [John Amodeo] and I love to travel, and the songs about travel just sort of fell into place when I was putting the show together.

Honoring Sinatra's birth

EDGE: How did you come up with the idea for the show?

Brian De Lorenzo: About a year and a half ago, I was asked to come up with a list of songs for an Upstage Lung Cancer benefit saluting Dean Martin and the Rat Pack. As I was looking at song titles, I remembered that a couple of years prior, I had had the idea of doing a show saluting some of the best known Italian-American singers, since I'm also Italian-American. So preparing for the USLC benefit was the catalyst to doing a salute to Tony Bennett and Sinatra (Sinatra, Tony, & Me) which I did at Scullers in Boston and the Metropolitan Room in New York last year. In January of this year, I decided to do an internet search of famous entertainers and songwriters that might be having an important anniversary in 2015. When I saw that the 100th Anniversary of Sinatra's birth would be on December 12, I knew what to do -- I would replace Tony Bennett songs with Sinatra songs and I'd have the show. I wanted to give the show a name that people would associate with Sinatra, and since the song would be in the show, I chose 'Come Fly with Me.'

EDGE: Do you have a favorite Sinatra album?

Brian De Lorenzo: Ironically, we didn't have any Sinatra albums in the house when I was growing up. My parents weren't really fans. So I only heard Sinatra on the radio and TV. Even as an adult, my husband and I have only two Sinatra albums in the house -- 'Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey's Greatest Hits' and 'The Sinatra Christmas Album,' though we sometimes listen to Ron Della Chiesa's 'Strictly Sinatra' radio program on WPLM and the Sinatra channel on XM Radio. When I was younger, I also enjoyed seeing him in films like 'High Society' and 'Can-Can.' He had charisma that was hard to ignore.

When I was a child, I think I was subconsciously learning selections from the Great American Songbook, when my mother played her one Nat King Cole album and multiple John Gary albums (most of which I now own on CD). I was also re-introduced to that material when I began collecting Barbra Streisand's early recordings after college. Then it probably wasn't until after the turn of the millennium when I began incorporating some of those great songs into my own repertoire.

A delicate balance

EDGE: Is it difficult for you to balance your personal life with your career?

Brian De Lorenzo: Right now, I'm working on two different benefit shows (one for Women and Infants Hospital in Providence, the other for Upstage Lung Cancer at the Lyric Stage on 11/10) in addition to the five performances in three cities of 'Come Fly with Me' (Boston, New York, and Puerto Vallarta). On 11/8, I'll also be participating in the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Boston Association of Cabaret Artists (BACA), of which I am a co-founder and past president, on my way home from my second performance of 'Come Fly with Me' at Don't Tell Mama in NYC. Plus, I have a day-job at a social services non-profit called Boston Senior Home Care. We supply management services to elders and the disabled so they can remain in their own homes. That's a very long way of saying yes, at least at the moment, it is kind of difficult - but manageable. Luckily, I have my husband giving me all kinds of support, including doing lots of legwork to get the word out about 'Come Fly with Me.' I don't think I could do this without him. By the way, John and I will celebrate 25 years together in January.

EDGE: Are you planning on making a recording of this show?

Brian De Lorenzo: There are no definite plans right now, though after our rehearsal the other night I thought, 'Wow, this is great! I think we need to go into a recording studio.' So that could happen in the first part of 2016.

EDGE: You are doing the show in Boston next week, New York in November and Puerto Vallarta in December. Are you planning on bringing it to other locations?

Brian De Lorenzo: We don't have any set plans yet, but we'd really like to bring the show to more venues and cities. It's really great music and I know people love it, so we'd like to share it with as many people as possible.

EDGE: What's up for you in 2016 - any upcoming acting gigs?

Brian De Lorenzo: I'm concentrating less on acting now, though when I see a posting for an audition for a show I'd really like to do, I'll go to the audition. But I'm really enjoying doing cabaret work and concerts and hope to do more. While I really enjoy the collaborative process of theatre, in cabaret I have so many more choices of material to sing, and I can give audiences a different perspective on songs they know - or maybe thought they knew. And it's really rewarding to see and hear when I've been able to 'move' people in the audience. That's when I know that we're making a connection with each other and with the material. And that's really what this is all about.

Brian De Lorenzo performs "Come Fly With Me" on On Saturday, November 7 at 7pm; Don't Tell Mama, 343 W 46th Street, New York, NY 10036, between 8th & 9th Avenues; for Reservations, call: 212-757-0788 or visit: http://www.donttellmamanyc.com/home. For more about Brian De Lorenzo visit his website. Robert Nesti can be reached at rnesti@edgemedianetwork.com.” - Bob Nesti

“ Weymouth native Brian De Lorenzo pays tribute to Sinatra’s 100th
Weymouth native and cabaret artist Brian De Lorenzo, will perform "Come Fly With Me...[+]
By Jody Feinberg, The Patriot Ledger
Posted Oct. 27, 2015

Millions of people are fans of Frank Sinatra, but relatively few singers do justice to him.

Cabaret singer Brian De Lorenzo takes the songs of the legendary performer and interprets them with his own style. De Lorenzo, who grew up in Weymouth and lives in Dorchester, performs “Come Fly with Me,” a tribute to Frank Sinatra this Thursday in Boston.“When Sinatra was onstage, he had a confidence and swagger,” De Lorenzo said. “Singers have tried to imitate him, but don’t quite get it. When I’m on stage, I’m me. I think people enjoy it more when I’m not acting.”

During the hour-long show, De Lorenzo will sing about 18 songs, interspersed with anecdotes about Sinatra and his own life. He will be accompanied by the Scott Nicholas Trio. The upcoming string of shows will honor Sinatra’s centennial birthday on Dec. 12.

“I enjoy singing the sad songs and then after that singing something fun and upbeat,” said De Lorenzo, who will perform the show in New York City and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, this year. “There is so much emotion in the lyrics, and I try to bring out my own emotion and story and hope audiences will identify with that,”

When De Lorenzo sings “Autumn Leaves” and “Autumn in Rome,” for example, he shares anecdotes about his travels in Italy and Cuba with his husband, where they stayed in the same Havana hotel as Sinatra.

De Lorenzo, an office manager at Boston Senior Home Care, has performed at Scullers Jazz Club in Cambridge, as well as clubs in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and other cities. He has been nominated three times for the “Best Cabaret Show” Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Award, and his CD “Found Treasures” was nominated for the 2000 “Recording of the Year” Award by the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs. He also has starred in Boston productions of the musicals “The Wild Party” and “On the Twentieth Century.” Like musical theater, cabaret has its distinct rewards.

“In cabaret, you’re not playing a character and you have more control and freedom as the artist,” he said. “You can patter with the audience and sing songs that were written for perhaps the opposite sex or roles you would never get cast in.”

Opening the show with “The Best is Yet to Come,” he follows with: “Come Fly with Me,” “I Love Paris,” “I’ve Never Been in Love Before,” “Luck Be a Lady” “Fools Rush In,” and “My Foolish Heart,” among other songs.

After a recent rehearsal with his band, De Lorenzo said he is excited to bring Sinatra to his audience.

“When I go to a cabaret, I feel like I’ve had a good experience if I’ve both laughed and cried,” De Lorenzo said. “If I can touch people to have that same experience I feel like I’ve done my job as an entertainer.”

IF YOU GO
WHAT: “Come Fly with Me”
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday
WHERE: Club Cafe, 209 Columbus Ave., Boston.
TICKETS: $15
WEB: www.clubcafe.com.

Jody Feinberg may be reached at jfeinberg@ledger.com or follow on Twitter @JodyF_Ledger. ” - Jody Feinberg