American-standard style vocalist Steve Lippia is hoping to give a Columbus audience a walk down memory lane when he takes the stage with timeless Frank Sinatra classics in his act “Simply Sinatra.”
Lippia is scheduled to perform at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Southern Theatre.
“Simply Sinatra” is a high-energy show that presents authentic interpretations of some of the best music this country has produced, said Lippia, who has been performing professionally for 12 years.
“I certainly touch on some of the great gems that Frank Sinatra made so popular, and I include those songs that maybe people haven’t heard in a while that are such good songs that I think they deserve to be reintroduced to people,” he said “But what I’m doing is reintroducing a great, great style of music to a younger generation through my own influences.”
Lippia said this genre of music is more associated with his parents’ generation of music than his own, but the great singers of those times were an inspiration to him.
“They were geniuses, the real superstars of their time, and well into our time,” he said. “If you think about Frank Sinatra, he started in the late 30’s and his career extended almost to the end of the 20th century, so his career was about 60 years long. That’s unbelievable.”
Although Lippia is presenting songs Sinatra made famous, and his voice is comparable to Sinatra’s, he said he isn’t trying to impersonate anyone.
“My persona and my approach has been a style that is borrowed heavily from Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin and Steve Lawrence, heavily in terms of the styling and their interpretation of the music, but the voice is all mine,” Lippia said. “I’m not trying to walk, talk, sound or smell like anybody else, that’s for impersonators. I don’t do that sort of cheesy stuff.”
An aspect of Lippia’s performance that he’s also known for and is special to him is his relationship with the audience.
“I’m very, very engaging with the audience. I think people leave the showroom thinking that they do know something about me, because people are curious about who that entertainer is on stage,” he said. “And the show is kind of woven and threaded with some interesting anecdotes and stories. It’s a very heartwarming and informative musical experience.”
Steve Sigmund, Lippia’s musical director and trombonist, agreed Lippia’s performance is full of personality.
“Steve treats the audience like they’re in his living room, and I think that this is a real important part of what Steve does,” Sigmund said. “He loves talking to people and he has great knowledge of this music. At the end of the evening, the audience comes away not only hearing a night of great music, but they’ve now gotten to know Steve Lippia.”
Members of the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts, who own and operate the Southern Theatre, saw Lippia’s genuine personality and talent as well.
“Steve Lippia is a true professional and consummate entertainer,” Rolanda Copley, publicist for CAPA, said in an email. “When you see Steve perform, there is no doubt that he has an immense, natural talent and a sincere respect and affection for the music from the Sinatra era. He simply knows how to put on a show.”
Lippia said he enjoys these performances because it’s a way of brightening the audience members’ days.
“I do have a lot of pleasure from making other people smile and giving them a chance to kind of relive old memories and make new ones, and entertainment sometimes is considered sort of frosting on the cake of life. It’s a part that puts a smile on your soul, so if I can do that for an audience, to me that’s very gratifying,” Lippia said. “We’re going to really entertain, amuse and thrill people and let them kind of forget their worries for maybe a couple of hours during that day.”
