UPPER WEST SIDE — Ol' Blue Eyes will get a birthday celebration this weekend fitting for one of the most recognizable and beloved voices in American history.
If he were still alive, Frank Sinatra would be celebrating his 100th birthday this year, an event Symphony Space is marking with a music marathon of performances of 100 of his songs, said the cultural institution's artistic director, Andrew Byrne.
Sinatra died at age 82 in 1998.
More than 40 musicians — including singers, choirs and pianists from Broadway and beyond — will come together this Saturday from 2 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. to pay homage to Sinatra with their own take on the songs he made famous.
Classics like "New York, New York," "The Lady is a Tramp" and "Send in the Clowns" are promised, as well as a host of other numbers fans will recognize, Byrne said.
Jonathan Schwartz, known for his "encyclopedic" knowledge of the Great American Songbook and host of WNYC's longtime Saturday program "The Jonathan Schwartz Show," will lead the event.
"Jonathan Schwartz will no doubt be sharing some stories and sharing some context — that’s why we want him there," Byrne said.
Otherwise, the focus will be on the music, with three separate shows starting at 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Guests can "either come for the whole show or for two or one," Byrne said, noting that guests who buy tickets for two shows can attend the third for free.
"Frank Sinatra at 100" is part of a larger series of events celebrating the year 1915, he added.
The series, called Project 15, includes an evening marking the 100th year of the annual "Best American Short Stories" collection put out by Houghton Mifflin. Award-winning story writer Lorrie Moore will introduce this special "Selected Shorts" performance on Oct. 21, featuring famous short stories read by actors Jane Kaczmarek and Liev Schreiber, among others.
Events marking the 100th birthday of singer Edith Piaf and author and playwright Arthur Miller are scheduled for later in the month, as well as a night discussing Einstein's Theory of Relativity, which also turned 100 this year.
Tickets for the Sinatra centennial are $45 for preferred seating and $35 for standard seating. Prices for members are $36 and $28. Tickets for anyone under 30 are $20 each. The three shows for the price of two deal is only available by phone by calling (212) 864-5400.
