Franc D'Ambrosio holds the record for performances as The Phantom in Andrew Loyd Webber's perennially popular The Phantom of the Opera, having starred in the show over 2600 times. Darke County Center for the Arts will present this “Iron Man of the Mask” in concert on Saturday, January 26 at 8 p.m. Due to the temporary closure of Henry St. Clair Memorial Hall, D'Ambrosio's performance has been moved to the Versailles Performing Arts Center, 280 Marker Road, located within Versailles school.“Franc's magnificent voice combined with his gifts as a musical story teller have a magical effect on audiences,” stated DCCA Artistic Director Keith Rawlins. “He'll sing a variety of wonderful songs, and if he sings Danny Boy, I predict that there will not be a dry eye in the house,” Rawlins said. D'Ambrosio, who is a frequent guest artist with many major orchestras, has captured notice by such diverse luminaries as Luciano Pavarotti and Barry Manilow, having been invited to study in Italy with the legendary operatic tenor and selected by Manilow to create the starring role of Tony in the singer's pre-Broadway tour of his musical Copacabana.
This concert is sponsored by Greenville National Bank. DCCA also receives financial support from Harry D. and Esther Stephens Memorial, Ketrow Foundation, and the Lydia E. Schaurer Memorial Trust Fund. Additionally, the Ohio Arts Council helps fund this program with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. This program is sponsored in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Tickets for the Franc D'Ambrosio show are $20, and may be purchased online at www.centerforarts.net or by contacting DCCA at 547-0908 or visiting the DCCA office on the third floor of Greenville Public Library.