Tony Orlando is bringing his life story to Broadway. But the "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" legend is avoiding the overused concept of a jukebox musical.
His show Rooftop Dreams will be a biography without his classic hits. Instead, Tony is collaborating with his brother and bandmate, David,and veteran producer Michael Omartian to create an entirely new score. The one-time teenage pop star moved behind-the-scenes in the music industry before a second and bigger stardom during the '70s, a hit network TV series, a drug-fueled collapse -- and a career renaissance that included starring in Broadway's Barnum.
With casting about to begin for a preview run before the show comes to Tony's home town, New York, Orlando is cutting back on his annual Great American Christmas Show. He will stage it November 30th at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City and December 19th through the 22nd at the South Point in Las Vegas.
Otherwise, this keen student of show biz trends and history is focusing on his Rooftop Dreams.