Producer/director/actor/professor/ writer David Grapes is living on the Theatre-by-the-Sea grounds, preparing his four singers, actors anddancers for the Rhode Island premiere of his creation, “My Way, A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra.”

“Rhode Island is the 49th state that ‘My Way’ has been seen in. Only Utah is left,” he said. “I’ve been very fortunate with this show. When I wrote it, I never dreamed of the success it would have. I never thought of even licensing it to anyone else. The day Sinatra died I started working on the show, and we opened it in Nashville.”

The rest is history. Over 400 productions later, the show has made its way to Rhode Island, where it opens the 76th season of Theatre-by-the-Sea.

“It’s a four person show: two men and two women,” Grapes said. “I’ve brought in two people from the Pittsburgh Light Opera Company and Amiee (Turner-Artistic Director) auditioned the other two.

“I’m particularly excited about bringing baritone John Fredo with me,” he added. “He was in the original production at the Tennessee Rep. While we stay away from Sinatra impersonators (you can see them in Vegas) John is very Sinatra-like and very charismatic. He’s been in eight productions and he can tap dance. Did you know that Sinatra was a great dancer?”

Grapes said that the old barn theatre is “an amazing space.”

“We’ve done the show in some pretty sophisticated places, but nothing like Theatre-by-the-Sea,” he said. “You walk into the theatre and you can sense the ghosts. Tallulah Bankhead performed on this stage. Marlon Brando. Judy Holiday. This was before TV. And these major Broadway stars traveled to Rhode Island!”

While Grapes biggest success has been “My Way,” he has also written and directed similar shows about Tony Bennett, Nina Simone, “Judy and Mickey” and a Christmas version of the Sinatra show.

“I want to be sure that people understand that this is not a Sinatra impersonation show. It is a theatre event, filled with music that Sinatra has sung over his long career. There will be a few songs that may be unfamiliar to the audience, but you’ll also hear the standards, like ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ and, of course, ‘My Way.’”

“The show celebrates the music in Sinatra’s style and arrangements, Grapes continued. “It is interested hearing women singing his music.

“Sinatra toured until he was 82 years old,” he said. “Think of how many songs he would have sung over his long career. Sometimes he would sing 100-200 songs a day! He’d start in the studio, do rehearsals and then do two or three shows a night. And he was one of the few – I can think of Tony Bennett – who adjusted with the changing world of music.”

“My Way” opens on May 29 with preview performances on May 27 and 28 and runs through June 14. For reservations call 782-TBTS.