A note from Paul: “The Anka Sings Sinatra tour will honor a great artist who has influenced me more than anyone else throughout my career, Frank Sinatra. It will also feature the hits that have spanned my career on this 62nd anniversary year. It will be a night filled with his songs, my songs, my way!”
Born July 30, 1941, in Ottawa Canada, into a tight-knit family, Paul Anka didn’t waste much time getting his life in music started.
He sang in the choir at St. Elijah Syrian Orthodox Church and briefly studied piano. He honed his writing skills with journalism courses, even working for a spell at the Ottawa Citizen. By 13, he had his own vocal group, the Bobbysoxers. He performed at every amateur night he could get to in his mother’s car, unbeknownst to his her of course. Soon after, he won a trip to New York by winning a Campbell’s soup contest that required him to spend three months collecting soup can labels. It was there his dream was solidified, he was going to make it as a singer composer; there was not a doubt in his young tenacious mind.
In 1956, he convinced his parents to let him travel to Los Angeles, where he called every record company in the phone book looking for an audition. A meeting with Modern Records led to the release of Anka’s first single, “Blau-Wile Deverest Fontaine.” It was not a hit, but Anka kept plugging away, going so far to sneak into Fats Domino’s dressing room to meet the man and his manager in Ottawa. When Anka returned New York in 1957, he scored a meeting with Don Costa, the A&R man for ABC-Paramount Records. He played him a batch of songs that included “Diana” – Costa was duly enthusiastic about the potential of the young singer and songwriter. The rapid and enormous success of “Diana”- his first number one hit – made him a star.
“They are all very autobiographical,” says Anka of his early hits. “I was alone, traveling, girls screaming, and I never got near them. I’m a teenager and feeling isolated and all that. That becomes ‘Lonely Boy.’ At record hops, I’m up on stage and all these kids are holding each other with heads on each other’s shoulders. Then I have to go have dinner in my room because there are thousands of kids outside the hotel — ‘Put Your Head on My Shoulder’ was totally that experience.
Soon Paul found himself traveling by bus with the ‘Cavalcade of Stars’ with the top names of the day in the era of segregation, performing at the Copa Cabana, the youngest entertainer ever to do so, and honing his craft surrounded by the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Frankie Lyman, and Chuck Berry.
By the time the Beatles arrived in the sixties, Anka had another tool in his survival kit. “After a few hits,” he says, “I knew I was a writer, and with writers, the power was always in the pen. When I started writing for Buddy Holly and Connie Francis, I felt that it made me different for people — they’d say, ‘Hey, you can write, you can fall back on something.” Among his proudest accomplishments was writing the Academy Award-nominated theme for The Longest Day, the 1962 film in which he also starred.
Songwriting and performing “are what gave me the confidence to keep going,” he says. Becoming a junior associate of Sinatra and the Rat Pack also had its privileges. By the ‘70s, the success of “My Way” and a string of hits like “(You’re) Having My Baby” confirmed his status as an icon of popular music. His later achievements as a recording artist included “Hold Me ‘Til the Morning Comes,” a hit duet with Peter Cetera in 1983, the Spanish-language album Amigos in 1996, and Body of Work, a 1998 duets album that featured Frank Sinatra, Celine Dion, Patti LaBelle, Tom Jones and daughter Anthea Anka. If this wasn’t enough, it was revealed upon its release in 2009, that Anka co-wrote Michael Jackson’s posthumous #1 worldwide hit, “This Is It,” which has further cemented his place upon the most prolific and versatile songwriters of any generation.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Anka’s two most recent albums – Rock Swings and now Classic Songs, My Way – ingeniously featured songs originally created by some of the biggest rock performers of the day – as well as other established artists across several genres. The twist: Paul Anka did the songs ‘his way.’ His goal: “taking great songs and rework them so they’re natural for me.” With the help of his five daughters, Anka spent months researching music from the ‘80s and ‘90s, trying to find the songs that would work in the radical new context he proposed. The songs that made the cut included Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life,” Lionel Richie’s “Hello” and Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven.” Even more dramatic were his transformations of “Wonderwall” by Oasis, “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
Rock Swings went Top 10 in the UK, and was certified gold in the UK, France, and Canada, hit No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Jazz Albums chart and went on to sell half a million units worldwide.
FLOYD PINK is a Pink Floyd tribute band from the New York metro area, celebrating the music of Pink Floyd.
Multi-platinum selling, Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Geoff Tate is best known for his 30-plus years as the creative and driving force behind the progressive metal band Queensryche. Since its inception with Geoff at the helm, Queensryche has sold over 20 million albums worldwide and has performed in upwards of fifty countries. Geoff is regarded as one of the most skilled vocalists in the genre with hundreds of modern, popular artists citing him and his former band as a major influence. Combining social consciousness and expertly crafted lyrics with high-energy, melodically complex music, Queensryche with Geoff Tate at the forefront became internationally recognized as the thinking man’s rock band. The band’s first three albums — their self-titled EP (1983), The Warning (1984) and Rage for Order (1986) — all hit gold status selling over 500,000 units each.
He prowls the stage like a Tiger. He holds no hostages. He says what you are thinking but are afraid to say out loud. Oh…and he’s beyond hysterical! You’ve never seen anything like Vic Dibitetto on stage. See him this Holiday Season when he returns to Carteret!
CoComelon: Sing-A-Long LIVE is the perfect way to make memories you’ll cherish for years to come! Join Ms. Appleberry, JJ, Cody, Nina, and Cece for a lively Melon Patch musical adventure in this exciting touring production. This interactive live show brings CoComelon’s vibrant world to life, inviting families to sing, dance, and play together. With beloved characters, delightful surprises, and favorite songs like “Wheels on the Bus,” “Animal Dance,” and “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” it’s a celebration of connection and childhood wonder. Don’t miss the chance to share the magic of your child’s very first live show!
CoComelon: Sing-A-Long LIVE is the perfect way to make memories you’ll cherish for years to come! Join Ms. Appleberry, JJ, Cody, Nina, and Cece for a lively Melon Patch musical adventure in this exciting touring production. This interactive live show brings CoComelon’s vibrant world to life, inviting families to sing, dance, and play together. With beloved characters, delightful surprises, and favorite songs like “Wheels on the Bus,” “Animal Dance,” and “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” it’s a celebration of connection and childhood wonder. Don’t miss the chance to share the magic of your child’s very first live show!
Written by and starring Vicki Lawrence
Two Performances Only
Vicki Lawrence, the legendary actress, comedian, and singer, brings her signature wit and charm to the stage in Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show. Best known for her iconic role as Thelma Harper, or "Mama," from The Carol Burnett Show and Mama’s Family, Lawrence delivers a hilarious and heartfelt performance that takes audiences on a journey through her extraordinary career. From her Emmy-winning years alongside Carol Burnett to her chart-topping hit, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” she shares behind-the-scenes stories, comedy, and music—all with her trademark humor. Whether reminiscing about her Hollywood adventures or embodying the feisty Mama, Lawrence proves that laughter is timeless.
Music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
Music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
If you’re feeling all alone in the universe – or even if you’re not – Triangle’s newest musical comedy is for you! Join us as Triangle explores what it means to have friends in high – or should we say “sky”? – places. Extraterrestrial visitors, crazy conspiracy theories, and intergalactic shenanigans power this year’s annual laugh-fest of witty jokes, lavish production numbers, and, of course, Triangle’s famous kickline. Can interplanetary goodwill blossom in the dystopian desert of our current times? Get your Triangle tickets now and learn if Roswell That Ends Well!
Dunbar Repertory Company presents Ntozake Shange’s FOR COLORED GIRLS Who have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf, the groundbreaking “choreopoem” – a spellbinding collection of vivid prose and free verse narratives about and performed by Black women. Directed by Darrell Lawrence Willis, SR.
(BRICK, NJ) -- During World War II, a tech-savvy New Jersey woman took it upon herself to be a priceless information provider for families of captured U.S. service members. Agnes Joan Negra's exploits are chronicled in the book Waves of Hope. Meet her son Ronald Edward Negra, the author, at the Brick Branch of the Ocean County Library on Saturday, November 14, 2026. The event begins at 11:00am.
(SOMERS POINT, NJ) -- SPQR Stage Co. presents Bill Sterritt's "Pumpin' the Chihuahua," an imaginative dark comedy running two weekends from November 14–22, 2026 at studio;space in Somers Point.
(RED BANK, NJ) -- Count Basie Center for the Arts will cap its Centennial Celebration with an immersive re-enactment of its opening night on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 6:00pm. Patrons can expect an immersive theatrical presentation from the moment they approach the venue – from 'stars' of the era arriving in classic cars, Gatsby-esque fashion and flair, an authentic speakeasy experience with custom, era-specific cocktails and mocktails, 1920s hot jazz and more.
(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- The Montclair Comedy Festival returns November 14–21, 2026 with eight straight days of stand-up, improv, sketch and musical comedy in downtown Montclair. The festival includes 12 shows and two free workshops at DiRasa House of Diversified Arts, The MC Hotel, Montclair Brewery and RecRoom in Lackawanna Station.
(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- Interested in filmmaking? You can learn how to produce a film like a pro at "Producing 101: From Script to Set with The Gig Media" on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at Miraley Studios in Jersey City.
