Four Aces and Cole Porter Tribute Open Today

Half a century before teenage girls went crazy for ‘N Sync or the Backstreet Boys, American airways were dominated by the close harmony and soaring melodies of golden-throated male vocal groups. By any measure, the most successful of these original “boy bands” is the Four Aces, who reprise their greatest hits as the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies opens its winter season today, January 9, 2008. In addition, the Follies will augment its ongoing salute to Tin Pan Alley with a never-before-seen song-and-dance salute to legendary composer Cole Porter.

Among the Four Aces’ best-known records are “Heart and Soul,” “Perfidia,” “Dream,” “Mr. Sandman” and “Stranger in Paradise.” But the group scored its biggest successes with the title tunes from a pair of hit movies: Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing and Three Coins in the Fountain. The Four Aces (back, left to right): Danny Colingo and Harry Heisler (front, left to right) Fred Diodati and Joe Giglio.Each theme song shot to #1 on the pop charts, won the Academy Award for Best Song for its year, and became an international standard.

The Four Aces include Fred Diodati, the group’s senior member and lead singer; Joe Giglio, high-tenor; Danny Colingo, baritone; and Harry Heisler, bass and the quartet’s musical conductor. They appear at the Follies for just five weeks, through February 9.

“When we began creating this season’s salute to the Golden Age of American songwriting, it quickly became apparent that we had to have the Four Aces as guest stars,” recalls Follies impresario Riff Markowitz. “They were one of the last super-groups known for performing the Tin-Pan-Alley type of song. Their work—then and now—is all about perfect songs beautifully sung.”

Alongside the new guest stars, the Follies will also debut its tribute to Cole Porter, a high-energy song and dance number featuring such evergreens as “You’re the Top,” “It’s De-Lovely” and “Anything Goes.” Markowitz explains, “We’re finding that many people who have enjoyed our current season are returning to see the show a second or third time, to see another guest star, or just because they really like this Follies edition. So we decided to surprise them with a new number when they return. Cole Porter fits the bill perfectly. His trademark combination of wit and romance is just as timely as ever!”