This is London Magazine July Edition 2026 - Flipbook - Page 26
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SINATRA THE MUSICAL
Aldwych Theatre
There was much conjecture during
the run up to the highly-anticipated
launch of Sinatra The Musical – would
there be a string of classics loosely
woven around a cosmeticised narrative?
Or, perhaps a tribute show, or something
more lightweight along the lines of sing
along?
It is none of it. The time span of Frank
Sinatra’s life, from the early days in 1942
when a skinny Italian American singer
Sinatra The Musical.
stepped onto the stage at New York’s
Paramount Theatre, to the greatest
comeback in showbiz history, the
production is faithfully recounted, in the
words of Tina Sinatra, his daughter, ‘warts
and all’. And, how refreshing it is. Twenty
timeless songs are threaded into the story,
with understandable time-line
adjustments, because no musical about
Frank Sinatra, ‘one of the greatest singers
of all time’, would be credible without a
nod to ‘My Way’ (which Sinatra is
believed to have hated, calling it selfserving and indulgent), nor the showstopping finale New York, New York.
The production is fully authentic.
Story lines are direct, almost clipped, so
a whole swathe of Sinatra’s life could be
condensed into a single performance
which is strong on plot – you really
couldn’t make it up – couched in the
songs of a generation.
Sinatra’s honeyed tones are brought
to life more in the style of his later years,
bolder and richer than first the case. Joel
Harper-Jackson perfectly captures his
swagger and boyish charm, more a
respectful rendering than copycat
compilation. Deft choreography
by three-time Tony Award-winning
Kathleen Marshall adds to the strength
of the production without in any way
detracting from the flow of the piece.
Born to a family of Italian immigrants,
Frank was used to strong women and
went on to seek them out. His fearsome
mother, here played by Jenna Russell,
and the succession of inamorata –
Marilyn Maxwell, Lana Turner, Marlene
Dietrich and movie goddess Ava
Gardener (Ana Villafäne), who tore
through his marriage to long-suffering
wife Nancy (Phoebe Panaretos), make a
formidable team on stage.
His adoring audience of screaming
teenage 'bobby soxers’ having grown
up, plus the torrid affairs and mob
connections, eventually led to public
opprobrium and, by 1953, it had all
fallen apart.
Sinatra’s devotion to his family and
dogged determination finally turned the
tide. His relentless campaigning of
Columbia Pictures’ chief Harry Cohn for
the role of Italian/American soldier
Angelo Maggio in From Here to Eternity,
while agreeing to take a massive paycut
and Eli Wallach dropping out of
contention, landed him the part and also
an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. By
1954 the career of this fascinating,
complex man, was back on track.
There are still plenty of fascinating
stories to come in his later years, from
Coppola’s horse head in the bed to mob
influence in JFK’s 1960 election, the
later part of Sinatra’s life will no doubt
be equally enthralling.
Photo: Birgit and Ralf Brinkhoff
Julie Freemantle
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