The leads deliver stellar performances in this restrained slice of Sinatra
Frank Sinatra is undoubtedly a musical legend. Countless hits spanning over six decades, a film career
involving the Oscars and a love life so dramatic he’d be a sensational casting for Love Island.
Sinatra The Musical follows our titular protagonist (played by Joel Harper-Jackson) from 1942, and his
exit from the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, to his move to Hollywood, the birth of his children, Frank Jnr and
Tina, his divorce from Nancy, subsequent marriage to Ava Gardner and his end a short time after his Oscar
win for From Here to Eternity in 1954. This is a particularly tempestuous and bleak section of his life, in
which he spends a lot of it on womanising, getting dropped by various companies and making poor
decisions in his struggle for success were greater than Bing Crosby’s.
Whilst technically slick, the set feels a touch bland. Walls and beds zoom in and out to portray
domesticity, occasionally a microphone stand pops by with a café chair to denote we’re in a club, but
nothing noteworthy beyond some creative use of projections during a scene where Frank sings My Way
downstage as massive newspaper front pages envelop him in his nadir. Jon Morrell’s costumes are
sublime, with delicate pastels depicting Sinatra’s domestic settings and bold jewel tones for his
Hollywood occasions.
Harper-Jackson’s portrayal is as accurate as you could get- an excellent crooner, wonderful acting
abilities, capturing Sinatra’s mannerisms and gestures perfectly. It occasionally veers into tribute act
territory, but he is flanked by an exemplary supporting cast of first wife Nancy Sinatra (played by Pheobe
Panaretos) and his second wife, Ava Gardner (played by Ana Villafañe). It is interesting to note that all the
women in this production are portrayed with a semblance of strength and agency- none of them appears
fragile or wilting under the blaze of Sinatra’s notoriety. This is more than can be said for Ol’ Blue Eyes
himself, who often wafts from one unfortunate self-made circumstance to another, punctuated by a
passing rendezvous. The show is at pains to promote Sinatra as a real family man, but has him
disappointing his current wife at every opportunity as though it just couldn’t be helped. The adultery is
lazily batted away because the women he has affairs with are beautiful bombshells, and he’d be stupid
not to.
The script’s short timeframe in the 40s and 50s leaves out so much of Sinatra’s life that it’s not truly
biographical but more of a snapshot. It glosses over the mob connections, the Vegas residencies. It
doesn’t mention his third and fourth wives at all, nor does it mention his work with Marlon Brando on the film Guys and Dolls, for example or any of his later lauded concerts in the latter years of his life. The show would benefit from an expanded plot and a chance to delve further into his timeline, pre-fame and post-fame 60s.
Despite too few ensemble numbers and an odd period to depict, this show was a crowd-pleaser on
opening night. This West End performance powerhouse would be perfect to take your grandparents to
for a slice of Old Hollywood nostalgia. The stakes are low, and the songs are sung impeccably, so you’d
better start spreading the news because Gareth Valentine’s 17-piece onstage big band is worth the
ticket price alone.
Sinatra The Musical plays at the Aldwych Theatre, London, currently until 10 th April 2027.