Sinatra The Musical offers a sleek, visually striking journey through the life and legend of Frank Sinatra, though it often seems more like a carefully curated scrapbook than a fully rounded portrait of its subject. This is very much a polished, expurgated version of Sinatra's life, one that prefers glamour and momentum over the more troubling or complex edges of Sinatra’s life. There are references to his mafia connections while his philandering, although a major part of the story, somehow feels sanitised. The show precedes the infamous Rat Pack years and centres on the teenage heartthrob who lost his fame and then made a comeback with the film From Here to Eternity. This is a production, like Sinatra himself, with an abundance of style. The visuals are consistently impressive, moving with cinematic fluidity between recording studios, Hollywood sets and various homes. The sheen of mid-century show business is captured with real flair, creating a world that is as seductive as it is nostalgic. The score, drawn from Sinatra’s vast catalogue, remains the show’s most reliable asset. These are songs that have not dimmed with time; numbers like "My Way," "Fly Me to the Moon" and "That’s Life" still carry emotional weight and theatrical power, often doing the heavy lifting when the book itself feels thin. The cast is strong across the board, anchoring the show’s emotional register even when the writing becomes rather episodic. Joel Harper-Jackson is particularly compelling as the young Sinatra, embodying the eager, magnetic “Bobby soxer” era with ease. However, while his vocal and physical energy capture the early rise of a star in the making, he is somewhat less convincing when required to shift into the older, heavy-drinking Sinatra. Phoebe Panaretos delivers a standout performance as Nancy Sinatra, bringing warmth, resilience and emotional clarity to her role. She succeeds in giving the domestic storyline a grounded human centre, while Ana Villafañe is magnetic as Ava Gardner. Villafañe exudes both the glamour and volatility of the Hollywood star with striking presence. Her scenes with Harper-Jackson are convincingly passionate and hint at a richer, more psychologically complex version of the story that the musical only touches on. The comic elements brought to the narrative by Jenna Russell and Marty Maguire as Sinatra's parents are delightful, and their duet of "You Make Me Feel So Young'' is a show-stopper. The question remains, what will a younger audience make of all this? The musical leans heavily on references to figures such as Hedda Hopper and Lana Turner, names that may now feel distant or unfamiliar to many viewers. While these figures help situate Sinatra firmly within his era, they also underline the production’s reliance on nostalgia and insider knowledge, potentially limiting its emotional immediacy for those less steeped in mid-century celebrity culture. Ultimately, Sinatra The Musical succeeds as a stylish, well-performed tribute, buoyed by iconic songs and strong performances, but it stops short of offering a truly probing exploration of its subject. It celebrates the myth of Sinatra with considerable flair, but only hints at the man behind the legend.
Rated: ★★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Photo © Brinkhoff-Moegenburg
When, Where, Getting there:
%20Brinkhoff-Moegenburg%201136-1457.JPG)
%20Pale%20Blue%20and%20Red,%201943%20%C2%A9%20Bowness,%20Image%20%C2%A9%20The%20Hepworth%20Wakefield.%20Photo_%20Mark%20Heathcote.png)
%20Cat%20White%20(Ruby),%20Martins%20Imhangbe%20(Diamond),%20Roger%20Ringrose%20(Mansion)%20&%20Ziggy%20Heath%20(Tom)%20-%20Driftwood%20(c)%20Marc%20Brenner%20426500.jpg)
