Review: SINATRA at Aldwych Theatre

Written by Joe DiPietro and recently opened at the Aldwych, SINATRA is a biographical musical following in the footsteps of long-running successes Tina and Beautiful (which celebrated the lives, careers and music of Tina Turner and Carole King respectively), at the same venue. Now, New Jersey's most famous son is presented — warts and all — in this stage production which includes nods to more than 20 songs from his swing era, Bobbysoxers period, and Capitol Records years.

In terms of narrative, the vibrant show includes milestones and influences including Frank's relationships with his mother Dolly and long-suffering first wife Nancy, affairs with among others Lana Turner, marriage to Ava Gardner, the MGM years, his sometimes volatile relationship with the gossip columnists of the day, links to the mob, career descent and the extraordinary bounce-back which followed his win at the 1954 Academy Awards ceremony where he was awarded the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his turn as wisecracking Private Angelo Maggio — a part he was born to play in the year's blockbuster "From Here To Eternity".

Directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall, SINATRA maintains a lively pace from the outset with Joel Harper-Jackson in the title role onstage virtually throughout (save a few costume changes) in the production which opens with a show-stopping moment at The Paramount, NYC. Fans of Ol' Blue Eyes will be quick to note the similarity in tonal qualities, fluidity of delivery and louche stylings achieved here by the singer/actor. For me, perhaps his usual rock-tenor voice struggled a smidgen reaching the lower range growls in Sinatra's timbre but otherwise, this was a performance of confidence and considerable charm — irrespective of the great man's notoriously fiery temper, and serial womanising, which by no means is glossed-over in the show.

On the technical side, Peter McKintosh has worked around the limitations of the Aldwych backstage space with plenty of screen slides and flown-in set elements. The costumes by Jon Morrell are evocative of the multi-decade period and there are some dazzlingly effective graphic projection designs by Akhila Krishnan. Arrangements and orchestrations come courtesy of Larry Blank, Gareth Valentine and Ian Eisendrath with Dave Rose on the stick at each performance where he gets to emulate the extraordinarily accomplished big band leader Nelson Riddle.

One gripe in an otherwise wonderful evening, would be that the sound guys make the common error of bumping up the volume during the three part numbers, which effectively requires the performers to battle each other and fight the band, for supremacy. When the blast inadvertently sets-off the hearing aids of the show's older demographic, you know you've overdone things. It's unnecessary and hopefully can be dialled-down to fit the more comfortable levels experienced during the remainder of the evening.

That aside, what a thoroughly terrific evening of traditional musical theatre entertainment. Our bad boy from Hoboken was a stunning musician, a flawed personality and an incredible influence on popular music. In the end, he was a human being who brought pleasure to untold millions and as his mother wryly suggests in the show, his voice was the reason that many of those sitting in the audience, were born!

Those onstage performers who add considerably to the overall experience include Adam Davidson whose silhouette and line as Gene Kelly was nigh-on perfection and Melissa Nettleford who proves a gently reassuring bar stool companion as Billie Holiday when she duets with a down-on-his-luck Frank on One More For The Road. Elsewhere, Ana Villafañe steals hearts as Ava Gardner, Jenna Russell effortlessly steals scenes as Frank's outspoken mama Dolly Sinatra, and Phoebe Panaretos curries sympathy as long-suffering wife Nancy Sinatra.

Dance moments included nods to routines by the aforementioned Gene Kelly from Anchors Aweigh and On The Town, snippets of the jelly-legged Nicholas Brothers, and the miraculously lithe extension of Cyd Charisse. Felicity Walton added the schmaltz factor playing Little Nancy on the evening I saw the production, while Helen Colby as Hedda Hopper, and Lee Zarrett as Frank's (also long-suffering) agent George Evans, imbued some of the more memorable comedy schtick.

Sinatra may not be West Side Story, but you're sure to have a wonderful night On the Town.

Sinatra Tickets