Learn about Frank Sinatra's real history ahead of 'Sinatra The Musical'

As a new biographical musical comes to the West End, find out more about Sinatra's remarkable career and turbulent personal life.

Summary

• Sinatra The Musical is coming to the Aldwych Theatre in the West End
• The show is based on Frank Sinatra's work and personal life
• Sinatra had an extraordinary career as a recording artist and performer
• He was also renowned for his movie roles

The legend that is Frank Sinatra comes to the stage in an exciting new West End show this summer. Sinatra The Musical, written by Tony Award-wining Joe DiPietro (Memphis, What’s New Pussycat?) and directed and choreography by the Tony- and Olivier-winning Kathleen Marshall (Anything Goes, Top Hat), brings Sinatra’s story, and unforgettable music, to the Aldwych Theatre.

The show joins Ol’ Blue Eyes on the cusp of superstardom, performing in New York in 1942, but as he grows famous, he finds himself torn between success and love. Featuring songs like “One For My Baby”, “The Best Is Yet to Come” and “That’s Life”, this is a revealing drama about a true musical icon.

Ahead of your trip to Sinatra The Musical, get to know more about Frank Sinatra’s real history.

Check back for Sinatra The Musical tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Frank Sinatra’s beginnings

Sinatra was born in 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey, to Italian immigrants. He quickly developed a passion for music, performing in local social clubs and for radio stations, and in his teens he joined a singing group which became known as the Hoboken Four. In 1939 bandleader Harry James signed him to perform at the Paramount Theatre in New York.

Sinatra began releasing records, hitting the top of the charts in 1940 with “I’ll Never Smile Again” with Tommy Dorsey’s band, and then became popular as a solo artist – especially with teenage girls, then known as “bobby soxers”. That grew into full-blown Sinatramania following his legendary show at the Paramount in 1942.

Sinatra’s slump and comeback

By the end of the 1940s, Sinatra’s career was dwindling, thanks partly to the scandal following the destruction of his marriage to Nancy, and his affair with movie star Ava Gardner, who then became his second wife in 1951 – although that turbulent union didn’t last long.

However, Sinatra experienced a remarkable career revival in the 1950s, appearing in the movie From Here to Eternity, and recording brilliant new swing and jazz albums with Capitol Records. Some of his most beloved hits stem from this period, including “I’ve Got the World on a String”, “I Get a Kick Out of You”, “My Funny Valentine”, and “They Can’t Take That Away from Me”.

Sinatra also began his famous Las Vegas residency, where he partied with the Rat Pack, and in 1958 he topped the charts with his album Come Fly with Me – the title track of which became another of his adored standards. He continued that impressive run throughout the 1960s, releasing Grammy-winning single “It Was a Very Good Year” and album That’s Life, and his signature 1968 song “My Way”.

Sinatra the artist

Amazingly, Sinatra only learnt to read music a little, but he had an extraordinary ear and was an instinctive artist with immense natural abilities. He had a great facility and appreciation for classical and popular music, as well as immaculate phrasing, incredible breath control, and a wide vocal range.

Many of his collaborators recalled his obsessive perfectionism, which did result in impeccable, universally celebrated musical recordings, but which could make him extremely difficult to work with on occasion. His music matured with him, from bouncy material to melancholy, reflective numbers, but he balanced those wistful tracks with joyful ones too.

Sinatra on screen

Sinatra’s Hollywood career began in the 1940s, when he appeared in films such as Anchors Aweigh, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, and On the Town – all co-starring Gene Kelly. From Here to Eternity was a key part of his comeback in 1953: Sinatra played a soldier stationed on Hawaii, in the lead-up to the Pearl Harbour attack, and was nominated for an Oscar for his performance.

He was nominated again for The Man with the Golden Arm in 1955, playing a heroin addict, and had more acclaimed roles in films such as Guys and Dolls, Not as a Stranger, and High Society. He won a Golden Globe for 1957’s Pal Joey, in which he famously sang “The Lady Is a Tramp”, and won Best Original Song Oscars for “All the Way” in The Joker Is Wild and “High Hopes” in A Hole in the Head. In 1960 Sinatra and his Rat Pack starred in Ocean’s 11.

Sinatra also made numerous TV appearances, and had his own variety shows first on CBS and then ABC in the 1950s. He also had several TV specials, such as Welcome Home Elvis in 1960 with Elvis Presley.

Sinatra’s personal life

Sinatra was married to Nancy Barbato from 1939-51, and the pair had three children, however Sinatra embarked on multiple affairs. He then married Hollywood icon Ava Gardner in 1951, though they quickly separated in 1953. He next married actress Mia Farrow in 1966, divorcing her in 1968, and finally he married Barbara Marx in 1976, remaining with her until his death in 1998.

Sinatra was also linked to scores of other women, including Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall and Juliet Prowse. He was renowned for his stylish suits, twinkling blue eyes and roguish charm, although he could also be prone to depression and violent mood swings. His funeral in California was attended by thousands of fans – testament to his extraordinary popularity. His gravestone included the title of one his eternally enduring songs: “The Best Is Yet to Come”.

Main photo credit: Frank Sinatra (Photo courtesy of Sinatra The Musical). Inset: Frank Sinatra's Come Fly with Me album, Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra in High Society (Photos courtesy of the label and movie)