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Post by Mr Snow on Aug 23, 2023 9:47:11 GMT
I see they have part for Mitch Miller who was Head of A&R at Columbia (IIRC) in the late 50's.
Sinatra's sales were down and Rock 'n Roll Sales were up. So Miller had Sinatra record novelty items.
This was the one Frank hated most (Dagmar was a Swedish Starlet never heard of again.)
This was one of the factors that led to Sinatra setting up his own record company, Reprise.
Some years later Miller spots Sinatra accross a hotel lobby and sets off to greet him.
As he gets close, Sinatra looks up and says "Keep walking assh*le".
Pantomine villain?
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Post by karloscar on Sept 24, 2023 21:22:38 GMT
Just started previews. Anyone going to see this?
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Post by robertb213 on Sept 24, 2023 23:16:39 GMT
I'm there tomorrow (well, today now!). I'll report back 😁
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Post by mkb on Sept 24, 2023 23:58:37 GMT
Just started previews. Anyone going to see this? Yes, Wednesday next week. |
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Post by drowseychap on Sept 25, 2023 1:03:41 GMT
I’m there Wednesday too looking forward to it a friends went last night said it was fabulous….. I loved what’s new pussycat ! Still can’t believe it never got to west end was pure quality
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Post by notmymuse on Sept 25, 2023 14:58:28 GMT
I'm there tomorrow. I wasn't going to, but Matt Doyle... Looking forward to it.
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Post by robertb213 on Sept 25, 2023 21:40:35 GMT
5-star performances from Matt Doyle as Frank and Ana Villafañe as Ava Gardner, and a fabulous orchestra. Phoebe Panaretos and Dawn Buckland also very good as Nancy and Mrs Sinatra respectively.
It's a 3-star show overall though, standard bio-musical fare with few surprises and lacking a bit of theatricality. There are too many songs (although some nice lesser-known inclusions) and it feels overlong (19.35-22.15).
But worth it for Matt who is pure Broadway and sounds like a dream. And there's a surprisingly wonderful duet with Ryesha Higgs' Billie Holliday in the second act which is a standout moment.
Could be better but certainly enjoyable. 😁
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Post by karloscar on Sept 26, 2023 21:34:38 GMT
Tina Sinatra's been on Woman's Hour and ITV News at Ten tonight with a few clips from the show. They're creating quite a bit of interest for a show in Birmingham.
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Post by c4ndyc4ne on Sept 26, 2023 21:52:56 GMT
Tina Sinatra's been on Woman's Hour and ITV News at Ten tonight with a few clips from the show. They're creating quite a bit of interest for a show in Birmingham. In Birmingham for now - I can’t imagine it won’t head south speedily. |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Sept 26, 2023 22:14:22 GMT
Hmmm I wouldn’t be so sure. It’s a huge stage in Birmingham so this won’t just fit in any old theatre, and no decent sized ones are available anytime soon.
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Post by notmymuse on Sept 27, 2023 11:37:03 GMT
Hmmm. I think that sums up my reaction to this. Matt sang amazingly, but sadly we mainly got snippets of songs again and again and it wasn't really until the end of act 1 that he got a big number, which he smashed, obviously.
The main problem here is that it's all just a bit dull. Not a lot happens. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that man works his way up singing career, has lots of affairs, and is successful with some bumps in the road.
I think the problem may well be the fact it's got the blessing of his family, so it's very sanitised. There are even odd bits shoe-horned in where we get told nice things about him, e.g. that he gave loads of money away, and a really weird bit of dialogue using terms you wouldn't have heard back then about racial oppression where we are told, very quickly but very clearly, just how much an ahead-of-his-time Liberal good guy our Frank was. There are also slightly awkward attempts to show the women as emancipated and powerful when they really just revolve around Frank sleeping with them and don't serve much other function.
But in general, I didn't care about Frank, I was oddly unmoved and a bit bored really. I can't see this transferring - it's just not exciting or spectacular enough. The staging is pretty functional overall. The pluses are the band, who sound great, and Matt (although all the cast are fine, it's not their fault they aren't given much emotional depth to work with).
To rescue this I'd ditch the "snippets of songs" approach and give Matt some more big numbers to dazzle with. It needs more grit and more juicy incidences, and less Frank being self-pitious and being told how he needs to shape up for about 45 minutes. I don't think that'll happen in an authorised biopic though. I can't see some more previews solving the clear problems here.
But I've never worked in theatre and am generally wrong about all my predictions (apart from my prediction Lord of the Rings would resurface as actor-musician one day, which was a clear win) so who knows.
The person I went with agreed with my view, but many sitting around me were impressed. But we don't get many world premieres of musicals in Brum and my experience of regional theatre audiences is they are more forgiving than West End critics are. 3 stars, but not far off a 2.
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Post by robertb213 on Sept 27, 2023 12:52:52 GMT
I agree with a lot of that.
Bio-musicals where the artist didn't really have much of a dramatic story are always a bit unfulfilling. "Wanted to become famous....Did". It's true of so many of them (Beautiful, On Your Feet...), and it doesn't make good theatre regardless of how strong their catalogue of music is/was. The one exception is Tina, as it tells a genuinely strong story.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2023 13:08:07 GMT
Darn. I was hoping this would be like Audra McDonald in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, a masterful mix of storytelling and song. It is so rare that we get a compelling mix of both in these bio shows.
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Post by jarnew on Sept 27, 2023 13:18:35 GMT
Darn. I was hoping this would be like Audra McDonald in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, a masterful mix of storytelling and song. It is so rare that we get a compelling mix of both in these bio shows. I'd like a Sinatra-esque revue a la "Thriller Live!" to be honest over a seemingly boring retelling of his life. |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Sept 27, 2023 14:42:45 GMT
Everything I’m hearing about it is disappointing. A real shame.
It’s unlikely to get a west end theatre if the response isn’t a lot more positive. Maybe they’ll just take it to Vegas or something.
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Post by theatrelover123 on Sept 27, 2023 17:29:47 GMT
Lord, aren’t Vegas sick of Sinatra now?  |
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Post by theatrelover123 on Sept 27, 2023 17:30:29 GMT
Or did you mean see if Jonny Vegas wanted to do the role next? |
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Post by showgirl on Sept 27, 2023 18:31:52 GMT
Whatever its actual merits and the eventual reviews, it appears to have sold very well, certainly at matinees which I was checking.
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Post by ilovewemusicals on Sept 27, 2023 22:14:02 GMT
Saw this tonight, it’s a great showcase for Matt Doyle who’s hardly offstage and sings and acts up a storm. I couldn’t take my eyes off those Ol’ Blue Eyes. I think the biggest problem is it focuses on Frank’s affair and neglect of his wife and child, which means you don’t overly care about him. Which, considering he’s the main character, is a bit of a red flag. Doyle even plays him rather sleezily at times. But overall, I would say, see it for Doyle as he’s a superstar in the making.
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Post by drowseychap on Sept 28, 2023 1:07:24 GMT
I agree with most of the comments and reviews above I enjoyed the evening it was very pleasant I found out things about Sinatra I never knew …it bobbed along nicely but never really flew to the heights it could .. it wasn’t quite what’s new pussycat which I saw 6 times and every performance got full standing ovation . First half is very long and I felt all of the story could have been covered on 15 mins … like the start of kinky boots did … every time a big song came on it was cut before it got going considering his back catalogue lots of them I’d never heard of …. The second half started off better some great comedy from the parents … nice addition of Judys come rain /shine … I finally thought wow this is going to be a big moment ❤️then it petered out before the money notes There was at least 2 points in the show where it could have been that show stop moment but they cut the songs or Petter them out for some dialogue to say how sad frank is etc Biggest disappointment was no My way  I mean ok it may have come later in his career but New York was too but Is put in as a finale well part of it …. After 2 hours of Sinatra telling us how he lived his life his way ….. the audience were gagging for a big finale … tell us Frank …. ! After all this I did it my way …. Then there would have been a standing ovation 👏 🎶 As it was just over half full tonight about 15 people standing but good applause overall I did love the overall design. And set lighting band were very tight costumes fabulous and a very strong cast you could see the money on the stage It the first time I’ve seen them remove 2 or 3 front rows too and square off the stage definitely looks like they are hoping for a broadway transfer It has the bones of being a really good 4star show. But really needs a few changes and a couple of big highs … as they tell it at the moment it seems his early life was all lows and drudgery and yes it may well have been. But we need some more light or some high drama and dramatic moments Really hope they continue to tweak and get audience feedback |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2023 22:39:42 GMT
I want to try and get to see this as its not far from me. But I don't see how a show about one of the most famous singers ever who lived a full life and featuring lots of other legendary characters can come across as slow moving. I'll wait to see a few more reviews before deciding.
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Post by notmymuse on Sept 29, 2023 8:52:33 GMT
I think the problem is they don't tell you much about anything that makes him look bad or controversial - which would make it far more interesting. I think the problem is it's co-produced (and licensed) by Frank Sinatra Enterprises (which includes his daughter), and all the interesting stuff (which, as wikipedia showed me since watching it there was plenty of) isn't there.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 29, 2023 9:13:29 GMT
He was mixed up with the Mafia wasn’t he? Does that get mentioned?
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Post by notmymuse on Sept 29, 2023 12:55:21 GMT
Briefly. He kind of says all nightclubs are owned by the mafia so obviously he knows them. That's how they deal with most controversial things from his life, there's a line or two explaining it away/justifying it for those who may have heard about it but no exploration/admitting there were dark or controversial sides to him, which there certainly seem to have been.
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Post by drowseychap on Sept 30, 2023 2:35:02 GMT
He was mixed up with the Mafia wasn’t he? Does that get mentioned? Loads about Ava Gardner … think I recall like said above one line about nightclubs being owned by the mafia and I’m sure one of the mob bosses frank says he grew up with him when they were kids so of course he knows them Also a very random scene when a soldier walks past as he comes out of club and frank gives him his coat 🧥 to keep warm I expect but just felt a bit odd |
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I mean ok it may have come later in his career but New York was too but Is put in as a finale well part of it …. After 2 hours of Sinatra telling us how he lived his life his way ….. the audience were gagging for a big finale … tell us Frank …. ! After all this I did it my way …. Then there would have been a standing ovation 👏 🎶 
