The Stage

Sinatra at the Palladium

Published Thursday 9 March 2006 at 13:55 by Lisa Martland

Eight years after the death of Frank Sinatra it might seem a little ghoulish to attempt to celebrate his career in the presence of the man himself, but thanks to the wonders of technology this is as close as it will ever get. And though the concept is unsettling, David Leveaux’s classy and sophisticated production is likely to change how this kind of tribute entertainment is approached from now on.

Via digitally remastered archive recordings projected onto nine moving screens of different sizes, Sinatra’s image simply dominates the very stage where he made his first UK performances back in 1950. All impressive on its own, but when slickly combined with a highly skilled ensemble of dancer/singers and a top-notch 24-strong orchestra (led by the ever-energetic Gareth Valentine), the results can be pretty powerful. The wartime sequence incorporating stills of soldiers bidding their loved ones farewell with footage of Sinatra singing I’ll Be Seeing You is one such example.

In fact high quality work from choreographer Stephen Mear, designer Tom Pye, costumes by Laura Hopkins and the vast musical and multimedia creative team ensure this is not just a general journey through the performer’s life and work - movies, lovers, the Rat Pack - but also an evocation of different eras, not least the tenure of JFK, Vietnam, civil rights and so on.

Occasionally the technology is overdone - it is clever but unnecessary to project the image of a cast member onto the footage of One For My Baby. That said, it is Sinatra’s voice as narrator and singer that takes centre stage. Despite the sickly and over-sentimental conclusion, the evening offers some lasting pleasures.