Sinatra The Musical Reviews: What the Critics Say
The critics saw Sinatra The Musical on 24 June 2026, and came away agreeing about almost everything except how much the writing matters.
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The Critics' Verdict
The star ratings ran from five down to two, with most on three.
They agreed almost entirely about what is on the stage. The singing is excellent, the seventeen-piece band is excellent, and Joe DiPietro's book is where the complaints land. What they did not agree on was how much that last point should count.
One pattern is worth knowing before you read them: no national newspaper rated it above three stars, and two of the four theatre publications did.
What the Reviews Praised
Joel Harper-Jackson, without a dissenting voice on the singing.
Marianka Swain in the Telegraph called him "an effortlessly charismatic, if aptly obnoxious, young Sinatra." Clive Davis in the Times heard "the swagger of the young crooner from Hoboken." Holly O'Mahony in the Stage described "a voice that emulates his character's smooth, chocolatey tones." Maddy Mussen gave the show two stars in the Standard and still credited him with "capturing the smooth-bore cadences."
Greg Stewart in Theatre Weekly, on four stars, went furthest: "it feels less like interpretation and more like inhabitation. Close your eyes and you could be transported to one of those famed Vegas residencies."
The band, which more than one review made its headline. Alun Hood in WhatsOnStage called Gareth Valentine's seventeen players "the undoubted highlight of Sinatra", and Davis said they give the music "all the brassiness it requires."
Jenna Russell as Frank's mother Dolly. Hood called it "a show-stealing comic cameo", and Emma John in the Guardian wrote that she "can steal a scene with just a single line delivered on a telephone." Swain thought "it's the formidable women who really dominate."
Where Reviews Were Mixed
The book, and the critics objected to it on three different grounds.
Some found it badly made. Swain called it a "clunky book" that "never invests these colourful characters with real emotional depth." Hood found it "more efficient than illuminating." O'Mahony in the Stage concluded that "despite polished performances all round and serious brass band umph, it's a humdrum affair."
Some objected to what it leaves out. Davis in the Times thought it "trudges through the early decades, ticking off the hits and affairs." Sarah Hemming in the Financial Times found the script "never gets more than skin-deep." Franco Milazzo at BroadwayWorld noted it "finishes well short of the better known chapters of his life." Gary Naylor at the Arts Desk wanted it to explore "Sinatra's place in postwar American culture" and found "rather hackneyed territory" instead.
And some thought it too kind to its subject. Mussen in the Standard, on the lowest rating, called it "hagiographic." John in the Guardian noted that Sinatra's daughter Tina is a producer who helped shape the story, and that "a reluctance to embrace too much darkness lends a sense that things just happen to our hero."
Two reviews defended it. Harry Mayes at the Reviews Hub, the only five-star notice, wrote that DiPietro "trusts that a complicated man honestly drawn is more compelling than a sanctified one, and that trust is what makes every song land." Stewart in Theatre Weekly agreed the book has weaknesses and set them aside: "any narrative shortcomings are largely forgiven by the time the show reaches its finale."
One critic also questioned the acting, which is worth knowing if you are booking for the performance rather than the songs. Hood in WhatsOnStage found "a surprisingly passive central performance that only really ignites when he's singing", though Swain in the Telegraph read him the opposite way.
Is Sinatra The Musical Right for You?
Based on what the reviews actually say:
Book it if you want the songs sung properly. Every critic in London agreed on that point, which almost never happens, and there is a real seventeen-piece band behind them.
Book it if you are happy with a jukebox musical. The Daily Mail, at three stars, ended: "if you're happy with a 3D jukebox, Harper-Jackson could well fly you to the moon."
Think harder if you want the full story of the man. The show covers about nine years and stays on the sunny side. Sinatra's daughter Tina is a producer and helped shape the story, and several critics felt the result was too kind to him.
Think harder if you are going for one specific song. Theatre Weekly reports that My Way is cut short and several famous numbers are missing, possibly for licensing reasons. Public ratings say the same thing independently: among the commonest complaints from people who have been is which songs did not make the cut.
Call us on 020 7193 9050 if you are unsure and we will talk it through honestly.
Book Sinatra The Musical Tickets
If the reviews above have decided it for you, seats start from around £35 midweek and run to April 2027, so there is room to pick a date rather than take one.
The price we quote is the price you pay. Deals come and go on a run this long and not all of them reach the website, so it is worth a call if you cannot see one for your night.
Sinatra tickets • Call us on 020 7193 9050
Sources
The Reviews Hub · Theatre Weekly · The Daily Telegraph · The Guardian · The Times · Daily Mail · The Stage · WhatsOnStage · The Arts Desk · Evening Standard · Time Out · Financial Times · BroadwayWorld · British Theatre Guide · New York Post