THEATRE REVIEW: Sinatra, Liverpool Empire Theatre

May 7 2008 by Philip Key, Liverpool Daily Post

Sinatra show at the Liverpool Empire _320

WE KNOW Frank Sinatra had a great way with a lyric, unique phrasing and picked the best songs and the best arrangers.

But one lesser-known thing that this unusual show Sinatra proves is that he was also very photogenic.

Using some classic Sinatra footage of his singing, removing the recorded backing and playing it live with an on-stage big band was a great idea.

They also throw in some dancers and singers who often perform around the floating screens on which Sinatra performs, occasionally acting out the lyrics, more often just hoofing around in various styles.

But when Frank is on screen, it is difficult to take your eyes from him. He was not particu-larly handsome and mainly stood still when singing. But that face had a lived-in quality even in his younger days and when he sang, he per-formed his lyrics like an actor. The close-ups are quite remarkable. And, of course, that baritone voice was perfect for the love songs he sang.

The show, Sinatra, uses all the latest technology to present not only a concert-like performance but to tell his often moving story, mostly in his own words.

There is a lot of clever stuff with people on screen emerging live on stage and dancers on stage appear-ing on the screens with Frank. It keeps the show pacy but it dips in the second half with a President Kennedy sequence and an unfunny and overlong Rat Pack joke-fest.

One also supposes they had to have the dancers and singers to prevent the production becoming a mere film show. But Frank rarely used them and one understands why, the songs were all.

The best moments are when he is almost alone, singing One For the Road with just a pianist, Send in the Clowns against a blank stage.

The live band is a sizzler but with a conductor over-fond of clowning.

But the evening does give us the best of Sinatra, classic performanc-es indeed. Sinatra may have died just ten years ago but on stage at the Empire, he lives again.

philkey@dailypost.co.uk