Frank Sinatra in the center of Ultra-Woke Row
Frank Sinatra finds himself at the center of a modern theater controversy after audiences attending a lavish new musical about the legendary singer were warned that the production features smoking, despite the crooner being a lifelong chain smoker both on and off stage.
RadarOnline.com can unveil the new West End production, Sinatra the musicalOpening this week at London’s Aldwych Theater, with tickets priced at up to $254 each.
The show charts the rise of Sinatra, who died in 1998 at the age of 82, from a young Italian-American singer who performed at the Paramount Theater in New York City in 1942 to one of the most famous entertainers in the world.
In addition to chronicling his relationships with his first wife, Nancy, and Hollywood star Ava Gardner, the production features many of his best-known songs, including That’s life, One for my baby, the best is yet to come And I have the world on a string.
The show’s content advisory has sparked debate among some theatergoers, as it specifically warns audiences that the production includes smoking, in addition to blurring, swearing, mild violence and nudity.
A theater source told us: “There is a bit of disbelief among some people that a warning about smoking needs to be included at all, but the producers are just being transparent about what is on stage.
“The fact is that cigarettes were an undeniable part of Frank Sinatra’s image for decades. Whether he was performing live, posing for photographs or appearing in advertisements, smoking was woven into the public persona that millions of fans around the world recognized.”
“Some critics seem to be treating the opinion as if it celebrates smoking, when in reality it merely reflects the life and times of the man the musical portrays. You can’t tell an honest story about Sinatra without showing the customs and cultural norms that helped define both him and the era in which he lived. To omit that would be sanitizing history rather than presenting it accurately,” the source said.
Another insider familiar with the production added: “The intention was never to promote smoking or present it as something aspirational. What the creative team is trying to do is recreate a specific moment in entertainment history as authentically as possible, and Frank Sinatra’s relationship with cigarettes was undeniably part of that story.
“He performed at a time when smoking was commonplace in theaters, clubs and television studios, and having a cigarette in his hand became one of the defining images associated with him. The producers felt that pretending this aspect of his life did not exist would be misleading to the audience. Their view is that a biographical production should reflect the reality of the person it portrays, even if some elements of that reality are viewed very differently through a modern lens.”
The source added: “The feeling behind the scenes is that historical accuracy must come before modern sensibilities. When you’re staging the life of one of the most recognizable entertainers of the 20th century, you can’t just leave out features that were central to his public image because it might make some people uncomfortable today.”
Sinatra, known worldwide as Ol’ Blue Eyes, was known for smoking heavily for much of his life.
The singer smoked at least two packs of cigarettes a day and regularly appeared on stage, in photos and during television appearances with a smoke in his hand.
His association with tobacco extended beyond his personal habits.
In the 1940s and 1950s he appeared in advertising campaigns for cigarette brands such as Old Gold and Chesterfield. Promotional material included slogans such as “ABC – Always buy Chesterfield” and “Like your pleasure Big?” helping to solidify the connection between Sinatra’s image and cigarette culture during that time.
The official description for the new theater production about the singer places audiences on New Year’s Eve in 1942, when a 27-year-old Sinatra is about to take the stage at the Paramount Theater in a performance that would transform his career and make him one of America’s biggest stars.
According to the theater hosting the project, the musical follows the hitmaker as his rising popularity collides with personal turmoil, charting the impact of his relationship with Gardner and the hostile press attention that threatened to derail his success before sparking a remarkable comeback.
A source close to the production added: “The goal from the beginning has been to give audiences the fullest and most truthful representation of Frank Sinatra possible, rather than a version filtered to fit modern expectations. When you tell the story of someone who became one of the greatest cultural icons of the 20th century, you have to include the parts of his life that people debate today, as well as the parts they celebrate.
“Smoking wasn’t a minor detail tucked away in the background of Sinatra’s career. It was an instantly recognizable part of his image for decades. Fans saw him with a cigarette on stage, in publicity photos, in films, in interviews and even in advertising campaigns. For many people, it was as much a part of the Sinatra brand as the tuxedo, the fedora and the microphone.”
They noted: “The production team felt strongly that audiences deserve an authentic representation rather than a sanitized one.
“No one is asking theatergoers to approve of every aspect of Sinatra’s lifestyle, but they are invited to understand the world he lived in and the personality that made him famous.
“Whether people look back on those habits positively or critically, it’s a bit ridiculous that this ultra-woke smoke warning has been slapped on production.”
