‘Sinatra: The Musical’ gets closer to Broadway with New York, New York reading

The Chairman of the Board is one step closer to Broadway.
“Sinatra: The Musical” is in New York, New York Thursday for a reading of the show at the Apollo Theater, Frank Sinatra Enterprises and Universal Music Group Theatrical announced Monday.
It’s the first time the Frank Sinatra musical, which premiered in England in 2023, is in the United States.
Tony winner Matt Doyle (”Company”) stars as Sinatra in the musical from Tony winner Joe DiPietro (”Memphis”), who hails from Oradell. The show about the Hoboken crooner is choreographed by three-time Tony winner Kathleen Marshall (”Wonderful Town,” “The Pajama Game,” “Anything Goes”).
“Sinatra: The Musical” starts in 1942, when Sinatra was 27, “about to step onto the stage of New York’s Paramount Theatre and give a performance that will change music history,” per a description of the show.
The musical follows Sinatra’s rise to superstardom; the breakdown of his marriage to his first wife, Nancy Sinatra (née Barbato); his affair with Ava Gardner, who became his second wife — plus the public backlash; and, of course, his big comeback.
“When my dad was a boy, he’d sit on a Hoboken wharf and stare at the Manhattan skyline,” Sinatra’s daughter Tina Sinatra said in a statement. “New York was his dream, and a Broadway musical about his early years has been my dream. I didn’t think it was possible, but this show truly captures his sound and spirit.”
The invitation-only New York reading of the show with full orchestra Nov. 21 follows the debut of the musical at Birmingham Repertory Theatre in September 2023.
Phoebe Panaretos plays Sinatra’s first wife, Nancy Sinatra; Ana Villafañe plays actor Ava Gardner; Caroline Duffy Concannon is his daughter Nancy Sinatra; Toni Di Buono is his mother, Dolly Sinatra; Mark Lotito is his father, Marty Sinatra, and Brad Oscar plays George Evans, Sinatra’s publicist.
Earlier this year, Tina Sinatra estimated the musical would make it to Broadway by fall 2025.
There has also been a longstanding effort to bring her father’s story to the big screen.
Martin Scorsese has had a Sinatra biopic in the works for many years, with Oscar winner and frequent Scorsese collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio attached to star as Ol’ Blue Eyes.
But the film was stalled by 2017 or earlier, then reportedly halted again this year over doubts about Tina Sinatra — who controls Sinatra’s estate — and Sinatra’s family giving their blessing. In this most recent attempt, Jennifer Lawrence had been linked to the film as Ava Gardner.
In 2017, Scorsese told the Toronto Sun that the Sinatra family was not comfortable with the script as it existed at the time, which included some dark parts of his life.
“Certain things are very difficult for a family, and I totally understand,” Scorsese said. “But, if they expect me to be doing it, they can’t hold back certain things. The problem is that the man was so complex. Everybody is so complex — but Sinatra in particular.”
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Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at [email protected] and followed at @AmyKup.