Frank Sinatra is an immortal, iconic figure in popular music, so it is jarring to imagine him on his deathbed. What were his thoughts knowing that “now the end is near?” In Sinatra: The Final Curtain, we get a glimpse into what might have taken place in that hospital room in Los Angeles in the last days of the Chairman of the Board.
We first see Sinatra as a grouchy old man in a hospital bed. His wife has gone out with a family friend, and he’s alone. He’s visited by Nurse Rosie, a young nurse who is only familiar with Ol’ Blue Eyes as her grandmother is a big fan, which she keeps repeating to Frank’s chagrin. He starts to warm to her and tell her about his life, and as we hear his story, so too do we see Frank perform as a younger man.
Sinatra: The Final Curtain is carried by the strength of its performances. Romey Todd is very charming as Nurse Rosie, a funny, energetic foil to Sinatra’s deadpan demeanour. She’s a good singer as well, and the moment where they duet ‘Somethin’ Stupid’ is a touching highlight. But the core of the play is Moray Innes, who brings Frank back to life. He looks and sounds like Sinatra, and captures his effortlessly cool energy and electric stage presence. The best parts of the play are the musical numbers, and it’s a joy to hear him sing such classic tunes as ‘New York, New York’, ‘The Lady is a Tramp’, and of course ‘My Way’.
With regards to the story, the relationship between Sinatra and Nurse Rosie is sweet and moving. But for a biographical play about Frank Sinatra, we don’t really learn much about him. He reflects on his time starting out with the Hoboken Four, his four marriages, his friendship with The Rat Pack, but the play doesn’t seem to have much to say about any of it. Sinatra: The Final Curtain doesn’t make any argument or provide much insight into Frank’s life, just briefly hitting the beats of the Frank Sinatra Wikipedia page. Moray Innes’s depiction does the great man justice, it’s just a shame that the drama kind of doesn’t.
