Sinatra: RAW stars actor and singer Richard Shelton, accompanied on piano. Wolverhampton-born, and fondly remembered from TV’s Emmerdale, Shelton is internationally acclaimed as one of the world’s best interpreters of Frank Sinatra’s music.
Palm Springs, 1971 – Frank Sinatra prepares for his last pre-retirement intimate show. But his blue eyes are red rimmed with memories and regret. He drinks One For My Baby too many when things take an unexpected twist. This is the 2am Sinatra you dream of meeting – dangerous, unpredictable, brilliant!
Regrets? He’s had a few. Sinatra gathers a few friends together in the Purple Room, Palm Springs to sing a few songs around the piano, smoke a few cigarettes and reminisce. As the Jack Daniels goes down, the memories surface. He rails against the iniquities of Mafia allegations, a trail of broken love affairs, a life as the leader of the Rat Pack and a life in Hollywood littered with indiscretions and even a suicide attempt.
At the heart of it is the great love of his life, Ava Gardner – arguably the most beautiful actress in Hollywood and known as ‘The Body’. She’s no pushover and meets him drink for drink and punch for punch as he recalls the heartbreak of their doomed love affair and marriage.
Despite it all, Sinatra emerges triumphant in a belting rendition of That’s Life!, summing up the substance of the man, and we see what made him such an enduring icon.
Trailer
/"Richard Shelton is quite simply phenomenal. He captures the essence of the man perfectly. His voice has exactly the right tone; he has that twinkle in his eye; he has the anger that sometimes flowed out of every Sinatra pore."BBC Music
/"This show packs a surprising emotional punch and Shelton delivers terrific versions of Sinatra’s greatest hits. No wonder the production sells out all over the world"The Spectator
/"A must see. Shelton’s vocals are remarkable, manifesting not only Sinatra’s sliding rhythms and nuanced phrasing, but also the timbre of that famous instrument"The Times
/"Richard Shelton’s incredible show delves as deeply into Sinatra, the man and the myth as it does the music. Shelton absolutely inhabits Ol’ Blue Eyes' persona that he’s literally got him under his skin, right down to every mannerism, facial tic and spoken inflection."Adelaide Advertiser
/"Not just a Sinatra show, this is an extraordinary contribution to our understanding of a colossus of 20th century culture….. And OH, that voice. In an alternate universe, it would be Frank Sinatra doing Shelton: Raw. Not a note off pitch, that baritone and those soulful tunes would make your granny weep."The American
/“UNMISSABLE! As soon as Richard Shelton started to sing, it was like Frank was in the room with us and we were all in the palm of his hand.”One4Review
/Sheer brilliance! As for the songs, close your eyes and take in the sound, of Richard absolutely nailing Sinatra’s voice, as it washes over you."Carn's Theatre Passion
/"A glorious and compelling masterpiece"LondonTheatre1
/“A mesmerising and fascinating show that offers deep insight into the man behind the singer, beautifully performed by Richard Shelton...well pitched (in every sense) performance.”Love London Love Culture
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