The first production photos have arrived, and they are exactly the dose of midnight-blue glamour you would hope for. Sinatra: The Musical is now in previews at the Aldwych Theatre ahead of its official opening on 24 June 2026, and this first look gives us our clearest picture yet of how the show conjures the most celebrated voice of the twentieth century on stage: a living band, a wall of light, and Joel Harper-Jackson stepping into the suit. If you want the full rundown of cast, songs and story, our complete guide to Sinatra: The Musical has it all. This is the gallery. Tickets are on sale through tickadoo from £37.50 (verified 14 June 2026).
Joel Harper-Jackson as Frank Sinatra. Photography by Birgit and Ralf Brinkhoff.
At a glance
- The show: Sinatra: The Musical, in previews now at the Aldwych Theatre, official opening 24 June 2026.
- Starring: Joel Harper-Jackson as Frank Sinatra, with Ana Villafañe as Ava Gardner and Phoebe Panaretos as Nancy Sinatra.
- The look: a live on-stage band, period staging and the famous Sinatra signature picked out in light.
- Photography: Birgit and Ralf Brinkhoff.
- Tickets: Sinatra: The Musical tickets from £37.50.
The man in the spotlight
The image that says it all is Joel Harper-Jackson alone at the front of the stage, arms wide, the Capitol-style band glowing behind him and the Sinatra signature scrawled across the backdrop in light. It is the show's whole thesis in a single frame: this is a concert and a life story at once, performed live rather than mimed to a recording. Harper-Jackson, making his West End debut in the role, has the easy swagger the part demands, and the staging frames him exactly as Sinatra framed himself, as the main event with the orchestra at his back.
Frank and Ava: the love that nearly undid him
Joel Harper-Jackson and Ana Villafañe. Photography by Birgit and Ralf Brinkhoff.
Ana Villafañe returns from the show's Birmingham Rep world premiere as Ava Gardner, the movie goddess whose stormy romance with Sinatra sits at the heart of the drama. The first-look photos lean into the glamour and the ache of it: a moonlit window, a dressing-table, two people who cannot live with or without each other. It is the relationship the musical uses to chart his fall, and on this evidence the design gives it real cinematic atmosphere.
Frank and Nancy: where it began
Joel Harper-Jackson and Phoebe Panaretos. Photography by Birgit and Ralf Brinkhoff.
Phoebe Panaretos, also reprising her world-premiere role, plays Nancy Sinatra, Frank's first wife, reportedly handpicked for the part by Tina Sinatra herself. The tenderness in these images is the counterweight to the Ava storm: the warmth of the early years and the home life the fame pulled apart. Together the two relationships give the show its emotional spine.
Jenna Russell as Dolly, and the world that made him
Jenna Russell and Marty MacGuire. Photography by Birgit and Ralf Brinkhoff.
One of British musical theatre's most decorated performers, Jenna Russell, plays Frank's formidable mother Dolly, the force of nature who shaped him. Photos like this one, all front-room florals and warmth, are a reminder that beneath the tuxedos this is a story about a Hoboken boy and the family that launched him.
The full company in full swing
The company of Sinatra: The Musical. Photography by Birgit and Ralf Brinkhoff.
Then there is the spectacle. Directed and choreographed by Tony winner Kathleen Marshall, the company numbers are built for the big swing of the songbook, fedoras, sharp suits and the kind of ensemble dancing that turns a ballad show into a night out. It is the part previews audiences have been cheering, and the photos suggest a production that knows exactly when to go large.
See it for yourself
Photos can only carry so much of a show whose whole point is hearing those songs sung live in a room. Sinatra: The Musical is in previews now and opens officially on 24 June 2026, booking at the Aldwych Theatre to 10 April 2027. Sinatra: The Musical tickets are on sale through tickadoo from £37.50, verified 14 June 2026, and our complete guide to the show covers the cast, the songs, the story and the best seats at the Aldwych. Members of tickadoo+ save across West End bookings.
Frequently asked questions
Who took the Sinatra: The Musical production photos?
The first-look production photography for the London run is by Birgit and Ralf Brinkhoff, released as the show entered previews at the Aldwych Theatre in June 2026.
Who stars in Sinatra: The Musical in London?
Joel Harper-Jackson plays Frank Sinatra, with Ana Villafañe as Ava Gardner, Phoebe Panaretos as Nancy Sinatra and Jenna Russell as Dolly Sinatra. Villafañe and Panaretos both reprise their roles from the 2023 Birmingham Rep world premiere.
Is Sinatra: The Musical open yet?
It is in previews at the Aldwych Theatre now, with the official opening night on 24 June 2026. Previews are the same full production, often at friendlier prices, so they are a smart time to book.
How much are Sinatra: The Musical tickets?
Tickets start from £37.50 through tickadoo, verified on 14 June 2026, with the run booking to 10 April 2027. For a full breakdown of seats and prices, see our complete guide to the show.
Make a night of it
The Aldwych Theatre sits in the heart of Covent Garden, so dinner before the show is easy to arrange. Our guide to the perfect West End night out in 2026 has the playbook, and you can browse and book every London show on the tickadoo London hub.
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