Dec 9, 2025 12:28 PM
In Memoriam: Gordon Goodwin, 1954–2025
Gordon Goodwin, an award-winning saxophonist, pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger, died Dec. 8 in Los Angeles.…
Frank Sinatra will be the subject of a new stage musical scheduled for release in 2018.
(Photo: DownBeat Archive)In 2015 music fans around the world celebrated Frank Sinatra’s centennial anniversary. To begin its second century, the legacy of Ol’ Blue Eyes is taking to the stage.
The Ambassador Theatre Group, a major international theater organization with headquarters in New York, London and other cities, has announced that it will produce a stage musical based on the life of the legendary vocalist and DownBeat Hall of Fame inductee, in partnership with Frank Sinatra Enterprises and British producer Stewart Till.
The show, which is planned to open in 2018, will feature a number of hit songs from Sinatra’s illustrious career. Script development for the Sinatra musical is planned to start shortly.
Adam Speers of Ambassador Theatre Group said, “Frank Sinatra was the greatest singer of the 20th century and one of the world’s most iconic show business legends. I’m delighted to be working in partnership with Stewart and Frank Sinatra Enterprises to bring his incredible journey to the stage.”
In a statement, Frank Sinatra Enterprises, a joint venture between the Sinatra family and Warner Music Group, added, “We’re delighted to be collaborating with Ambassador Theatre Group to produce the musical dramatization of Mr. Sinatra’s life and art. Frank Sinatra demonstrated a remarkable ability to appeal to every generation and continues to do so; he is timeless and his artistry continues to influence many of today’s music superstars.”
Throughout his career, Sinatra, who died in 1998 at age 82, performed on more than 1,400 recordings and was awarded numerous platinum, double platinum and triple platinum albums by the Recording Industry Associated of America.
Last year, Capitol Records released Ultimate Sinatra, a deluxe four-CD box set spanning over six decades of the singer’s recorded output.
Goodwin was one of the most acclaimed, successful and influential jazz musicians of his generation.
Dec 9, 2025 12:28 PM
Gordon Goodwin, an award-winning saxophonist, pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger, died Dec. 8 in Los Angeles.…
Belá Fleck during an interview with Fredrika Whitfield on CNN.
Jan 13, 2026 2:09 PM
The fallout from the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to include President Donald…
Flea has returned to his first instrument — the trumpet — and assembled a dream band of jazz musicians to record a new album.
Dec 2, 2025 2:01 AM
After a nearly five-decade career as one of his generation’s defining rock bassists, Flea has returned to his first…
Dec 11, 2025 11:00 AM
DownBeat presents a complete list of the 4-, 4½- and 5-star albums from 2025 in one convenient package. It’s a great…
“It’s a pleasure and an honor to interpret the music of Oscar Peterson in his native city,” said Jim Doxas in regard to celebrating the Canadian legend. “He traveled the world, but never forgot Montreal.”
Nov 18, 2025 12:16 PM
In the pantheon of jazz luminaries, few shine as brightly, or swing as hard, as Oscar Peterson. A century ago, a…