AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP, STEWART TILL,
FRANK SINATRA ENTERPRISES & EDWARD WALSON
ENLIST DANNY STRONG TO WRITE BOOK
OF NEW MUSICAL CENTERED ON THE
LIFE AND CAREER OF FRANK SINATRA
The Ambassador Theatre Group, Stewart Till and Frank Sinatra Enterprises, along with Edward Walson, are proud to announce that Emmy Award-winning writer Danny Strong has been commissioned to write the book for the highly anticipated new musical based on the life of the legendary singer and actor Frank Sinatra.
The show, which is planned to open in early 2020, will feature a number of timeless hit songs from Sinatra’s incredible catalogue recorded during his illustrious career.
Danny Strong said: “It is an honour to get to write a musical about one of the biggest icons of the 20th Century. Sinatra is one of the great talents of all time and his fascinating and powerful story will make for a terrific stage musical. I’m deeply honoured to get this opportunity.”
Alongside his prestigious acting and producing career, Danny Strong’s writing credits include ‘Game Change’ – for which he won an Emmy Award, a Producers Guild Award and a Writers Guild of America Award – The Butler, Recount and the Hollywood blockbuster films ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1’ & ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’. He is the co-creator of the American musical drama television series ‘Empire’ and recently wrote and directed the film ‘Rebel in the Rye’ that premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. He has just completed a reworking of Tim Rice’s and Abba’s Chess which opens at Washington’s Kennedy Center next month.
Adam Speers of Ambassador Theatre Group said: “To have Danny on board is amazing news. His previous work speaks for itself and it made perfect sense to have him write the book for what is set to be a unique musical about an all-time Hollywood legend and icon.”
Stewart Till added: “Danny Strong’s writing is always incredibly entertaining, smart and a huge magnet for audiences. That is why he was our absolute first choice.”
Frank Sinatra’s legacy and body of music is timeless and resonates with all generations. This announcement follows the news that Sinatra extended his record for the most top 40-charting albums on the Billboard 200 with the 2017 release of ‘Ultimate Christmas’, which became his 58th Top 40 hit.
Sinatra The Musical will be executive produced by Larry Manetti.
About Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd
The Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd (ATG) is the world’s number one live-theatre company with 45 venues in Britain, the US and Australia.
ATG Productions is also one of the most prolific and internationally recognised award winning theatre producers in the world with co-productions in the UK, New York, across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Current and recent ATG co-productions include Oslo, Glengarry Glen Ross, Big Fish, Sunday in the Park with George, Hamlet, The Spoils, Doctor Faustus, The End of Longing, The Homecoming, Jersey Boys and The Rocky Horror Show.
About Frank Sinatra
Throughout his nine-decade career, Frank Sinatra performed on more than 1,400 recordings and was awarded 31 gold, nine platinum, three double-platinum and one triple platinum album by the Recording Industry Associated of America. He extends his record to 58 for the most top 40 albums on the Billboard 200 with this year’s new Ultimate Christmas release. Sinatra has had Top 40 hits on the charts for eight decades, which is as long as the Billboard charts have existed. He received nine GRAMMY Awards over the course of his career, including three for the prestigious Album of the Year, and an Oscar. He also appeared in more than 60 films and produced eight motion pictures.
Sinatra was awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Recording Academy, The Screen Actors Guild and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as the Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Today, he remains a legend and an inspiration around the world for his contributions to culture and the arts.
About Frank Sinatra Enterprises (FSE)
Frank Sinatra Enterprises is a joint venture between the Sinatra family and Warner Music Group. FSE owns Sinatra’s recordings from the Reprise era as well as a treasure trove of films, television specials and unreleased footage, photos and audio recordings, which collectively represent one of the foremost bodies of artistic work of the modern era. FSE also owns and manages Sinatra’s name and likeness rights and represents the artist’s rights to the Columbia and Capitol catalogues. FSE pursues innovative new product and venture opportunities with respect to the legendary entertainer’s name and likeness, as well as Sinatra’s audio and visual recordings. More information about Frank Sinatra Enterprises can be found at www.sinatra.com
About Stewart Till
Stewart Till is currently producing a number of feature films and high-end, scripted TV dramas for the US and UK markets. He was previously Chair of Creative Skillset and also Chairman of the UK Film Council. From 2011 to 2015, he was both Chief Executive and Board member of Sonar Entertainment and responsible for greenlighting Tom Hardy’s Taboo and Shannara (with Al Gough and Miles Millar as showrunners).
Till was CEO of United International Pictures, the international joint venture of Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios International. With offices in 35 countries, it was the world’s leading distributor of feature length motion pictures. Throughout the nineties, Till was President of International at PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. During that time he was responsible for such films as The Usual Suspects, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Jude and Trainspotting. In 2000 he was awarded a CBE for services to the British film industry.
About Edward Walson
A former TV host and producer of local cable news, weather and entertainment programming, Edward now dedicates his time to producing musicals and independent films. His credits include Broadway’s “Relatively Speaking,” “Cinderella,” “Big Fish,” “Bullets Over Broadway” and “An American In Paris.” Future shows include “Carousel,” “King Kong,” “Moulin Rouge” and “Pretty Woman”. Films: CITY ISLAND, BLUE JASMINE, MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT, TIME OUT OF MIND, IRRATIONAL MAN, CAFE SOCIETY and WONDER WHEEL. He is the owner of Service Electric Broadband Cable TV of New Jersey. He is the son of John Walson, who invented cable television. He is also the owner of the Royal Blues Hotel and Restaurant, in Deerfield Beach, Florida. He plays an active philanthropic role in medical research foundations and law enforcement.