Richard Shelton and Joburg Big Band evoke Sinatra’s spirit.

Frank Sinatra, one of music’s great icons, ignited the South African stage in March in a dazzling big band international show, Sinatra and Me. The show featured celebrated British performer, Richard Shelton who evoked and brought the iconic musician’s spirit to life with four shows at The Joburg Theatre.

The highly acclaimed show saw the award-winning actor and singer hit the South African stage for the first time where he was accompanied by Adam Howard’s 17-piece Joburg Big Band.

“It’s very exciting, I’m really excited to be in South Africa,” Shelton said.

“This show has been performed in London, New York, and Los Angeles, so it’s very exciting to be able to bring it to South Africa for the first time and to tell the story about Frank Sinatra and my life and how the two somehow combine in mysterious ways.”

The show essentially features Sinatra’s greatest hits such as I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Fly Me to the Moon, It Was a Very Good Year and One for My Baby while also showcasing Shelton’s apt representation of Sinatra – a sure-sign showing Shelton and Sinatra’s synchronicity and incredible coincidences that have followed the actor.

“My relationship with him is first as an actor, so, when I act I have to let go of me and allow him to occupy me,” Shelton explained.

“When that happens I feel like I’m not really there and then it becomes real. I let go of any inhibitions or any opinions I might have and just let him flow out.”

During his time, Sinatra was undoubtedly an extremely important, influential and powerful figure and Shelton said he lived by his example in his professional life and uses his example as a guiding star.

As one of the world’s foremost interpreters of Sinatra, Shelton said the sentimental synchronicity with Sinatra as well as coincidental real-life anecdotes influence the energy that he brings to his performances on stage and he does not try too hard to bring him to life as the energy is organic and flows. “When I played him in a drama in London, we discovered that I’m exactly the same size and shape as Sinatra.

“And when I was living in America, this was proved when I was at a party and happened to be talking to someone who said she was making a reality show and her friend had just got a Frank Sinatra tuxedo and they were looking for a home for it.

“I explained my relationship with him and I got to try it on and it was like it was tailor-made for me.”

With an underlying message of hope and dreams, the show treated the audience to great music and a feel-good experience that celebrates the life of the iconic musician.

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