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 Fox outdoes itself with wonderful presentation of
‘The Rat Pack, Live at the Sands’

By Daniel Hines
Publisher
TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com

It takes a lot of courage to have a show dedicated to stars playing entertainment legends.  There are so many opportunities for comparisons…how someone looked…how they sounded.  Add to this, there is a host of ‘tribute’ shows, so many that yet another might seem a risk. 

But, anyone who fails to see ‘The Rat Pack, Live at the Sands’ is denying themselves a true entertainment treat.  Simply put, ‘Rat Pack’ is one of the best shows, not only of its type, but one of the most entertaining I’ve seen at The Fabulous Fox in some time.

That’s not just my opinion.  It was shared by an audience that was brought to its feet even before the closing.

The concept is simple enough.  The Chairman of the Board Frank Albert Sinatra and buddies Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dean Martin, joined by a trio of scene-stealing ‘sisters’, and backed by a 15-piece band, do their thing, unscripted, at The Sands in Las Vegas.  But, it takes real talent to pull it off.

Sinatra is portrayed by Louis Hoover, who has the moves and even many of the particular vocal styling techniques that make Sinatra one of the top song stylists of any era.

He has a voice that sometimes sounds so much like Sinatra that he almost seems to be transformed and it’s as though we’re watching the real thing.  Like the other stars who seem to warm up to their portrayal,  he seems to become more comfortable and familiar with being Sinatra as the show progresses, and by the end of the evening his rendition of ‘That’s Life’ and ‘My Way’ leave us wanting to hear one more song. 

Sammy Davis, Jr. is played by David Hayes.  A tip for the audience: Fasten your seat belt because when Hayes starts singing, you’re going to swear you’ve been transported back in time.  This guy can sing and he brings a passion that would have made Sammy proud.  He’s also funny and can dance. 
When Nigel Casey comes on stage as Dean Martin, the physical resemblance is so strong, one does a double take.  Casey is a wonderful singer on his own, and while there are a few times that his really great voice overtakes the Martin role, he too seems to become more comfortable in his character’s skin as the evening progresses.

As to the scene-stealing sisters:  They’re really not sisters, of course, but three really talented ladies playing the Burelli sisters (Connie, Martha, and Helavita).  Actually, Claire Poyzer, Anna Carmichael and Lucie Florentine are wonderful as stereotypes of an era when ‘girl singers’ were busty, flashed some leg, and provided a backdrop for club acts. 

If you are politically correct, be prepared for some humor that unfortunately today would land you in a court or perhaps even jail.  Some of the younger people in the audience might not have realized that Sammy Davis, Jr. was not only (Negro) (Black) (African-American), he was a convert to Judaism and was married to Mae Britt, the truly beautiful and sexy Swedish blonde (read white woman).  So, the show is complete with references to the back of the bus, Jewish references, KKK sheets, and comments to the girl singers about their bodies, etc.  And, in the spirit of things, there are several references about Italian mobsters.

But, it works.  Everyone laughs, making us wonder if sometimes we take ourselves too seriously.

When we interviewed Mike Isaacson before the launch of this season, he explained how he wanted to have productions that would represent the eras of The Fabulous Fox since it was restored to enjoy a new era of glory, and one of his goals was to ‘bookend’ the season with one bookend being ‘Rat Pack.’ 

It was a great choice.  I really can’t recall a show in recent memory that I have enjoyed so much, and by the time Hoover, Hayes and Casey fade off the stage into our memories, we can actually believe that we have been taken back in time.  It also reminds us of just how much we have lost in terms of real talent in an era of Brittney Spears, the flavor of the moment with a new ‘American Idol’ when we hear and see ‘Rat Pack’.  God, I miss Frank, Sammy and Dean…so thanks to The Fabulous Fox for making it possible for us to enjoy them yet again.