A review of the Rat Pack Tribute Show
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
On Easter, I bought tickets for my family to see the current production of the "Rat Pack" Tribute show. While I was entertained, it left me feeling a little sad inside. I guess I was spoiled because my mom took me to see the REAL thing (Frank, Sammy and Dean) when I was in my 20's and I grew up loving and appeciating their music and talent.
This show was good and they work really hard to entertain you, but there are a couple problems First the good news: the man who played Sammy Davis Jr. (for me) was the shining standout, but the guy who played Sinatra, although a good singer, lacked the charisma and style to really pull it off. The man who played Dean Martin seemed like a nice guy, but he was just way too over the top in his portrayal of ol' Dino. People may also be slightly offended by the antics of Sandy Hackett (the late comedian Buddy Hackett's son) who portrays Joey Bishop. Although some bits were very funny, Sandy can be unlikeable at times with his shtick.
There are some folks who may really enjoy the show, but overall, I can only give it a marginal thumbs up. Of course the music is wonderful and it will bring back some nice memories (especially for seniors). I did, however, love the little theater and the view (all seats in the auditorium are excellent).