The Rat Pack Is Back - Review
The time is Dec. 12, 1961. The scene is the onstage birthday party for the Chairman of the Board, Frank, and he is toasted by his fellow Rat Pack members, Dean, Sammy and Joey. Last names are never used, but it is obvious that it is really the Sands and a reasonably accurate depiction of that special occasion.
Following an overture a medley of songs associated with the original Frank, Dean and Sammy, Hiram Kasden, as Joey, does a solid 20 minutes of stand-up comedy. Joey introduces Frank (Bobby Caldwell) who sings "Come Fly With Me," "All of Me" and "Luck Be a Lady," pulls up a stool for "One for My Baby" when he is interrupted by Dean (Rick Michel), even stronger than his Desert Inn predecessor, Steve Apple.
Dean has a present for Frank, some candy. It's really Candy, a stunner portrayed by Christine Anderson. Frank goes off with Candy, and Dean sings "Everybody Loves Somebody" and "That's Amore." Sammy (Tony Tillman) joins Dean for a comedy duet on "Sam's Song" that becomes "Dean's Song." Sammy has a present for Frank, and it's Mandy, Candy's twin sister, a dual role for Anderson. Frank and "Candy/Mandy" go off with Dean.
Sammy is left alone for "That Old Black Magic," "What Kind of Fool Am I" and "Mr. Bojangles," shifting the show into high gear, a standard maintained until the finale. Frank and Dean return and do very funny lines as Sammy tries to sing "She's Funny That Way." They do let him finish "Hey, There," the real Sammy's first million-record seller.
Joey returns with the booze trolley and gets to do more good comedic time. He stays on for the comedy medley and the quasi-serious medley that includes "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You," "A Foggy Day," "Embraceable You" and "Where or When." "Birth of the Blues" is the big closer, with the traditional "One More Time" tag, and finish.
The show is a good one, and very entertaining, even for a person of a different generation who doesn't know any of the songs. It was very obvious, though, that a lot of the others did. The Sahara was packed, and the audience got into the spirit of the party early and never wavered. Things worked well because there was a live band, Lon Bronson's second orchestra, and not pre-recorded music as in most Las Vegas shows. "The Rat Pack is Back" was written and produced by David Cassidy and Don Reo.
Las Vegas is My Kind of Town!
Erik
