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A CurtainUp Review
The Rat Pack
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The Rat Pack charge back into the Adelphi
This is the third time I have seen The Rat Pack since its inception in 2003 and each time the show impresses me with its slick, recreation of a night in 1960 at the Sands Nightclub in Las Vegas.
That latest Rat Pack show is more polished but of course it is the audience who also make this show with their infectious enthusiasm for the wonderful songs. In Giles Terera they have found an exceptional Sammy Davis Jr, a really excellent dancer who can also belt out the famous songs. Mark Adams is a characterful Dean Martin , his head bobbing affectionately, as in relaxed, faux sozzled manner, he delivers that classic line to a woman in the audience, "Do I look blurred to you?" Louis Hoover takes over as Frank Sinatra since Stephen Triffitt has gone solo and sings most of the best tunes. Charlie Bull, Lizzii Hills and Grace Holdstock are the glamorous girl group The Burelli Sisters, dressed in red satin evening frocks and long gloves and cheesy choreography for a genuine period feel. London Production Notes for the Rat Pat Live in Las Vegas Directed by Mitch Sebastian With: Louis Hoover, Giles Terera, Mark Adams Designer: Sean Cavanagh Choreography: Mitch Sebastian Sound Designer: Chris Whybrow Lighting Designer: Chris Ellis Musical Director: Barry Robinson Vocal Supervisor: Matthew Freeman Running time: Two hours forty minutes with one interval Box Office: 0871 297 0749 Booking to 21st November 2009 when Christmas with The Rat Pack show will take over from 24th November 2009 to 2nd January 2010 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge at the performance on 28th September 2009 at the Adelphi Theatre, Strand, London WC2 (Tube: Charing Cross) |
Lizzie Loveridge's original review
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The satisfaction that I get out of working with these two bums is that we have more laughs than the audience.
-- Dean Martin |
If you have moral or aesthetic objections to what is essentially a twentieth century phenomenon, the tribute show, then The Rat Pack is not for you. It does nothing more and nothing less than to recreate a night at the Sands Night Club in Vegas in 1960. There is no insight as to why Dean Martin drank so heavily, or how Sammy Davis felt about the jokes directed at him and what exactly was Sinatra's connection with the Mob. There is simply the music and the jocular ad-libbed repartee that endeared the three friends to their audience.
The music of course is just marvellous. From Davis' (George Long) rendition of "Mr Bojangles" which almost had the hairs standing up on my neck to Sinatra's classic repertoire, "New York, New York", "The Lady is a Tramp". Stephen Triffit is vocally a very good imitation of Sinatra and Sinatra's easy style. Mark Adams' Dino is very charismatic from his entrance with "That's Amore" to "Sway".
The nearer you sit, the less convincing are the three visually especially considering the huge backdrop portraits of the real guys, but I am near sighted and removing my glasses, I could pretend I too was watching the originals. The hairdresser has made a superb job of the hair.
Sammy Davis Jr's dance routine is scintillating. George Long is slight of stature and as agile as the great entertainer "Smokey". All three guys authentically grapple with the, now unnecessary, long microphone leads trailing them as they cross and criss-cross the stage. Dino and Davis sing the duet "Shall We Dance" from The King and I and frolic onstage. The three dancing girls in support have more feathers than a pillow factory and are delightfully tacky and mistimed in the dance moves.
There are pastiche numbers, new words to old tunes as in "When You're Drinking" to the tune of "When You're Smiling" Much of Dean Martin's humour centres around the Jack Daniels bottle. "I like to keep in shape. Right now I'm on a whisky diet. Last week I lost four days." Some of the comedy falls flat because we know they cannot be adlibbing and anyway they are not Frank, Dean and Sammy.
I cut my reviewing teeth on the musicals that fill regional theatres, homages to Buddy and Elvis, Roy Orbison and Eddie Cochrane. I know the pleasure these performances can bring for people, maybe in some sense recapturing their youth. "The Rat Pack" will give you that sort of nostalgia. The music sounds right, the orchestrations from the 15 piece orchestra are the ones you love and the performances are very good . . . . but it is all make believe.
| The Rat Pack
Editor's Note: No author or concept credit provided Directed by Mitch Sebastian With: Stephen Triffit, George Long, Mark Adams, Nikki Stokes, Giselle Wright, Nikki Belsher, Rebecca Parker Designer: Sean Cavanagh Choreography: Mitch Sebastian Lighting Designer: Mark Wheatley Musical Director: Barry Robinson Vocal Supervisor: Matthew Freeman Running time: Two hours forty five minutes with one interval Box Office: 0870 901 3356 Booking to 24th May 2003 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 18th March 2003 performance at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London SW1 (Tube/Rail Station: Piccadilly Circus) |
Peter Ackroyd's History of London: The Biography
London Sketchbook
Somewhere For Me, a Biography of Richard Rodgers
At This Theater
Ridiculous!The Theatrical Life & Times of Charles Ludlam
The New York Times Book of Broadway: On the Aisle for the Unforgettable Plays of the Last Century
6, 500 Comparative Phrases including 800 Shakespearean Metaphors by CurtainUp's editor.
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