E-VEGAS EXCHANGE
A TRIBUTE TO FRANK, SAMMY, JOEY AND DEAN
By Jerry Flattum
e-Vegas Exchange
For those who never saw the Rat Pack live, a "Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey and Dean" is the next best thing. But seeing "Tribute" is not about seeing four imitators trying to fool an audience. It's about acting. It's about portraying a time and place that no longer exists. And what a special time and place it was.
It's a double show, really. You appreciate what wonderful performers Frank, Sammy, Joey and Dean were and at the same time you marvel at the performers themselves. Henry Prego plays Frank. Luis Velez plays Sammy. Sandy Hackett plays Joey and Pete Willcox plays Dean.
And then, there's Marilyn Monroe, portrayed by Staci Bostik. Staci doesn't need to play Marilyn. She's fine all by herself. At one point during the show, Marilyn picks a lucky birthday boy and sings "Happy Birthday" to him while sitting in his lap and rubbing his hair. The audience loves it.
These are talented people acting the parts of talented people. The voices are excellent. The jokes are funny. The onstage antics are engaging. Credit goes to director Billy Karl for staging what is really a stage musical. There might not be a story line but the show most certainly tells a story--a story of four wonderful performers who captured the hearts and entertained millions of a generation whose time is gone, but by no means forgotten.
More credit goes to Peter Radd, musical director and piano player, along with an incredibly tight and smooth and sometimes funny 12 piece band, including Radd. What a joy it is to hear a band like this play live, especially in a Vegas that is unfortunately inundated with taped shows. Nothing is being faked here. These are real performances by real actors and singers with real music by real musicians.
You'll hear classic songs like Dean's "That's Amore," Sammy's "What Kind of Fool Am I" and "Mr. Bojangles," and of course, numerous Frank tunes including "Come Fly With Me," "Fly Me to the Moon," and the compelling ballad, "Angel Eyes."
Jokes and antics fill the holes between tunes and even during, like when Joey blows water out of a spray bottle while Frank sings, "A Foggy day, in London Town..." You'll hear classic one liners like Dean's "How'd everybody get in my room" or as he addresses the band and asks, "Did I finish that song?" while pretending to forget his words.
The setting is intimate and when the performers talk, the audience listens. Veteran Producer Dick Feeny says, "The show really works well in this room," referring to the old Debbie Reynolds Theater. The show is well rehearsed and well-paced. And it's not just for an older generation. "We had a group of 18-25 year olds in here the other night," Feeny says, "and they gave a standing ovation." Feeny co-produced "Bottom's Up" at the Flamingo and "Viva Las Vegas" at the Stratosphere.
Sandy Hackett (Joey Bishop), by the way, is Buddy Hackett's son, and also runs the Sandy Hackett Comedy Club at The Greek Isles. |
