SUN HERALD
THE REAL SWINGERS
'Rat Pack' is a tribute to the beloved bad boys
By Joy Jones
Sun Herald
In the world of "everything old is new again" there is one group of icons who never go out of style: The Rat Pack. While the term "legendary" is thrown around with nonsensical abandon these days, it rightfully sticks to the Chairman of the Board and his merry band of crooners and jokers.
"The Rat Pack," a tribute to Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Joey Bishop, will open on Monday for a three-week run at the Grand Casino Biloxi.
The show is an offshoot of one currently in production at the Greek Isles Hotel & Casino, formerly the Debbie Reynolds Hotel and Casino, in Las Vegas. It is co-produced by Dick Feeney and comedian-producer Sandy Hackett, who happens to be the son of Buddy Hackett.
Hackett the younger plays Bishop and, since he grew up as a neighbor of the star, has inside information on the glory days of the Rat Pack. For those who missed on the swinging '60s, the Rat Pack ruled the roost of the Las Vegas Strip, charming audiences with classic songs and their special brand of bad-boy banter. Dressed in tuxedos, they tossed barbs and tossed back martinis to the delight of audiences who had actually dressed for the occasion.
"Today, people come to shows in flip-flops, shorts and T-shirts. Las Vegas has all these crazy rides, roller coasters and bungee jumps," said Feeney, whose previous credits include "La Cage," "Crazy Girls" and "Viva Las Vegas. " "Back then the only wild ride was a hooker named Thelma."
He also knows a thing or two about the magic of the Rat Pack.
"We start the show saying drinking, gambling, smoking and carousing are not forbidden, they're mandatory, and everybody cheers," he says, adding that people are tired of politically correct shows.
The boozy banter of "The Rat Pack" was scripted from some of the shows recorded at the Copacabana Showroom at the Sands, where Sinatra and the rest held court during production of "Oceans' 11" and "Robin and the Seven Hoods."
Bishop, the only surviving member of the Rat Pack, also helped out with jokes and inside lines. According to his biography on the Internet Movie Database, Bishop, who performed as the "straight man," actually wrote much of the material, though it seemed spontaneous.
"It was pretty much a free-for-all, but before shows Dean or Frank would tell Joey, 'Hey, I need a line for this, give me something better, or I need a joke or a lead-in,'" Feeney says. "And, they did parodies with some of the songs that Joey would write stuff for. He was the straight man, but he was behind the scenes doing the jokes."
Feeney says the show attempts to recreate the loose, free-flowing ribbing and razzing the Rat Packers pitched at each other.
"1 noticed with other (Rat Pack tribute) shows, that they were scripted so tightly without ad-libbing and it seemed like the characters didn't believe in the dialogue," he says. "We took a format and a script, just turned everybody loose, and that's when the real magic happened."
The show at the Grand will feature what Feeney calls his "A-Team" from the Greek Isles production. It stars Henry Prego as Sinatra, Tony Tillman as Davis, Pete Willcox as Martin, Hackett as Bishop and Stacey Nicole in a cameo appearance as Marilyn Monroe.
Noticeably absent is the suave, handsome actor Peter Lawford, who Feeney says didn't add much to the act.
The show begins with God, the voice of Buddy Hackett, calling from beyond to encourage the boys to return to earth to "do it one more time."
They obey and hit the stage with wisecracks and songs such as "Come Fly With Me," "All Of Me," That's Amore" and "Mr. Bojangles."
In essence, they give Rat Pack fans what Sinatra asked for from bartender Joe: "Give me one for my baby, and one more for the road." |
