The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas – Curve, Leicester

Director: Mitch Sebastian

Reviewer: David Noble

The Public Reviews Rating:

“The Rat Pack is back!” proclaimed Frank Sinatra last night, and although this was a bold exclamation, this show was certainly a marvellous celebration of the golden age of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dean Martin.

Taking the form of a live performance at The Sands Hotel, Las Vegas in 1960, the show attempts to replicate the legendary chemistry between the three most famous members of The Rat Pack, whilst throwing in some of their most famous numbers. On the whole, this was achieved. It was vibrant and brimming with energy, and whilst the adlibbing and spontaneity of the original shows was completely rehearsed, it really gave a definite flavour of the brilliance of The Rat Pack.

In terms of the ability the mimic, Tam Ward was clearly superior. However, despite the fact he could match (or nearly match) the Sinatra croon, what was strange was that he could not speak like him! Indeed, the audience responded best to Nigel Casey’s Dean Martin, whose constant wisecracking and drunkenness gave him a bit more life than the other members of the triumvirate. Not discounting Matt Henry as Sammy Davis Jr., who brought an enormous amount of vigour to the stage.

Perhaps the most refreshing aspect of the evening was the inclusion of a live big band. This is such a rarity in times where tinny tapes have taken over, and they were absolutely magnificent. Full credit must go to the entire band, and musical director Matthew Freeman, for the live music really created a realistic atmosphere.

In summary, the word that sums up the evening is ENTERTAINMENT, good old fashioned entertainment. The glitz, the tuxedos and the endless smoking that have almost vanished from modern culture demonstrated that new is not necessarily better! The measure of the show’s success was through the appreciation you have to show for the original Rat Pack, and the amount of talent they possessed. In fact, it made me wish I could have been alive to see them some fifty years ago.