UK Theatre Network

It’s a big ask to fill the shoes of three icons of American music history, Sinatra Davis and Martin, but that is the expectation we have as the curtain rises on ‘The Rat Pack, Live from Las Vegas ‘ to reveal what will prove to be a most excellent  twelve piece band.

As for the three stars, the voices are not quite right and if you squint your eyes Frank and Sammy bear a passing resemblance to the living legends they portray, but be clear this is not a criticism; the three of them give us a spectacular show. They are all talented singers in their own right. The songs are sublime, they are not from my era but they have seeped into western culture and are as familiar as old friends.


The Rat Pack was a phrase coined for Sinatra and his show biz friends who appeared together on stage and in movies notably Ocean’s Eleven. On the launch of their final tour Sinatra chastised a reporter for using the term "Rat Pack" Frank called it, "that stupid phrase".

This show might not quite ‘fill the shoes’ but it is a wonderful homage to an era gone by. We are given a little peep into the world of Las Vegas when the three men ruled. They would turn up unannounced to perform in each other’s shows and this production captures the feel of that perfectly as the three of them banter and joke with such ease it feels spontaneous, but if you check old clips on YouTube you will see someone has done their homework well.


Half way through the first act we are introduced to the three lovely Burelli Sisters in gorgeous crimson gowns, slashed thigh high, all subtly different in design. The sisters sing their own numbers and act as backing singers and dancing girls, appearing  in a range of glamorous leggy costumes reminiscent of the Vegas showgirl genre of the day. The dance choreography, like the rest of the show,  goes that extra mile with its attention to detail. It would be easy to give us some cliché moves but no this is imaginative and at times subtle.

The show builds beautifully. The first half is a set of nonstop classics, Mr Bojangles, New York New York, The Lady is a Tramp, Every Body Loves Somebody, all interspersed with jokes and snippets of Rat Pack history.
The second half has a show stopping, What Kind of Fool Am I, from Sammy Davis but relies much more on banter and jokes and the audience are absolutely ready for it and the genius of the show is that this feels like it is how the actual legends would have behaved. They make me think how incredible it would have been to see the real deal and that is to their credit.

As Frank sings us out to My Way, the lady beside me joins in, sadly out of key but in her head there is only Frank and her in the venue, he is singing only for her. To quote the man behind me, ‘What a cracking show’.

Future tour dates.
Mon 27th Feb - Sat 3rd Mar  Churchill Theatre Bromley
For further dates and information visit www.theratpacklivefromlastvegas.com

For information about the Spring programme at the Waterside Theatre:
“Box Office:                        0844 871 7607 (bkg fee)
Groups Hotline:                0844 871 7614
Access Booking:               0844 871 7677 (bkg fee)
Online Booking:               www.ambassadortickets.com/aylesbury (bkg fee

Reviewed by:
Pete Benson
23rd February 2012

I’m on a whisky diet. I’ve just lost four days.

The Sands hotel was the very height of Las Vegas sophistication. It was there in 1960, during the filming of Ocean's Eleven, when for the first time Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr, Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford performed together on stage. From then on, they were forever known as the Rat Pack, a name coined by Humphrey Bogart’s wife Lauren Bacall. Las Vegas was their playground and everywhere else was known, in Rat Pack vocabulary, as 'Dullsville, Ohio'.

This production celebrates the talent of three of the finest entertainers and performers of the 20^th century – Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis jr and Dean Martin. The audience experiences a typical show at the Sands in Las Vegas with its party spirit and all the hilarious bantering and rivalry between the three great singers. There is smoking and drinking on stage and a complete lack of political correctness. Accompanied by a very fine 15-piece orchestra Frank Sinatra sings some of his most popular songs such as The Lady is a Tramp, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, and Fly Me to the Moon. Sammy Davis jr delights with a brilliant delivery of Mr. Bojangles What Kind of Fool Am I, and Once In A Lifetime. Dino starts out with That’s Amore and Everybody Loves Somebody - and there is a lot more to enjoy. In the extremely funny number You’ve Got Style, the rivalry between the three performers becomes very imminent indeed with Sammy Davis jr appearing in the most outrageous costumes but eventually turning out to be the most elegantly dressed of the three.

There are excellent performances by Mark Adams as Dean Martin and Giles Terera as Sammy Davis jr. They capture the personalities of the two stars completely. When I closed my eyes I actually thought Dean Martin had risen from the dead and was back on stage. However, although Tam Ward is a good performer he does not quite convince as the Chairman of the Board. His New York (New Jersey?) accent is a bit over the top and he does not dominate the stage as he should. The Burelli Sisters look right but their dancing and singing is not quite up to the standard of this show.    

Nevertheless, The Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas is a must for everybody who loves these three great entertainers.

The show runs until 3 July 2010 at the Richmond Theatre.

Richmond Theatre,The Green, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 1QJ
http://www.ambassadortickets.com/4/659/Richmond/Richmond-Theatre/The-Rat-Pack