David Cassidy on the Web
The Rat Pack is Back
January 18, 2011
Tribute to the Rat Pack at Riverside Resort
www.laughlinentertainer.com
One "Rat Pack" show has enjoyed a long run in Vegas that would have the Chairman of the Board and all his "palies" smiling to know the following they built all those years ago still strikes a chord in the town they helped create.
Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin and Joey Bishop might have created the whole "Rat Pack" thing back in the '60s but the tribute show giving them salute-"The Rat Pack Is Back!"-has enjoyed a run at one Las Vegas hotel casino or another far longer than Frank, Sammy, Dean and Joey originally did back in the day. This show is not just "Back," it is "Back and Back and Back...."
"The Rat Pack Is Back!" is produced by Dick Feeney and first opened in Las Vegas as a David Cassidy/Don Reo production at the Desert Inn. It later moved to the Sahara Hotel and then to the Greek Isles where it enjoyed a successful run. Today, the show has a home at the Plaza at the end of the Fremont Street Experience downtown Vegas.
Not only has the show been a staple in Vegas for quite a while, a version of it has been making its way to the Riverside Resort for a successful run the last few years.
We're still here and we're going strong," Dick Feeney told us in a recent phone interview. "We're one of the longest running shows in town (Las Vegas). As a touring company, we've performed in 2,000-seaters, in 34 states and 100 cities. I don't know of any other Vegas-based shows to go on the road like we have.
"We're not a feathers or a 'T-and-A' show, so it's an accomplishment for a production like this to still be around. It's almost like a museum piece-the story of the beginnings of Vegas' entertainment."
One of the major keys to the success of the show hinges on the cast, which has to have a friendship and chemistry that mirrors that of the originals. Those supplying that chemistry for the Riverside Resort show are Brian Duprey as Frank Sinatra, Drew Anthony as Dean Martin and Kyle Diamond as Sammy Davis Jr.
As of this writing, we were unsure of who was holding down the role of Joey Bishop in the show. Bishop is often overlooked by other "Rat Pack" shows as they tend to concentrate on the "Big Three," but Bishop contributed a lot to the chemistry of the original Rat Pack and does the same in Feeny's show.
"Joey adds an extra element of comedy," Feeney explains. "People buy tickets to see Frank, Sammy and Dean-they had the hit songs, more movies and concert appearances. People know what to expect from the others, but Joey is an unexpected surprise which gives him an edge. He sets the tone with his monologue up front and really gets the crowd warmed up."
While being a staple of Vegas is a natural, taking the show on the road gives Feeney and those in the cast a chance to try things out on a varied audience.
"Our show is different because it is a full time show with sitting and national touring productions," explains Feeney. "This allows us to constantly work on things and maintain a high quality.
"We get the absolute best talent because we can offer them steady work-they're not thrown together to do a one-night convention or two-night gig. And our musical director Lon Bronson is one of the tops in the business."
And the man at the "top" ain't shredded cabbage himself.
"Did I mention our show also has the best, most experienced producer in the business with a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars?," states Feeney of his own accomplishments.
So how does a show that, as Feeney says, has no "feathers" and is sparse on the "T-and-A" compete with all the flash and glitter of the plethora of Cirque and over-the-top illusion shows that crowd the Vegas Strip?
"The draw of our show has many facets," explains Feeney. "First and most important is the magnitude and longevity of the music and classic songs. These guys (Sinatra, Davis and Martin) were entertainment superstars who ruled record sales, television and movies for decades. They also put Las Vegas on the map as a place for top entertainment.
"And the script is always evolving. I co-wrote some of the original material and continue to add to it. We also have contributions from our director Robbie Howard and other cast members."
Many of the contributions of the cast members come via ad libs that "stick" and become part of the routine. And the ad libs harken back to the necessary chemistry the cast members must maintain in order to recreate the charming banter of the original Rat Pack.
The role of the live orchestra can't be underestimated in how much it adds to the aura of the show.
"We have a 12-piece full orchestra live on stage with bass, drums, piano and nine horns," explains Feeney about a part of Las Vegas shows that is all but lost. "The show is a recreation of what Frank Sinatra referred to as the 'Summit at the Sands' in the 1960s.
"We do take some liberties with songs recorded after that, like "New York, New York" and "Mr. Bojangles," because people always request them, but we really try to create the same feel of a nightclub-style performance from those Copa Room shows."
That means audiences will get a taste of "That's Amore," "Ain't That a Kick in the Head, "That Old Black Magic," "Luck Be a Lady," and "What Kind of Fool Am I," among numerous other songs.
And in the manner of the originals, there may be a surprise guest or two added to the mix-just to spice things up. In past shows, a Marilyn Monroe look-alike dropped in for a bit of merriment. When asked if she is part of the Riverside show, Feeney replied, "She is always a surprise. Was that vague enough?"
