Top Vegas Shows - The Rat Pack Is Back

25 November 2009

Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin, Frank “The Chairman” Sinatra, those other two guys - wow, has there ever been a better act in the history of Las Vegas than The Rat Pack!?

Sure, the king of them all, Elvis Presley, is famous in Vegas. There's also Wayne Newton, Tony Bennett and Celine Dion, to name a few more. The Rat Pack's success and reverence crushes the entire lot however; the 4-man group (sometimes 3-man) has become the true archetype of Vegas excess.

The Rat Pack is Back is considered to be the best tribute going to the now-deceased members of the original group. It wasn't well received at the start, and it has now been through two different hotels, currently playing its third - and if the guys of the group have anything to say about it, this will be the last stop for a while.

After moving from the hard-to-find confines of the Greek Islands, the show is now front and center at The Plaza. The showroom is definitely nostalgic, and in today's Vegas, that means unique.

Basically, no one has bothered to redesign the Plaza room since the 1970s, so not only do the members of The Rat Pack is Back evoke the sights and sounds of the original group, but the venue also provides the original ambience without having to try at all.

One of the biggest criticisms facing any novelty tribute act, much less one on this scale, is that the recreation needs to be brilliant, or else people would rather sit home and listen to old records and watch the Dean Martin Roasts on DVD. The guys playing the part here seem to do the real Rat Pack justice. Remember, it's not only about singing.

The original Rat Pack had a strange charisma between the guys as they bounced back and forth from crooner status to legitimate stand-up comedians. Anyone trying to recreate this magic has to know that failure is not only an option, but almost a certainty if your A-game isn't on constant display.

Kyle Diamond plays the part of Sammy Davis, Jr., with Johnny Edwards donning a vintage Dean Martin suit and even adding the occasional drink in hand and Mickey Joseph appears brilliantly as Joey Bishop. The Sammy impression is spot-on, from the looks down to the Bojangles' boogie.

Brian Duprey, the show's Frank Sinatra, is also great at what he does. His voice isn't as clear as Sinatra's, and it certainly isn't able to fill up the room without a microphone like a young Francis in his prime, but he definitely looks the part and brings the kind of swagger to the stage that you know Ol' Blue Eyes would appreciate.

There's really nothing different to expect here if you're privy at all to these types of classic revues. The guys attempt to recreate the magic that once was. The only difference in these shows is how well they do it compared to the others that have tried. The Rat Pack is Back is certain to impress people with their realism. It's the closest you'll come to actually being in a room with the guys during a live performance.
Tags: las vegas, frank sinatra, the rat pack, dean martin, wayne newton, sammy davis, jr, the chairman, tony bennett, celine dion, the plaza, greek islands, nostalgic, kyle diamond, johnny edwards, bojangles' boogie, brian duprey,
Posted In: Las Vegas, Las Vegas Shows,

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