Rat Pack - packing them in at the Liverpool Empire

The Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas
Liverpool Empire until 8th May

Thanks to superbly slick performances The Rat Pack Live is the king of tribute shows and is destined to keep its crown for a long time yet.

The essence of its success is the magical mix of talent and larger-than-life personalities that made Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davies Jnr into showbiz legends.

In a little over two hours the audience is given a real insight into the period from 1960 to 1962 when this heady combination of music and mirth saw the birth of the Rat Pack at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas.

There were originally five members of this Rat Pack, including American comic Joes Bishop and English-born actor Peter Lawford.

All featured in the shows at the Sands' Copa Room while they were working together on the film Oceans Eleven - filmed at the hotel - and it was then that they were first given the Rat Pack label.

The fact that, as close pals, they could take a rise out of each other on stage, endeared them to audiences, who doubtless felt "in" on these jests and yet never knew what might come next. And it is this tension which provides the touchstone that makes the Rat Pack Live show so memorable.

It is perfectly choreographed - including a highly-convincing stumble down a flight of stairs by a supposedly drunken Dino. And it is authentic in every detail, right down to the long trailing cables attached to the hand-held microphones that are frequently "whipped" by the trio of troubadours.

Wonderful costumes - especially those of the "backing act singers" the Burelli Sisters - and a really "big sound" from the excellent band gives a real Copa Room feel. The band members interact with the stars thoughout and blast-out numbers from their places on the impressive tiered set.

Frank Sinatra (Tam Ward) - with his Mafia connections - is depicted as "the boss" with the other two playing off him to great effect. Racist jibes the three tossed at each other would seem out of place in a modern setting, but in 1960s Vegas they simply complete the authentic period setting.

It is impossible to say which of the three in this Rat Pack was the most accomplished. It was necessary only to close one's eyes to be convinced by each performance. They come as near as is humanly possible to mimicking the genuine articles.

Musically, they were each brilliant. With classics like Sinatra’s "That’s Life" and "My Way" and Martin’s "That’s Amore" and "Volare" linked by wise-cracking comic backchat.

The banter was led by Martin (Nigel Casey) and centred around his famous habit of drinking from a whisky tumbler throughout his act - though in real-life it is recognised that the "Jack Daniels" in the trademark glass, was part of the act and was actually apple juice, allowing him to comically act drunk, but remain sober.

Sammy Davies (Jason Pennycooke) held the audience spellbound with his rendition of Mr Bojangles and his electrifying tap-dancing routines were an excellent reminder that variety is just what this grand theatre was built for in 1924.

Perhaps the one note that detracted from the effect of the whole evening was the often gauche dance routines, delivered by the Burelli sisters, detracting from the pace and thrust of the show.

In real life Sinatra did, just once, perform at The Liverpool Empire, in 1953, as part of a UK tour during his "in between years" when his popularity dipped in the USA.

He could never have imagined back then that his alter ego would still be stalking the same stage more than half a century later and that his name would be just as big as ever.

Having played over 1,000 performances in the West End and selling out in Europe, Canada and America, "The Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas’ is on a major 2010 UK tour.

It is an evening of pure escapist enjoyment in the company of three world famous entertainers and some of the most memorable music ever recorded.

The Rat Pack will be packing them in at the Liverpool Empire until 8th May. Catch it if you can.

Click rating: 8/10

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