Theater review: Christmas with the Rat Pack - Live at the Sands

by Cheryl Cory of John Garcia's The Column

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Familiar songs sweep the evening from one favorite to another, with audience ooohs and aaahs, transporting us all back to the '60s era.

DALLAS — Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Christmas with the Rat Pack - Live at the Sands (playing through December 12 at the Majestic Theatre in Dallas) was an absolute charming trip down memory lane. Opening song "The Lady is a Tramp" starts the evening off with a bang that never stops.

There's a party going on at the good ole' boys club and we're all invited to join in and feel part of it! Leave your troubles at the door because this is just pure fun. Laughter and song fill the theatre and it's just a bit challenging not to sing along.

Michael Howard Smith belted out "Volare" and "King of the Road" as a soloist on the stage but was quickly joined by the over-enthusiastic audience ready to pipe in at every familiar note.

Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis, Jr were all incredible showmen and knew how to play to as well as with the audience, and with each other. Michael Smith, Tam Ward, and David Hayes razzled, dazzled, and enthralled the audience with a pocketful of quick one-up-manships, sprinkled with just the right measure of good humor as they joke and poke at each other as well as themselves.

For example, at one point, Sammy Davis attempts to teach the somewhat tipsy Dean Martin to dance. Dean says, "You're going to have to slow it down a little" to which Sammy replies, "We can do that" and Dean responds, "Can you stop?"

Director Mitch Sebastian engages the audience at every turn. Dean Martin, played by Michael Howard Smith, confidently reaches into his jacket, pulls out a cigarette, and left it dangling between his fingers while he motioned to the audience to hand him a lighter. It subtly reminds us of the duplicity of years gone by. We've come a long way, baby – sometimes good, sometimes not so good.

The evening's not constructed to preach or teach. It's a history lesson in the making, which can be a bit brutally true to form. Black/Jewish jokes scattered about the stage. It's not for the easily offended but to be taken in the spirit of the night. We walk away pulling it all in as deeply as we choose to, somewhat thankful for our progress in some areas and saddened by what's missing in other ways. I'm hard pressed to think of today's greats in the same way and with the same awe as the Pack.

David Hayes is phenomenal as Sammy Davis, Jr. His musicality is brilliant as he danced his way across the stage and up the stairs. While Sinatra demonstrates a rather distinguished presence, Sammy proved to be more of the jovial jokester serving up several different attires throughout the evening.

The quips back and forth are sometimes difficult to hear. Hayes scurried just a bit too quickly from the microphone making it challenging to catch all of the witty banter. Authentic wired mics created a tangled mess on the floor, which the actors handled beautifully.

Dean Martin, played by Michael Howard Smith, strongly squared up against the other two dominant forces of the evening. I found his performance sobering, which is to say that I remember the real Dean Martin swaying and staggering a bit more than was demonstrated last night. I found Dean Martin to be the least authentic of the three but still an enjoyable performance.

Lighting choices by Mark Wheatley colorfully decorate the stage filled with reds and yellows and several flashes of bright white; though on opening night, Sammy's circle of light races a bit trying to catch up with his ever-moving presence.

The Burelli Sisters create quite a stir as they own the stage in their own right. They strutted the stage, beautifully adorned in red satin gowns, sash wrapped and tied tight with prominently placed bow. Costume designer Chris Woods pushes the envelope with the risqué slits and barely covering the essentials that makes a grown man blush.

"Baby, It's Cold Outside," one of my personal favorites, demonstrates the ridiculous range of these "babes" as they are much more than window dressing! Their voices are supreme and their dance maneuvers show flexibility as well as grace.

Mitch Sebastian's choreographed numbers lend way for each of these ladies to shine, staying individuals rather than the chorus line effect. Kicks and movements are similar rather than identical. He makes an interesting statement in displaying these subtle differences; that they are each their own person and not just the gorgeous background scenery designed for the sole purpose of enhancing the stars.

Vocals are invigorating, entertaining, and extremely authentic. Tam Ward's rendition of "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "Fly Me To The Moon" makes it hard to remember that we aren't seeing the real Frank up there.

There's warmth to the evening that's simply indescribable, but I'll do my best to convey. Familiar songs sweep the evening from one favorite to another, with audience ooohs and aaahs, transporting us all back to the '60s era, where a cup of sugar was just one next-door neighbor away.

Sean Cavanagh works his magic with the Majestic Theatre set giving way to the Vegas "Big Time" with orchestra on tiers stacked high above the stage. Huge black and white photos of the original clan loom overhead. It was, at times, necessary to compare these to the onstage actors to remind myself that these were not the real McCoys.

The Rat Pack - Live at the Sands has played more than 1,500 shows in London, according to the playbill, and in hundreds of venues in the U.K., Ireland, Europe, and Canada – and to more than 1 million people worldwide.

Younger folks will be privileged to witness what they may have missed out on while others revisit a nostalgic familiar home. Either way, the evening is sure to leave a smile on your face and a song in your head. While the weather outside may be frightful, Majestic Theatre is delightful! Don't miss this one!

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