Dallas Review: Garland Civic Theatre Presents “The Rat Pack Lounge”
Shawn Stalter, Chief Dallas/Ft. Worth Critic
Garland Civic Theatre’s intimate and engaging performance of “The Rat Pack Lounge” paid homage to the revered trio of Sammy, Dean and Frank to craft a fun-filled evening of sing-along classics celebrating their legacy.
“The Rat Pack Lounge,” by James Hindman and Ray Roderick, with musical arrangements by John Glaudini, imagines the legendary threesome of Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra returning from heaven in the late 1990s to complete some unfinished business. Here, they meet “Vic,” the downtrodden owner of an unsuccessful night club, “The Rat Pack Lounge.” In this story, Frank Sinatra made an unfulfilled promise to “Vic” during a chance encounter several decades ago. During this rendezvous, Frank said that the young “Vic” could be a singing sensation with just a little hard work and dedication. When “Vic’s” life fails to unfold as Frank promised, he plans to put an end to his misery. The Rat Pack’s mission, directly from “God,” is to reinvigorate a sense of purpose once again in “Vic’s” life.
Garland Civic Theatre’s production of “The Rat Pack Lounge,” under the direction of Patty Granville, created a fun-filled, entertaining and immersive show. Together, the cast and crew conjured an authentic, lounge vibe to perfectly highlight well-rounded song and dance performances from the Rat Pack trio. Set design, courtesy of Theresa Clapper, made exceptional use of the theater’s unique configuration and helped transport the audience to the ideal setting for the Rat Pack to showcase their talent.
Each member of the Rat Pack channeled mannerisms, quirks and elements of the silky sweet voices which made the real-life trio such a force of nature. As “Sammy Davis Jr.,” Brandon Baker’s crisp dance moves and dynamic vocal range helped capture Sammy’s signature style. He combined a commanding stage presence with well-executed choreography to create several stand-out moments. Steve Golin’s “Dean Martin,” offered some of the show’s best comedic bits as he sauntered across the stage, cigarette in one hand and highball in the other in Dean’s trademark easy-going, liquid style. Finally, Dennis Gullion projected a robust interpretation of the “Chairman of the Board,” “Frank Sinatra.” He swooned and crooned across the stage with the sublime confidence and larger than life presence which helped make ‘Ol Blue Eyes such a megastar. Together, these three brought over 30 distinct Rat Pack classics to life, including “My Way,” “What Kind of Fool Am I?, “Everyone Loves Somebody Sometime,” “Volare” and others.
In addition to the talented Rat Pack trio, Evan Figg’s “Vic Candelino” and Whitney Golin’s “Katherine Kerr/Angie,” helped round out the show with their own powerful vocal performances. This production also featured an exceptional live music backdrop from visionary musical director and pianist, Mary Medrick, accompanied by Chris Hicks the bass and Rod Kile on drums.
Overall, this mature-audiences production of “The Rat Pack Lounge” is a feel-good story sure to bring fans of the three vintage-Vegas lounge legends over the moon.
“THE RAT PACK LOUNGE”
Garland Civic Theatre’s “The Rat Pack Lounge,” directed by Patty Granville, runs through February 2, 2020, and stars Brandon Baker as “Bobby Goldberg/Sammy Davis Jr.,” Dennis Gullion as “William Saunders/Frank Sinatra,” Steve Golin as “Jeorge Rodriguez/Dean Martin,” Whitney Golin as “Katherine Kerr/Angie,” and Evan Figg as “Vic Candelino.” The show also features Mitch Carr as “God’s Voice,” and Nickie Granville as “God’s Secretary’s Voice.” The production crew includes musical direction by Mary Medrick, stage management from Cheryl Pellett, set and lighting design by Theresa Clapper, sound design from Jerry Hoelscher, choreography by Brandon Baker, set construction from Edgar Hernandez and costuming by Kerra Sims.
Reserve your seat for an upcoming performance of “The Rat Pack Lounge” at the Granville Arts Center by visiting garlandcivic.org or call the box office at 972-205-2790.
Photo credit: Garland Civic Theatre