In tribute, Greek Isles production packs a punch

Friday, Dec. 3, 2004 | 8:54 a.m.

Of all the Rat Pack tribute shows on the market today, the one at the Greek Isles is ... well, the leader of the pack.

Co-producers Sandy Hackett and Dick Feeney, along with director Billy Karl, have created a fast-paced, fun-filled production at the humble little casino on Convention Center Way, a couple of blocks east of the Strip.

Until Hackett and Feeney teamed up there was a revolving door at the venue's 533-seat Star Theatre, but the "Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey and Dean" has staying power.

After more than two years the musical comedy is as popular as ever, routinely drawing near-capacity crowds eager to see a decent Vegas show at a reasonable price -- ranging from $49.50 to $80, depending upon whether you want a dinner and VIP package.

The prices are a bargain, considering the level of talent and the fact that the tribute artists are backed by a wonderful, live 12-piece orchestra, which is almost unheard of in this era of recorded music.

The Hackett/Feeney production premiered in June 2002, a couple of months after producer/star David Cassidy closed its predecessor, "The Rat Pack is Back," at the Sahara.

The stellar cast includes Hackett as comedian Joey Bishop; Henry Prego as Frank Sinatra; Louis Velez as Sammy Davis Jr.; and Stacey Nicole as the luscious and voluptuous Marilyn Monroe.

Pete Willcox, who spent more than 30 years doing tributes to Elvis, usually stars as Dean Martin, but during a recent performance he had a prior commitment and was temporarily replaced by Andy DiMino.

While all the cast members are generally excellent, DiMino -- tall, lean and properly tipsy -- stood out. He looked a lot like Martin, in addition to sounding like him. DiMino is a big hit with the fans.

There was a degree of similarity between most of the cast and their characters, except for Hackett and Prego, who bear no resemblance to Bishop and Sinatra. And Velez probably has a few pounds on Davis.

But appearances are not as important as attitude, and everyone has captured the essence of their roles, although Prego didn't seem to have as much swagger as you might expect in the Chairman of the Board.

The show opens with the voice of the late Buddy Hackett, Sandy's father, who taped the intro when the musical opened two years ago. Buddy died in June 2003.

Buddy, presumably as God, talks to the Rat Pack offstage and sets up the premise for the show.

"Gabriel hasn't had a good night's sleep since you got here," he says. "Not that anyone's complaining, but you know you're missed down there. Fans keep calling. You know they made 'Ocean's Eleven' again without you guys? I really enjoyed that one. But then, who am I?

"Anyway, I'm sending you fellas back to do one last show. It's gotta be like it was in the early '60s when the press dubbed you 'The Rat Pack.' You're going back to Las Vegas, to the Greek Isles. What happened to the Sands? They blew it up. Too many markers. And they found a duck in the chicken soup."

The premise is similar to the one used by "Forever Plaid," a musical that closed at the Flamingo in 2001 after six years.

"Forever Plaid" (which will return to Vegas on Jan. 15 at the Gold Coast) is about a harmonizing musical group, The Plaids, who were killed on Feb. 9, 1964, when a school bus filled with teenagers smashes into their car and stops them in midnote. God sends the four back to Earth for one last performance.

It's a weak excuse to get into the music of the '50s and '60s, just as sending the Rat Pack back for one last performance is an excuse for all that follows. But once the Pack members are onstage, very little is done with the premise -- it's just all fun and music, which is fine with the fans.

After the Pack sings "Where or When," each cast member gets a few minutes in the spotlight, beginning with Sandy Hackett as Bishop opening for the group with a series of rapid-fire jokes.

DiMino boozes it up, clowns around and sings such songs as "That's Amore," "Ain't that a Kick in the Head" and "The Lady is a Tramp," which he says is "from that wonderful motion picture, 'Let's Get Out of the Wheat Field Mable, We're Going Against the Grain.' "

Velez joins DiMino for some Sammy and Dean shtick, and then DiMino leaves and Velez has the stage to himself for a couple of numbers, including "That Old Black Magic" and "Mr. Bojangles."

Hackett, as a Chinese man in traditional Chinese garb, steps out to interact with Velez and tell a couple of one-liners: "I'm half-Japanese and half-Hawaiian. Every Dec. 7, I attack myself."

Prego then takes to the stage as Sinatra and does a few numbers (among them "Come Fly With Me" and "Fly Me to the Moon"), and then Nicole, as Monroe, puts in her dazzling appearance, singing "Happy Birthday to You" and flirting with some of the men in the audience. She was a crowd pleaser.

The show closes, all too soon, with the Rat Pack performing a medley of songs.

While the majority of contemporary Las Vegans were not here during that simpler, carefree era, if you want a feel for what it was like back then, go to the Greek Isles.