Rat Tales

Ol’ Blue Eyes has brown eyes, Sammy Davis Jr. is a foot taller than he was in real life, and Dino only occasionally sounds like he used to. But after a fashion — or, perhaps, after an Old Fashioned or two — you’ll agree that the Rat Pack is back if you attend Frank, Dean and Sammy: Live in Concert at The Supper Club.

Two of the impersonators, Gary Anthony as Frank Sinatra and Louis Velez as Davis, are good enough to bring back the sound, style, and memories of these very famous entertainers. Indeed, when Anthony sings, the uncanny sound he creates cuts through the artifice and conjures a time when there was a true Chairman of the Board. He doesn’t just sound like Sinatra, he evokes him. And he sticks mostly to Sinatra’s big hits, so we can easily sail on this sea of nostalgia.

Velez has a harder job in bringing Davis to life because he’s so much taller than the diminutive entertainer. He’s also at a disadvantage in that he doesn’t dance, so he has to emulate Davis through his look, stance, and voice. But he succeeds, largely because he’s a very good actor. And he really does sound like Sammy; he even pulls off the icon’s big, dramatic hit “What Kind of Fool Am I?” impressively.

The show’s only major disappointment is Russ Loniello, who plays Dean Martin. It may be true that everybody loves somebody sometime, but nobody is going to love this Dean. Though Martin is actually the easiest of the three singers to mimic, Loniello only sounds right in the most familiar songs, and his dialogue is a disaster. Fortunately, he doesn’t have to carry much of the show on his own, thanks to the large number of duets and trios. (We should note here that Scott Siegel owned 17 Dean Martin albums when he was growing up.)

There is not much banter in Frank, Dean and Sammy — a wise choice, since a little bit of the Rat Pack’s 1960s cool goes a long way and, the more the actors talk, the more we don’t buy them as their alter egos. Also on the plus side, a terrific band plays before and after the show, featuring some exciting sax and trumpet work. They do an absolutely thrilling version of “Sing, Sing, Sing” that forcefully reminds us why the Big Bands were so popular in their day. And there’s a dance floor at The Supper Club, so knock yourself out!

********************

Baby Love

Our first thought as we watched Infertility: the musical that’s hard to conceive, was that it seemed like an unusually polished industrial show designed specifically for people who are part of the infertility business. Our second and last thought was pretty much the same thing.

Yes, this musical comedy at Dillon’s is all about the trials and tribulations of getting your very own baby. The talented cast has the unenviable task of singing about ovulation, sperm counts, adoption, etc. The music and lyrics by Chris Neuner are rather weak, but if you have a particular interest in the subject matter, you might find the songs amusing and even a bit heroic — especially in terms of the amount of effort that went into rhyming words that are surely not to be found in any rhyming dictionary!

Even if you have no great interest in infertility, you may still enjoy the show for its cast. Seri Johnson and Jenni Frost, playing a lesbian couple who want to adopt a child, are entertaining and harmonize very well together. Cadden Jones is poignant as a would-be single mom, while the straight couple played by Erin Davie and Kurt Robbins bears the brunt of the medical-oriented lyrics. (Robbins stands out as a polished and versatile performer.)

To its credit, the show does not overstay its welcome; directed by Dan Foster, it is well-paced at an intermissionless 80 minutes. Best of all, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, despite the subject matter.

********************

[To contact the Siegels directly, e-mail them at siegels@theatermania.com.]