Bruce Hammond has always known that there is something special about the music of Frank Sinatra.
“When the music starts up, you see the audience’s faces light up. They know this music,” said Hammond.
On Friday, Aug 10, the threesome will be flying in, direct from Las Vegas to appear at the Mary Winspear Centre for a one-night-only performance that promises to be a fast paced romp through the music of times gone by.
“Direct from Las Vegas, the Rat Pack”, is an all new take on the the most famous of the group of entertainers that once turned Vegas on its ear.
They come to life in a fun-filled interactive musical salute, performing some of the greatest songs of the 20th century.
“People have personal stories that they associate with this music,” he said. “Some people grew up with it, others grew up with their parents listening to it. It stirs up memories.”
The same observations could also be made of the music of Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., two other members of the famous Rat Pack.
The Rat Pack was an informal group of entertainers that dominated the Las Vegas casino scene during the 1950s and ’60s and, along with Martin, Davis and Sinatra, included Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop and later, Bing Crosby (among others). The group were featured in a number of films of the time, including Ocean’s 11 and Robin and the 7 Hoods.
Although there were several stars who were at one time or another counted among the Rat Pack, the undisputed leaders of the informal group were Sinatra, Martin and Davis.
The threesome developed a reputation for free-wheeling, impromptu performances punctuated by heavy drinking and womanizing, but that reputation was later largely debunked as being part of the act.
Still, it was a magical time and, now, Hammond is joining with Jeff Compton as Dan Martin and Lambus Dean as Sammy Davis Jr. to bring the magic of the music and irreverent humour to the stage in Sidney.
The three entertainers are actually Las Vegas natives who have been performing for years on the strip, delivering tribute acts that are so spot-on that audiences are transported back to a time when the strip was a place of smoke filled casinos, mob tied operators and an attitude personified by the famous saying that “what happened in Vegas, stayed in Vegas.”
For ticket information, visit distinctlysidney.ca.
