You don’t have to have been alive in the ’60s to know that The Rat Pack was a globally recognized icon of music and pop culture at the time. Consisting of five key members—Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop—the informal group of entertainers performed impromptu shows around the Las Vegas casino scene. Back in the ‘60s, whenever individual members were scheduled to perform, the rest of the Pack would show up as a surprise to excited audiences. Imagine that; with big names Sinatra, Martin and Davis leading the group, it was no wonder their shows sold out regularly.
Of course, these music greats have since passed on. But their legacy and tunes remain—partly thanks to a singin’, swingin’ theater group known as “The Definitive Rat Pack”. British artists Stephen Triffitt, Mark Adams and George Daniel Long found their claim to fame interpreting Sinatra, Martin and Davis respectively, as original cast members of The Rat Pack—Live from Last Vegas. They sing, they banter; they do old-school dance numbers with showgirls. And now, they’re bringing their star quality to Singapore.
Mark Adams, George Daniel Long and Stephen Triffitt
Mark Adams as Dean Martin
Brought in by locally based British Theatre Playhouse, The Definitive Rat Pack will perform exclusively at One Farrer Hotel from Jun 26-27. Expect a faithful re-creation of the golden ‘60s era, and bop along to all-familiar hits like “Fly Me to the Moon”, “Come Fly with Me”, “Sway”, “What Kind of a Fool am I”, “My Way”, “New York, New York” and so many more. The show first premiered in London’s West End, where it earned an Oliver Award nomination, and has gone on to tour Europe and the US.
Funny story—“Rat Pack” wasn’t a voluntarily adopted name by the group; the term was in fact coined by the media to refer to the celebrated entertainers as a collective. Where it came from no one quite knows, even till today, though there have been theories that include it being a shortened version of “Holmby Hills Rat Pack”—a reference to Humphrey Bogart’s home where the group first met (which ended up being a regular group hangout). The actual members apparently never called themselves that at all; but we’d like to think they wouldn’t mind this 21st century form of flattery.
The Definitive Rat Pack will perform Jun 26-27 at the Grand Ballroom, One Farrer Hotel & Spa. Tickets go from $98 for a show and a drink to $600 for show, cocktails and dinner with free-flow wine. More information here.
