Rat Pack revisited
Revue pays tribute to Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin
Frank Sinatra. Sammy Davis Jr. Dean Martin.
The entertainers are legendary and have inspired generations of fans.
It is also what has inspired Art Poco to pay homage to the trio, known as the Rat Pack. He performs as Martin and has so for nearly a decade.
Poco and crew will return to The Stage at Santa Ana Star for the “The Rat Pack Now Holiday Revue” tonight.
Joining him are Bob Hoose as Sinatra and Allan Wiltshire as Davis, Jr.
The tribute show captures the music, style, comedy and camaraderie of the three performers.
“We take our regular show and we pump it up with holiday cheer,” Poco says. “We have some solos. There are quite a few pieces that have the three of us. Then I throw in some comedic bits. It’s crazy fun and harkens back to a much simpler time. It’s really great to be a part of this group.”
Within the show, audience members will hear “Let It Snow” by Martin, “Mistletoe & Holly,” by Sinatra and “Jingle Bells,” by Davis.
Poco says there will be the classics, including “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Everybody Loves Somebody,” “Mr. Bojangles,” “New York New York,” “That’s Amore” and “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head.”
“We do tend to mix it up,” he says of the show. “We run the Vegas length, which is about 75 minutes. We’re also very conscious of knowing what the fans would expect to hear.”
Poco enjoys donning a freshly pressed suit each night to perform.
“It’s old-school and very intriguing,” he says. “We’re three guys acting like manboys. We have a clean and classic look. I’ve noticed that the younger demographic enjoys the show because it’s something they’ve never seen before. People don’t dress up anymore. It’s lost on the world today.”
With years of performing as Martin under his belt, Poco says there is one song that remains special to him.
“‘You Belong to Me’ is about wanting to be with people who aren’t here anymore,” he says. “It’s a beautiful song and is still one of my favorites to perform.”