Paramount hosts Rat Pack tribute

When audience members walk into the lobby of the Paramount Theatre to see "Drinkin' Singin' Swingin' - a Salute to Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin" on Nov. 21, the show will have already started.

"The show starts before people get into the theater," said Rick Michel, who portrays Dean Martin in the show. "We are out front with the people. Before the show, with people coming in to the lobby, the three of us pose for a picture with them. Then my wife-to-be, Leslie, develops the picture during the show and for $10 people can have a 4-inch by 6-inch souvenir photo."

Joined by a 12-piece band, Ryan Baker as Frank Sinatra; Bryan Clark as Sammy Davis Jr.; and Rick Michel as Dean Martin, capture the essence of Sinatra, Davis and Martin as they perform such legendary hits as "Candy Man," "New York, New York," "Mr. Bojangles," "Volare," "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime" and "That's Amore." The Chicago-area premiere of "Drinkin' Singin' Swingin'" will transport audience members back in time to experience the spontaneity that three Hollywood legends brought to the stage every night.

"Our show addresses, 'If they were still alive today, what would they be doing?'" Michel said. "We do the standards, but we sing songs that they never did. Dean Martin and Nat King Cole did a song called 'Open Up the Dog House, Two Cats Are Comin' In' and we have Dean and Sammy sing it."

Doing celebrity impersonations for more than 50 years, Michel started his professional career in stand-up comedy and is capable of doing about 200 impressions of famous people. But despite his background in comedy and impersonations, Michel said that the "Drinkin' Singin' Swingin'" show captures the spirit of Sinatra, Davis and Martin.

"We can't fill their shoes," he said. "We are not impersonating them, we pay homage to the music. I do the essence of Dean."

But other celebrity impressions do find their way into the show.

"Bryan Clarke does voices from Ray Charles to Stevie Wonder," Michel said. "I do Rodney Dangerfield and I do Marlon Brando from the movie 'The Godfather.'"

Still, it is the songs that are the main draw.

"It is the music that moves you," Michel said. "Frank, for example, had the best arrangers, like Don Costa and Nelson Riddle; and he did songs from great songwriters, like Cole Porter."

Another aspect of "Drinkin' Singin' Swingin'" that sets it apart from similar shows is the number of songs performed.

"Most Rat Pack shows do 16 to 18 songs," Michel said. "We do 44 songs in the show."

Michel and his fellow Rat Packers concentrate on entertaining those in attendance.

"When we perform we try to reach across all walks of life and make people laugh," Michel said. "The people in the audience are not thinking about anything but having a good time."

And if that were not enough, after they have performed on stage, the entertainers mingle with audience members.

Said Michel, "We do photos with audience members after the show also."