Singers pay tribute to the Rat Pack
By Joanne Fox Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, November 11, 2007
There's always a risk when performers try to emulate legends in the music business. There's a certain chemistry and synergy that sparks on stage that's difficult if not impossible to duplicate by others.
But in their formal black tuxedos, big charisma and vocals to match, three Broadway stage veterans paid tribute Saturday night to Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. as they joined the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra at the Orpheum.
The performers, Sal Viviano as Frank, Nat Chandler as Dean and Eric Jordan Young as Sammy, did their best to capture the cool of the Rat Pack. They came out belting out "New York, New York," and quickly endeared themselves to the audience.
Viviano had the strongest comedic timing when the three bantered about on stage. Clearly they had done their research on Siouxland, referencing the Marina Inn and its towels, "so fluffy" that wouldn't fit into their suitcases and the Argosy and its search light, "beckoning like a blue light special at K-Mart."
Unfortunately, not all of the material and shtick worked with the crowd. There were quite a few silent moments after lines were delivered, causing Viviano to blame the lack of response on the current Hollywood writers' strike when the jibes fell flat.
To his credit, Viviano didn't try and mimic the timing and phrasing that made Sinatra famous. With a lovely piano introduction on "They Can't Take That Away From Me," he showed off a richness and fullness of voice. The ease with which Viviano delivered the song indicated it must have been a personal favorite of his.
Chandler was wise enough to stay away from trying to capture Deano's ever-present state of inebriation and distraction, which made for a very particular singing voice. In fact, when Chandler broke into "That's Amore," it brought forth an image of Luciano Pavarotti belting out a solo from "Pagliacci." It was that powerful.
Young was the one who tried to copy the vibrato inflections of Sammy Davis Jr., as well as the dancing and mannerisms. Most of the time his interpretations were off the mark.
But the Blue Ribbon performance of the evening must go to Young on his rendition of "Mr. Bojangles." Thanks to a haunting arrangement, ideal lighting, perfect choreography, and a right-on costume, Young had his moment in the spotlight and it was all him. Especially poignant was the different character voice he provided the Bojangles character and a goosebump-style whistle to conclude the song.
But attempting to capture the collective magic of the Rat Pack was just not successful. When Viviano, Chandler and Young were interacting on stage, they rarely moved into each other's "space." For those who ever saw Frank, Dean and Sammy perform, you could sense the chemistry as their proximity increased.
The three left the stage and went into the audience for "Luck Be A Lady Tonight" and had about 15 to 20 feet between them. It diluted the power of the song from "Guys and Dolls," when the actors are almost on top of each in their common entreaty. Sitting on stools, they sang "Too Darn Hot" devoid of any oomph that the song provided in "Kiss Me Kate."
The orchestra, under the direction of Jungho Kim, was terrific carrying out the dynamics of this style of music. Known for their strength in the classical genre, the musicians showed they could swing with the best of them. And Kim did a fine job feeding off of the singers.
Viviano, Chandler and Young are three strong performers in their own right. They have remarkable voices and stage presence. Their energy might be better directed to an interpretation of the Rat Pack rather than attempting to recreate those personas.
But in their formal black tuxedos, big charisma and vocals to match, three Broadway stage veterans paid tribute Saturday night to Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. as they joined the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra at the Orpheum.
The performers, Sal Viviano as Frank, Nat Chandler as Dean and Eric Jordan Young as Sammy, did their best to capture the cool of the Rat Pack. They came out belting out "New York, New York," and quickly endeared themselves to the audience.
Viviano had the strongest comedic timing when the three bantered about on stage. Clearly they had done their research on Siouxland, referencing the Marina Inn and its towels, "so fluffy" that wouldn't fit into their suitcases and the Argosy and its search light, "beckoning like a blue light special at K-Mart."
Unfortunately, not all of the material and shtick worked with the crowd. There were quite a few silent moments after lines were delivered, causing Viviano to blame the lack of response on the current Hollywood writers' strike when the jibes fell flat.
To his credit, Viviano didn't try and mimic the timing and phrasing that made Sinatra famous. With a lovely piano introduction on "They Can't Take That Away From Me," he showed off a richness and fullness of voice. The ease with which Viviano delivered the song indicated it must have been a personal favorite of his.
Chandler was wise enough to stay away from trying to capture Deano's ever-present state of inebriation and distraction, which made for a very particular singing voice. In fact, when Chandler broke into "That's Amore," it brought forth an image of Luciano Pavarotti belting out a solo from "Pagliacci." It was that powerful.
Young was the one who tried to copy the vibrato inflections of Sammy Davis Jr., as well as the dancing and mannerisms. Most of the time his interpretations were off the mark.
But the Blue Ribbon performance of the evening must go to Young on his rendition of "Mr. Bojangles." Thanks to a haunting arrangement, ideal lighting, perfect choreography, and a right-on costume, Young had his moment in the spotlight and it was all him. Especially poignant was the different character voice he provided the Bojangles character and a goosebump-style whistle to conclude the song.
But attempting to capture the collective magic of the Rat Pack was just not successful. When Viviano, Chandler and Young were interacting on stage, they rarely moved into each other's "space." For those who ever saw Frank, Dean and Sammy perform, you could sense the chemistry as their proximity increased.
The three left the stage and went into the audience for "Luck Be A Lady Tonight" and had about 15 to 20 feet between them. It diluted the power of the song from "Guys and Dolls," when the actors are almost on top of each in their common entreaty. Sitting on stools, they sang "Too Darn Hot" devoid of any oomph that the song provided in "Kiss Me Kate."
The orchestra, under the direction of Jungho Kim, was terrific carrying out the dynamics of this style of music. Known for their strength in the classical genre, the musicians showed they could swing with the best of them. And Kim did a fine job feeding off of the singers.
Viviano, Chandler and Young are three strong performers in their own right. They have remarkable voices and stage presence. Their energy might be better directed to an interpretation of the Rat Pack rather than attempting to recreate those personas.
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Stewart Johnson wrote on Nov 11, 2007 2:23 PM:
Cecelia Spencer wrote on Nov 11, 2007 2:20 PM: