It’s the 1960s. Hundreds of people are seated in the theater of the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas. Not a single seat is empty. They wait eagerly for a performance of the ages: Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Dean Martin.


This so-called “Rat Pack,” composed of extraordinary actors, singers and other Hollywood luminaries who worked and played together for decades, could be called one of the most unique and popular variety performances of all time without a hint of hyperbole. But unless you were in one of those sold-out Sands seats a half-century ago, you wouldn’t get to experience it with much authenticity. Movies have been made (the 1998 Don Cheadle-Ray Liotta-Joe Mantegna vehicle The Rat Pack, for example) and numerous biographies of the members written (nearly a dozen on Sinatra alone), but Sammy and Sinatra’s Vegas is a long way from Monterey County. Most (not all)of the members—a group that launched with Humprey Bogart and Lauren Bacall and continued on through Peter Lawford and Juliet Prowse—are dead, their legend mostly existing in print or on screen. 


Until now. Sunset Center marks the first stop of what co-producer Lisa Dawn Miller describes as “a theatrical version of what really went on in these guys’ lives.” The show’s tour will visit 45 cities.


The cast has been honing its act at the Las Vegas Hilton since the beginning of August. The tour will add in elements like Davis’ smooth dance moves and Rat Pack tunes—including recently discovered music by Miller’s songwriter father Ron Miller (as well as his most recognized piece, “For Once In My Life,” made famous by Stevie Wonder).


“We give the audiences the songs how they remembered them during that magical time,” she says. “[And] we turn it around and take you backstage into some of the most significant moments in their lives with a narrative that explores some of the more serious moments in the lives of these iconic legends.”


After Ron Miller lost his battle with cancer in 2007, his family came across hundreds of sheets of fully written but unreleased music. 


“We found like 400 songs that are just as incredible as the hits, so we said what better way to tell the narrative than to include original songs in the show?” Lisa Miller says.


They hand-picked three pieces from the vast reserves.


“We use these songs to tell a story; each one could be a story in itself,” Miller says. “We have selected some of the more powerful, poignant ballads to tell the serious side of the story.”


As the performance plies the four icons’ personal lives, more than juicy details emerge, according to Sandy Hackett, son of ’50s comedian Buddy Hackett and another producer of the show. 


“These guys were great friends,” he says. “We really bring that to the forefront in this show.”


Those story lines pair with music that enjoys powerful appeal. 


“The songs are so universal that we can all relate to it in our own unique way,” Miller says. “These are the timeless songs that endured for generations.” 


THE RAT PACK performs at 8pm Friday, Oct. 7, at the Sunset Center, San Carlos and Ninth, Carmel. $49-$69. 620-2048.