Rat Pack revival slated for New Year’s show at Paramount

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"Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show" is on the bill Dec. 31 at the Paramount Theater in Aurora. | COURTESY OF THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE

Updated: December 22, 2011 5:00PM

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, no one represented being “cool” and “hip” more than Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. As members of an informal group known as The Rat Pack, they sang and clowned around on stage during appearances at The Sands hotel in Las Vegas, Nev., and other venues. Sandy Hackett, the son of the late comedian Buddy Hackett, grew up amid these venerable entertainers, and is currently paying tribute to them with his Rat Pack Show.

“Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show” will be presented in two performances on Dec. 31 at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora.

“The show starts with the voice of God, which is a recording of my dad, Buddy Hackett, sending them back to Earth to do one more show,” said Sandy Hackett, who performs as Joey Bishop and is co-producer of the show with his wife, Lisa Dawn Miller. “We are performing as they were in their prime, but they are coming back to the modern day. In this way we can talk about current stuff. We’re recreating what they did, but with a lot more original comedy and more original songs.”

The original Rat Pack came to prominence in January 1959. The original “Ocean’s 11” movie, which was released in 1960, was shot in Las Vegas and all the performers had parts in the film. From Jan. 26 to Feb. 16, 1959, the Rat Pack filmed by day and took to the stage at The Sands by night, delighting audiences with their antics and their songs.

In “Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show,” Sinatra, Martin, Davis and Bishop are represented, but the show does not include a character of Peter Lawford.

“There was a Rat Pack-type show in England, and they hired all English actors, but they left Joey Bishop out,” Hackett explained. “So I left out Peter Lawford to get back at them. Peter Lawford was a movie star at the time (they were appearing in Las Vegas), but he did not add much to the stage show.”

Also, more than one actor portrays each of the four entertainers.

“All the actors bring something different to each role,” Hackett said. “You adjust to who you have on stage with you. That keeps it fresh for us. With different people in the roles it makes the show more spontaneous and fun.”

In the two shows at the Paramount, Hackett will perform as Joey Bishop. Tickets to the Paramount shows include a champagne toast and party favors. The 10 p.m. show will include a traditional midnight countdown.

“I’m an actor, not an impressionist,” said Hackett about his role. “Like any actor, I prepare for the role. Joey Bishop was Uncle Joey to me. He gave me tapes from his personal collection so I could study him.”

Sandy Hackett acknowledges that his father, Buddy Hackett, who died in 2003, was instrumental in putting the show together.

“My dad did the voice of God to send them all back to do the show,” the younger Hackett said. “When he talked about this tribute show (which had other incarnations before its current form) he said, ‘Let it breathe. Let it simmer.’

“My dad worked with them,” Hackett continued. “They were his friends. His tutelage has helped me every step of the way.”