California Theatre of the Performing Arts Presents THE RAT PACK 4/11

Sit back, relax, and relive the party and the time where the audience found fun in the antics of three cool, politically incorrect legends. Direct From Vegas The Rat Pack® comes to the historical California Theatre of the Performing Arts in San Bernardino, California for one night only: Sunday, April 11, 2010 at 8:00pm.

Steve Apple (Dean Martin), Gary Corsello (Frank Sinatra), and Scott People (Sammy Davis, Jr.) return you to the early '60's, united together as the cast of the show, Direct From Vegas The Rat Pack®. From top-rated shows across the country, each performer is considered by most critics to be the best at portraying their period counterparts. With combined experience of over 30 years, they captivate audiences with wit, humor, charm, and vocal performances that are second to none.

Tickets are available for Direct From Vegas The Rat Pack® online at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, and at the California Theatre of the Performing Arts Box Office: 562 West 4th St. San Bernardino, CA, (909) 885-5152.

About Direct From Vegas The Rat Pack®

The things that made the original Rat Pack so entertaining are the same as the things that make Direct From Vegas The Rat Pack® a hit. Like the legendary Rat Pack, the Direct From Vegas The Rat Pack® cast has great chemistry and camaraderie, which stems from their friendships both on and off stage. Like the original Pack, this cast likes to party together, joke with and heckle each other. Like the original Pack, this cast has deep respect for one another as people and as performers. It is the close chemistry, love, and respect off stage that makes the synergy work on stage. Direct From Vegas The Rat Pack® has a show format that allows the cast to the liberty to improvise with one another, just like the original Rat Pack.

Direct From Vegas The Rat Pack® performers love and are dedicated to the characters they portray. The team has spent countless hours of research studying and practicing to present an authentic performance.

This powerful show captures the look and feel of the times, and co-mingles the comedic banter, songs, and entertainment in the same way that the original cast performed it. You will be able to relive or experience for the first time some of the original show's format, routines and chemistry among the performers.

According to the Santa Barbara News Press, "Good actors can transport the audience into a bygone era and give them a glimpse of something that slipped away. These guys pulled it off. They looked the part. They flawlessly fed us the legendary lines. They delivered the Rat Pack for better and for worse. The cast showed us what it was like. When they strolled down the aisle in the second act and their voices filled the room before we could see them, I had a weird sensation. I wished in that sweet moment that I had been a booze-guzzling, polyester-coated lounge lizard in the 60's. That's a feeling that I could not have conjured up on my own in a thousand years. . ."

Helen Costa, wife of Don Costa, composer/arranger for Frank Sinatra, had these comments . . . "Mesmerizing deja vue! I was so impressed. I intimately knew the original Rat Pack, and these guys got it down. Fabulous! They have such beautiful voices, and the body movements are so authentic. I was so delighted and moved by their performance. I mean it sincerely."

The Los Angeles Times had this to say, "The Rat Pack's back with swagger and stagger. The trio's tribute to Frank, Dean and Sammy is an intoxicating evening of nostalgia of the swinging 60's." What sustains (the Direct From Vegas) Rat Pack is the panache with which the performers replicate the icons."

According to the Press Enterprise, "All three are right on target. The three clown around with the boozy-schmoozy irreverence the Pack was known for." According to the Daily Southtown, "With the support of the Direct From Vegas Orchestra, the three entertainers captured the wit, humor, and charm of the Rat Pack."

Most critics consider each performer to be the best in the country. Steve Apple (Dean Martin), Gary Corsello (Frank Sinatra), and Scott People (Sammy Davis, Jr.) return you to the early '60's to re-create the magic.

The show features a live orchestra. The Direct From Vegas Orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Scott Strecker, is a compilation of the finest musicians from some of the greatest orchestras: Harry James, Nelson Riddle, Brian Setzer, Billy May, Don Costa, Charlie Barnett, and Les Brown. These musicians have played for Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Dean Martin, just to name a few. Direct From Vegas The Rat Pack® has played in hundreds of locations around the world. Performing arts centers, such as the California Theatre and Granada Theatres, have had sold out extended runs.

Gary Corsello as Frank Sinatra

"Gary's performance as Frank Sinatra is a winner. He possesses a magic and charisma that lights up the audience. You can see musical greatness in the making." -- The Las Vegas Review Journal. The Sunday Star-Ledger stated that Gary displays "not only the Sinatra voice, but - no less important - the body language that went with it." After an extensive cross-country search, Jeff Kutash, veteran Emmy and Golden Globe winner, selecTed Gary Corsello to portray Frank Sinatra in the long running Atlantic City engagement, "The Main Event." Gary has performed throughout Las Vegas -- the Mirage, Riviera, Caesar's, Bally's, and New York, New York to name a few, as well in many other theatres and hotel/casinos across the country. His list of performances is extensive. Gary has portrayed the voice of Frank Sinatra in television and radio "Luck Be A Lady" commercials for the Pechanga Casino & Resort.

Steve Apple as Dean Martin

"The production truly comes alive with the performance of Steve Apple as Dean Martin. He clearly echoes the sound as well as the mannerisms and body language of this superb crooner in his time." -- The Las Vegas Sun. Steve Apple has been performing as an actor/singer for over 17 years. Mr. Apple performed as Dean in the first headliner Rat Pack Show to hit the strip in Las Vegas (produced by David Cassidy and Don Reo). It became the 6th top-rated show in Las Vegas during his engagement. According to critics, "Apple's impersonation of the King of Cool is flawless as he captures the very essence of Dean's crooning style, vibrato, charisma, and classic good looks. He interacts with the audience with the charm and grace of the master." Steve has performed for millions in large theaters, performing arts centers, casinos, and hotels internationally, including the MGM Grand, Caesar's Palace, Bellagio, Desert Inn, Bally's and Mirage. He has re-enacted Dean Martin for HBO, the History Channel, E Channel and BBC Television. Esquire Magazine chose Apple for their six-page spread on Dean Martin.

Scott People as Sammy Davis Jr.

"People gives an electrifying show combined with smooth sultry vocals". (Windsor Press). People's career started at the age of 4. His theatrical credits include "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Sunset Boulevard," "Dreamgirls," and a host of other productions. With his powerful four-octave range, People has established himself as a dynamic entertainer, performing Sammy Davis, Jr. in the theatres across the United States. People's vocal strength and talents in his rendition of "What Kind of Fool Am I," and harmonies with the trio's leave the audience wanting more! His musical career includes work both onstage and in the studio on projects with many talented artists such as Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Taylor Dane, and Tony Award winning Betty Buckley. Recently, he was commissioned to both write and perform the title song for a talk show pilot slated to air on the Oxygen network, and perform a remake of the Sam Cooke classic, "Little Red Rooster" for an upcoming major motion picture (Working Title - Mercy Man). He is currently in the Studio working on his debut solo recording project.

About The Orchestra

The Direct From Vegas signature orchestra has performed for some of the greatest and most famous orchestras in the country. These musicians have fronted for Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Connie Francis, and Dionne Warwick, to name a few. They have performed in television and feature films, and for such notable celebrities as George Bush, Ronald Regan, and Jimmy Carter. The Direct From Vegas Orchestra was the "official big band" for KLAC radio. The band is under the musical direction of Mr. Scott Strecker.

About California Theatre of the Performing Arts

The historical California Theatre in the heart of the revitalized downtown San Bernardino plays a major role in providing quality performing arts to the Inland Empire area.

Originally built as a 1928 Vaudeville and Movie Palace, it has, over the years, played host to all of the major stage and screen stars. Will Rogers made his final stage appearance at the California Theatre.

Currently the California Theatre serves as the performance home for Theatrical Arts International, producing top quality musicals, plays and host to several touring companies, the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, the Sinfonia Mexicana and Inland Dance Theatre, Inc.

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