Review: RAT PACK LOUNGE at Winter Park Playhouse

The Rat Pack Lounge is the latest production from the Winter Park Playhouse. The story is more or less what you might expect, but with a slight twist.

Vic (Shawn Kilgore), a down-on-his-luck lounge owner, operates a small venue somewhere on the Las Vegas Strip, next door to a Hooters. After a series of unfortunate events, including a jukebox malfunction, he is visited by three ghosts. Unlike A Christmas Carol, however, these spirits are none other than Frank Sinatra (Ty Henson), Dean Martin (Nathan Olmeda), and Sammy Davis Jr (Adourin Jamelle Owens). The legendary Rat Packers take over the bodies of three people who happen to be in Vic's lounge and set out to help him.

Vic is considering closing the business, which was founded by his now-deceased father. The lounge has struggled to find success, and he feels he has run out of options. Through a combination of advice, encouragement, and plenty of musical numbers, the Rat Pack legends convince him not to give up and help transform the struggling lounge into a thriving destination. Along the way, they are also joined by the ghost of Angie Dickinson (Sarah-lee Dobbs).

This is the third production I've seen at Winter Park Playhouse, and I have consistently enjoyed their work. The talent is always strong, and the production values are consistently high. All three shows I've seen there have been jukebox musicals.

One challenge that often comes with jukebox musicals is that while the songs are familiar and entertaining, the storylines can sometimes feel thin. The Rat Pack Lounge actually started with the strongest premise of any of the Playhouse productions I've seen so far. Unfortunately, about ten minutes into the second act, that storyline largely faded into the background.

At that point, the show became more of a showcase and celebration of Sinatra, Martin, and Davis than a character-driven story. I also noticed that some audience members around me seemed uncertain about exactly what the premise of the show was.

The highlights of the show for me were the immersive set, which genuinely resembled a Rat Pack-era tribute lounge (scenic design by Sonya Smith-Tembe), and the beautiful harmonies throughout the production (music direction by Christopher Leavy). As someone who is a sucker for strong vocal harmonies, particularly from male voices, the ensemble numbers featuring the four male performers were among my favorite moments of the afternoon.

To be clear, the cast was excellent. As with every Winter Park Playhouse production I've attended, the performers were talented, the musicianship was strong, and the overall production quality was impressive (directed by Roy Alan). However, even the most talented cast can only do so much when the script itself isn't fully developed. The performers made the most of the material they were given, but the material ultimately wasn't strong enough to support the show's promising setup.

This criticism is not directed at Winter Park Playhouse. In many cases, theaters select shows based on the audiences they serve, the performers available to them, and the practical realities of production. I often find myself evaluating shows through a similar lens, considering whether they would be good options for my own performers someday. I imagine many community theaters approach the selection process in much the same way.

Despite my issues with the script, I still enjoyed my afternoon at The Rat Pack Lounge. Winter Park Playhouse once again delivered a polished production with talented performers, strong musicianship, and impressive design elements. Perhaps the show's greatest strength is its nostalgia. Growing up, I spent countless hours listening to music with my grandfather, who was a musician himself and had a deep appreciation for artists like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. Hearing these songs performed live brought back memories of those moments and added a personal connection that made the experience especially meaningful.

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