The Rat Pack’s back in town

Start spreading the news. Frank, Sammy and Dino are in town tonight through Sunday, and they’ve come to entertain and make you swoon.

Revisit the musical talents of three vocal icons, all reappearing in their superstar glory with the talented performances of Sal Viviano, Nat Chandler and Eric Jordan Young backed by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.

The talented trio will be performing some of the most exciting arrangements as the TSO Pops Series presents The Rat Pack, at 7:30 tonight and Saturday and at 2 p.m., Sunday at Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave.

Tickets are $20-$60. For information call the TSO Box Office at 882-8585.

The audience can expect original full symphonic pops orchestrations with classic Rat Pack routines.

In a telephone interview last week, the three performers, Viviano (Frank), Chandler (Dean) and Young (Sammy) say they aren’t trying to impersonate Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.

“It’s more of a tribute to these greats,” Vivano said. ”We don’t even pretend to imitate them. We just want to share their music and their passion as entertainers.”

Young praised the orchestration of the musical numbers, admitting “what a thrill it is” to be backed by a full symphony orchestra.

Chandler gave an interview very much in his Dean Martin persona, providing a dramatic sample of what the audience could expect in terms of some great dramatic delivery to spice up the performance.

With songs like “That Old Black Magic,” “The Lady is a Tramp” “Come Fly With Me”/“Fly Me to the Moon” and “The Way You Look Tonight”/“They Can’t Take That Away From Me” “That’s Amore” and “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime,” the hits fly at the audience like a Vegas show gone wild.

What’s the Rat Pack without favorites “New York, New York” or “My Way?” This concert features them all.

The singers have rich theatrical backgrounds.

Chandler appeared on Broadway in the starring role of Percy, the swashbuckling, romantic and dashing Pimpernel in the Tony Award-nominated show "The Scarlet Pimpernel."

He starred as Raoul in the first national tour of "The Phantom of the Opera," directed by Hal Prince.

Off-Broadway, he created the roles of Tony Toscanini in "Tales of Tinseltown" and Hero in "Anything You Say."

Chandler received two Barrymore Award nominations for the roles of the Phantom in the Yestin/Kopit "Phantom!" and Lancelot in "Camelot" in Philadelphia.

Young has appeared in the Broadway companies of Chicago (Billy Flynn), Seussical the Musical, Ragtime and The Look of Love.

His most recent credits include Ahrens & Flaherty’s "Dessa Rose" at Lincoln Center, Stephen Sondheim’s "Opening Doors" at Carnegie Hall, and the world premiere of his one-man musical "Sammy and Me."

Young toured with "Chicago" and "Ragtime," played Vegas in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s "Starlight Express" and performed Off-Broadway in "Little Fish," "Mr. President" and the Encores' 60th Anniversary Bash. Regional credits include "Ain’t Misbehavin’"(ATL) and "Sideshow" (Signature Theatre) for which he received the Helen Hayes Award.

Some television credits include ABC’S Ugly Betty and NBC’s Law and Order: Criminal Intent

Viviano made his Broadway debut in the revival of Rudolph Friml’s The Three Musketeers in 1984 and has followed by succeeding the lead actors in the Broadway companies of "Romance/Romance"; "City of Angels"; "Falsettos "and most recently, "The Life."

Off Broadway, he co-starred in the long-running hit comedy "Beau Jest" as well as originating leading roles in "Cather County," "Weird Romance," "Catch Me if I Fall," "Broadway Jukebox," "Hamlet," "The Opera" and several others.

He received a 1998 Helen Hayes Award nomination as Best Actor in a Musical for the title role in the Arena Stage revival of Sunday in the Park with George in Washington, D.C.; and has worked regionally at nearly 30 theaters nationwide.

rford@gvnews.com | 547-9740