DEVIL IN THE BLUE SLIP. Katherine (Robin Tuckett) gets cozy with Bobby (Phil Edwards), while Vic (Tyler Rickdal), Jeorge (Eric Emans) and William (Mark Rake-Marona) look on approvingly.
The musical magic of the Rat Pack lives in “Heaven Help Us!” from Tacoma Musical Playhouse.
In the 1950s, the term Rat Pack was coined to describe the collaboration of five entertainers; Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford, who often performed in Las Vegas and were largely responsible for the city becoming the entertainment destination it is today.
The play takes place on New Year’s Eve, 1998, in the Rat Pack Lounge in Las Vegas. Bobby Goldberg (Phil Edwards) is proprietor of the establishment, which was started by his late father.
Many years prior, the Rat Pack had a flat tire on their way to a gig. Goldberg’s father changed the tire while his young son sang for the musical legends. While not impressed with the kid’s voice, Frank Sinatra was kind and told him he was great and would be a star some day. This inspired the father to rename his bar in honor of the singers and decorate with photographs and other memorabilia.
Those words haunted young Goldberg. His singing career never took off, and as 1998 closes, he finds himself owning a small bar about to be purchased by real estate developer William Saunders (Mark Rake-Marona), who plans to demolish it for a parking lot.
The despondent Goldberg is contemplating suicide. Audience members then hear the voice of God discussing the matter with Sinatra, Davis and Martin. Should Goldberg kill himself? - God will hold the singers responsible and send them to join Peter Lawford in hell.
The singers’ spirits come to the lounge, where they inhabit the three available bodies: Davis takes over bartender Vic Candelino (Tyler Rickdal); Sinatra takes over Saunders; and Martin takes over chauffeur Jeorge Rodrigues (Eric Emans).
After convincing Goldberg who they are, the singers try to convince him not to shoot himself. They are driven more by a desire to avoid Lawford’s fate than any real concern for the bar owner. They decide on a crash course in entertaining, teaching him their stage moves and vocal phrasings.
What follows is a run through a string of American pop classics, including “High Hopes,” “My Way,” “Me And My Shadow” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.”
Rake-Marona is the best singer of the four men, but the others give strong performances. There are many humorous moments from the body possessions, as Davis becomes white and Martin becomes a young Hispanic.
Eventually Saunders’ assistant, Katherine Kerr (Robin Tuckett), joins in the musical effort. She steals the show when she sheds her pink business outfit, lets her hair down and bounces around the stage in a blue slip.
TMP Big Band, conducted by Jeffrey Stvrtecky, does a stellar job keeping the tunes rolling through the two-act play.
The set consists of a corrugated metal bar with wood trim, blue walls adorned with Rat Pack photos and various personal artifacts, and a few tables and chairs. By current Las Vegas standards, it looks like a hole-in-the-wall, borderline dive bar. But it has charm, a link to the Vegas of long ago.
“Heaven Help Us” runs through Feb. 12 at Narrows Theatre, 7116 6th Ave. in Tacoma. Show times are 8 p.m. on Fridays, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets range from $14 to $21. For more information, call the TMP box office at (253) 565-6867.
