Galway fans of The Rat Pack are in for a rare treat this weekend as the full 'Strictly The Rat Pack' show comes to Galway direct from the West End.
'Strictly The Rat Pack' is a celebration of the music of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jnr with all the trappings – a 14 piece big band including a full brass section and three top class lead singers. Louis Hoover is Sinatra, Mark Halliday is Martin and Ashley Campbell is Sammy Davis.
The original Rat Pack was a collection of pals and drinking buddies centred on Humphrey Bogart and a young Frank Sinatra. The name was coined by Bogart's wife, Lauren Bacall when she met the group after a particularly heavy night's partying and announced, "You look like a goddamn rat pack".
After Bogart's death, Sinatra became the central figure. Joined by Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, they developed an upbeat entertainment style, which became a Las Vegas trademark and played a huge part in that city's rise in popularity.
No one has better credentials than Louis Hoover when it comes to celebrating the music of Ol' Blue Eyes. Before joining the cast of 'Strictly The Rat Pack', he starred in 'Salute to Sinatra', which played at venues such as the London Palladium and the Royal Albert Hall. Mark Halliday has appeared in a string of major musicals and Ashley Campbell has appeared in many stage shows including acting with the Royal National Theatre.
The show features classic songs such as 'My Way', 'Fly Me To The Moon', 'Strangers in the Night', 'Volare', 'That's Life', 'Chicago (My Kind Of Town)' and, of course, 'New York, New York'.
'Strictly The Rat Pack' takes place on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 May in the Town Hall Theatre. Booking is now open at the Town Hall Box Office, by phone at 091-569777 or on the web at www.tht.ie.
