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| - I was really looking forward to this show. I took my Dad, who saw Nat King Cole at the Sands in '62, and then watched Dean and Sammy play craps in the casino.
I opted for the GA seats, which is a row of chairs with no tables or servers. That didn't help. The smart way to run this would be to give EVERYONE a table or booth, with servers dressed in 60s costumes, and immerse the audience in the era. As it was, it was impossible to believe you were watching the Rat Pack. You were watching some credible imitators, sure, but you NEVER forgot that. I thought Dean and Frank were really good, Sammy was fair, and Joey, although occasionally funny, looked NOTHING like the real guy. Maybe people don't remember (or never heard of) him, but it was strikingly bad casting to me.
I understand what others have said about the audience, but I think the Rio deserves more blame for the fact that the show never transcends the mundane. If we had been sitting in a booth drinking martinis instead of elbow to elbow with somebody, we might have enjoyed it a LOT more.
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