They were -- and to many still are -- the epitome of cool. Hipsters to the core.
In fact, surrounded by cocktail dresses, cigar smoke, martinis and mystery, the Rat Pack took a punch at the ``squares'' of society and gave the world a litmus test for a glamorous lounge lifestyle.
And while the original Rat Pack -- Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop -- may be gone, its libido lingers.
Not just in the form of movies, books and cable TV rebroadcasts of the Rat Pack's '60s concerts, but as tribute concerts and Rat Pack impersonators.
You might expect to find these impersonators playing at the Sands or the Sahara in Las Vegas or reliving Sinatra's ring-a-ding-ding days in a Mob-connected casino.
But for one night, the Rat Pack will bring a seemingly never-ending bachelor party to the Dragon Room of the Imperial Lounge as Saturday's Rat Pack Extravaganza brings to life three leaders of the Pack.
Madison lounge crooner Joe Scalissi plays the role of Martin and he'll be joined by Chicagoans Jack D'Amico as Sinatra and Lonnie Parlor as Davis.
Scalissi promises it will be a trip back to the days when gambling was glamorous, and cultural influence and political power were intertwined.
Scalissi, 33, is the best-known of the trio -- at least locally -- having won a Ho-Chunk Casino impersonator contest about five years ago and then taking his lounge show and songs such as ``That's Amore'' and ``Everybody Loves Somebody'' to restaurants, nightclubs and festivals all over Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago and even Steubenville, Ohio, the birthplace of Dino Crocetti (Dean Martin).
In fact, when the Rat Pack Extravaganza wraps up, Scalissi will turn his attention to Steubenville's annual Dean Martin Birthday Bash, where he will be the featured act June 16 and 17.
In July, he will join D'Amico for shows at Milwaukee's Festa Italiana.
Scalissi says he has known D'Amico and Parlor for about five years. They met through performing and realized they shared a passion for what some consider the coolest clique in show business -- the Rat Pack.
``This music is ageless,'' Scalissi opines.
Using a script, the Rat Pack Extravaganza trio promises not only music from the Rat Pack's ``Summit'' shows, but booze jokes, one-upping of each other, an on-stage liquor cart (in this case a table), and an amazing resemblance to the real Rat Packers.
In fact, one of the first things people notice about D'Amico is that, like Sinatra, he really does have blue eyes. Add to that a saloon-style voice.
``I always liked Sinatra's music and I was the kind of guy who always sat in at the piano bars,'' D'Amico, 47, recalls. ``People told me I sounded just like him (Sinatra). It's kind of been my blessing and my curse.''
A blessing in that he says everybody loves Sinatra songs.
``Myself included, and the benefit is that I get to sing the kind of music that I like,'' D'Amico says. ``My favorite songs to perform are the love songs and I like to do the fan favorites like `Fly Me to the Moon' and `Summer Wind.' ''
His Sinatra style has been a curse at times, though, because sometimes people stereotype him.
``People put you into that bracket and think that that is all you can do,'' he says.
D'Amico has been impersonating Sinatra for about 16 years and says he is constantly studying Sinatra's mannerisms to perfect his impersonations. He saw Sinatra perform three times live and has studied Sinatra shows on video.
``The big thing is the mannerism and the timing,'' he says.
D'Amico adds that he shares a stubbornness with Sinatra, though he considers himself less rough on the exterior than Old Blue Eyes.
Parlor is equally meticulous about his characterization. D'Amico and Parlor have quite a Rat Pack history, having performed together as part of ``The Pack Is Back'' show at Piper's Alley in the Phantom Sands Hotel in Chicago and the Chicago Rat Pack show, which they took to Aruba for 28 weeks.
Parlor has been singing rhythm and blues since he was 13 and performing professionally for 36 years.
``People have always told me that I look and sound like Sammy Davis Jr.,'' notes Parlor, 49. ``It's been a lifelong thing. I can recall getting into fistfights because people kept comparing me to him and I just got tired of hearing it.''
Eventually, Parlor gave in to ``The Candy Man'' comparisons and started impersonating Davis.
``You strive so hard to be yourself, but some things in life you can't control,'' he says.
In 1978, Parlor even performed for Davis and then met the star at a post-show party where the two discussed their similarities.
``The thing outside of personal appearance that always tied me to him (Sammy) was our demeanor. Sammy had a way -- they call it controlling the stage,'' Parlor notes. ``He never isolated people, but pulled them in . . . and one of the things I enjoy about Sammy is that he was one of the most gracious individuals I ever met.''
Parlor, like Scalissi and D'Amico, believes that the Rat Pack tributes are drawing large young crowds (teens to 20s) because young people are looking for what Sinatra had -- an I-did-it-my-way attitude and a swing-style swagger.
``The big band thing is very big right now,'' Parlor notes.
``This music is light-hearted, and when you get to a serious song it tells a story,'' D'Amico adds. ``I think this is also a nostalgic period. In the '60s there wasn't all the political correctness and all of the stuffiness and all that. It was more or less a time when people just wanted to enjoy themselves, and this is the kind of music that leans to that.''
Parlor says he and D'Amico have spent years honing the Rat Pack Extravaganza script for authenticity.
``Once you get into the Rat Pack, they all have so many idiosyncrasies,'' Parlor notes. ``Every time you think you know it all, somebody pops up and tells you, `Did you know that he held his little finger this way?' ''
But while Parlor admits the Rat Pack show is fun and pays the bills, he says he hasn't lost track of who he is inside.
``Some of these Elvis guys start thinking they are Elvis. It's like I want to tell them, `Wake up, hello, you are an actor. Let it go,' '' Parlor says. ``As far as Sammy goes for me, when the curtain goes down, Sammy goes back to bed.''
The Rat Pack Extravaganza< The Rat Pack Extravaganza show features Lonnie Parlor as Sammy Davis Jr., Joe Scalissi as Dean Martin and Jack D'Amico as Frank Sinatra, 9 p.m. Saturday at the Imperial Palace, 1291 N. Sherman Ave. Tickets are $25 adv. Call 241-7708 or visit the Web at www.palaceentertainment.net.
For more information on Scalissi and his upcoming shows, visit the Web at www.joescalissi.com. For information on D'Amico, go to http://members.aol.com/jackswings/start.html. Parlor's Web site is http://outernet.web.com/lonnie/index.html.
`RAT PACK' TRIO RETURNS '60S COOL TO THE STAGE.(Rhythm)
They were -- and to many still are -- the epitome of cool. Hipsters to the core.
In fact, surrounded by cocktail dresses, cigar smoke, martinis and mystery, the Rat Pack took a punch at the ``squares'' of society and gave the world a litmus test for a glamorous lounge lifestyle.
And while the original Rat Pack -- Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop -- may be gone, its libido lingers.
Not just in the form of movies, books and cable TV rebroadcasts of the Rat Pack's '60s concerts, but as tribute concerts and Rat Pack impersonators.
You might expect to find these impersonators playing at the Sands or the Sahara in Las Vegas or reliving Sinatra's ring-a-ding-ding days in a Mob-connected casino.
But for one night, the Rat Pack will bring a seemingly never-ending bachelor party to the Dragon Room of the Imperial Lounge as Saturday's Rat Pack Extravaganza brings to life three leaders of the Pack.
Madison lounge crooner Joe Scalissi plays the role of Martin and he'll be joined by Chicagoans Jack D'Amico as Sinatra and Lonnie Parlor as Davis.
Scalissi promises it will be a trip back to the days when gambling was glamorous, and cultural influence and political power were intertwined.
Scalissi, 33, is the best-known of the trio -- at least locally -- having won a Ho-Chunk Casino impersonator contest about five years ago and then taking his lounge show and songs such as ``That's Amore'' and ``Everybody Loves Somebody'' to restaurants, nightclubs and festivals all over Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago and even Steubenville, Ohio, the birthplace of Dino Crocetti (Dean Martin).
In fact, when the Rat Pack Extravaganza wraps up, Scalissi will turn his attention to Steubenville's annual Dean Martin Birthday Bash, where he will be the featured act June 16 and 17.
In July, he will join D'Amico for shows at Milwaukee's Festa Italiana.
Scalissi says he has known D'Amico and Parlor for about five years. They met through performing and realized they shared a passion for what some consider the coolest clique in show business -- the Rat Pack.
``This music is ageless,'' Scalissi opines.
Using a script, the Rat Pack Extravaganza trio promises not only music from the Rat Pack's ``Summit'' shows, but booze jokes, one-upping of each other, an on-stage liquor cart (in this case a table), and an amazing resemblance to the real Rat Packers.
In fact, one of the first things people notice about D'Amico is that, like Sinatra, he really does have blue eyes. Add to that a saloon-style voice.
``I always liked Sinatra's music and I was the kind of guy who always sat in at the piano bars,'' D'Amico, 47, recalls. ``People told me I sounded just like him (Sinatra). It's kind of been my blessing and my curse.''
A blessing in that he says everybody loves Sinatra songs.
``Myself included, and the benefit is that I get to sing the kind of music that I like,'' D'Amico says. ``My favorite songs to perform are the love songs and I like to do the fan favorites like `Fly Me to the Moon' and `Summer Wind.' ''
His Sinatra style has been a curse at times, though, because sometimes people stereotype him.
``People put you into that bracket and think that that is all you can do,'' he says.
D'Amico has been impersonating Sinatra for about 16 years and says he is constantly studying Sinatra's mannerisms to perfect his impersonations. He saw Sinatra perform three times live and has studied Sinatra shows on video.
``The big thing is the mannerism and the timing,'' he says.
D'Amico adds that he shares a stubbornness with Sinatra, though he considers himself less rough on the exterior than Old Blue Eyes.
Parlor is equally meticulous about his characterization. D'Amico and Parlor have quite a Rat Pack history, having performed together as part of ``The Pack Is Back'' show at Piper's Alley in the Phantom Sands Hotel in Chicago and the Chicago Rat Pack show, which they took to Aruba for 28 weeks.
Parlor has been singing rhythm and blues since he was 13 and performing professionally for 36 years.
``People have always told me that I look and sound like Sammy Davis Jr.,'' notes Parlor, 49. ``It's been a lifelong thing. I can recall getting into fistfights because people kept comparing me to him and I just got tired of hearing it.''
Eventually, Parlor gave in to ``The Candy Man'' comparisons and started impersonating Davis.
``You strive so hard to be yourself, but some things in life you can't control,'' he says.
In 1978, Parlor even performed for Davis and then met the star at a post-show party where the two discussed their similarities.
``The thing outside of personal appearance that always tied me to him (Sammy) was our demeanor. Sammy had a way -- they call it controlling the stage,'' Parlor notes. ``He never isolated people, but pulled them in . . . and one of the things I enjoy about Sammy is that he was one of the most gracious individuals I ever met.''
Parlor, like Scalissi and D'Amico, believes that the Rat Pack tributes are drawing large young crowds (teens to 20s) because young people are looking for what Sinatra had -- an I-did-it-my-way attitude and a swing-style swagger.
``The big band thing is very big right now,'' Parlor notes.
``This music is light-hearted, and when you get to a serious song it tells a story,'' D'Amico adds. ``I think this is also a nostalgic period. In the '60s there wasn't all the political correctness and all of the stuffiness and all that. It was more or less a time when people just wanted to enjoy themselves, and this is the kind of music that leans to that.''
Parlor says he and D'Amico have spent years honing the Rat Pack Extravaganza script for authenticity.
``Once you get into the Rat Pack, they all have so many idiosyncrasies,'' Parlor notes. ``Every time you think you know it all, somebody pops up and tells you, `Did you know that he held his little finger this way?' ''
But while Parlor admits the Rat Pack show is fun and pays the bills, he says he hasn't lost track of who he is inside.
``Some of these Elvis guys start thinking they are Elvis. It's like I want to tell them, `Wake up, hello, you are an actor. Let it go,' '' Parlor says. ``As far as Sammy goes for me, when the curtain goes down, Sammy goes back to bed.''
The Rat Pack Extravaganza< The Rat Pack Extravaganza show features Lonnie Parlor as Sammy Davis Jr., Joe Scalissi as Dean Martin and Jack D'Amico as Frank Sinatra, 9 p.m. Saturday at the Imperial Palace, 1291 N. Sherman Ave. Tickets are $25 adv. Call 241-7708 or visit the Web at www.palaceentertainment.net.
For more information on Scalissi and his upcoming shows, visit the Web at www.joescalissi.com. For information on D'Amico, go to http://members.aol.com/jackswings/start.html. Parlor's Web site is http://outernet.web.com/lonnie/index.html.
`RAT PACK' TRIO RETURNS '60S COOL TO THE STAGE.(Rhythm)
They were -- and to many still are -- the epitome of cool. Hipsters to the core.
In fact, surrounded by cocktail dresses, cigar smoke, martinis and mystery, the Rat Pack took a punch at the ``squares'' of society and gave the world a litmus test for a glamorous lounge lifestyle.
And while the original Rat Pack -- Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop -- may be gone, its libido lingers.
Not just in the form of movies, books and cable TV rebroadcasts of the Rat Pack's '60s concerts, but as tribute concerts and Rat Pack impersonators.
You might expect to find these impersonators playing at the Sands or the Sahara in Las Vegas or reliving Sinatra's ring-a-ding-ding days in a Mob-connected casino.
But for one night, the Rat Pack will bring a seemingly never-ending bachelor party to the Dragon Room of the Imperial Lounge as Saturday's Rat Pack Extravaganza brings to life three leaders of the Pack.
Madison lounge crooner Joe Scalissi plays the role of Martin and he'll be joined by Chicagoans Jack D'Amico as Sinatra and Lonnie Parlor as Davis.
Scalissi promises it will be a trip back to the days when gambling was glamorous, and cultural influence and political power were intertwined.
Scalissi, 33, is the best-known of the trio -- at least locally -- having won a Ho-Chunk Casino impersonator contest about five years ago and then taking his lounge show and songs such as ``That's Amore'' and ``Everybody Loves Somebody'' to restaurants, nightclubs and festivals all over Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago and even Steubenville, Ohio, the birthplace of Dino Crocetti (Dean Martin).
In fact, when the Rat Pack Extravaganza wraps up, Scalissi will turn his attention to Steubenville's annual Dean Martin Birthday Bash, where he will be the featured act June 16 and 17.
In July, he will join D'Amico for shows at Milwaukee's Festa Italiana.
Scalissi says he has known D'Amico and Parlor for about five years. They met through performing and realized they shared a passion for what some consider the coolest clique in show business -- the Rat Pack.
``This music is ageless,'' Scalissi opines.
Using a script, the Rat Pack Extravaganza trio promises not only music from the Rat Pack's ``Summit'' shows, but booze jokes, one-upping of each other, an on-stage liquor cart (in this case a table), and an amazing resemblance to the real Rat Packers.
In fact, one of the first things people notice about D'Amico is that, like Sinatra, he really does have blue eyes. Add to that a saloon-style voice.
``I always liked Sinatra's music and I was the kind of guy who always sat in at the piano bars,'' D'Amico, 47, recalls. ``People told me I sounded just like him (Sinatra). It's kind of been my blessing and my curse.''
A blessing in that he says everybody loves Sinatra songs.
``Myself included, and the benefit is that I get to sing the kind of music that I like,'' D'Amico says. ``My favorite songs to perform are the love songs and I like to do the fan favorites like `Fly Me to the Moon' and `Summer Wind.' ''
His Sinatra style has been a curse at times, though, because sometimes people stereotype him.
``People put you into that bracket and think that that is all you can do,'' he says.
D'Amico has been impersonating Sinatra for about 16 years and says he is constantly studying Sinatra's mannerisms to perfect his impersonations. He saw Sinatra perform three times live and has studied Sinatra shows on video.
``The big thing is the mannerism and the timing,'' he says.
D'Amico adds that he shares a stubbornness with Sinatra, though he considers himself less rough on the exterior than Old Blue Eyes.
Parlor is equally meticulous about his characterization. D'Amico and Parlor have quite a Rat Pack history, having performed together as part of ``The Pack Is Back'' show at Piper's Alley in the Phantom Sands Hotel in Chicago and the Chicago Rat Pack show, which they took to Aruba for 28 weeks.
Parlor has been singing rhythm and blues since he was 13 and performing professionally for 36 years.
``People have always told me that I look and sound like Sammy Davis Jr.,'' notes Parlor, 49. ``It's been a lifelong thing. I can recall getting into fistfights because people kept comparing me to him and I just got tired of hearing it.''
Eventually, Parlor gave in to ``The Candy Man'' comparisons and started impersonating Davis.
``You strive so hard to be yourself, but some things in life you can't control,'' he says.
In 1978, Parlor even performed for Davis and then met the star at a post-show party where the two discussed their similarities.
``The thing outside of personal appearance that always tied me to him (Sammy) was our demeanor. Sammy had a way -- they call it controlling the stage,'' Parlor notes. ``He never isolated people, but pulled them in . . . and one of the things I enjoy about Sammy is that he was one of the most gracious individuals I ever met.''
Parlor, like Scalissi and D'Amico, believes that the Rat Pack tributes are drawing large young crowds (teens to 20s) because young people are looking for what Sinatra had -- an I-did-it-my-way attitude and a swing-style swagger.
``The big band thing is very big right now,'' Parlor notes.
``This music is light-hearted, and when you get to a serious song it tells a story,'' D'Amico adds. ``I think this is also a nostalgic period. In the '60s there wasn't all the political correctness and all of the stuffiness and all that. It was more or less a time when people just wanted to enjoy themselves, and this is the kind of music that leans to that.''
Parlor says he and D'Amico have spent years honing the Rat Pack Extravaganza script for authenticity.
``Once you get into the Rat Pack, they all have so many idiosyncrasies,'' Parlor notes. ``Every time you think you know it all, somebody pops up and tells you, `Did you know that he held his little finger this way?' ''
But while Parlor admits the Rat Pack show is fun and pays the bills, he says he hasn't lost track of who he is inside.
``Some of these Elvis guys start thinking they are Elvis. It's like I want to tell them, `Wake up, hello, you are an actor. Let it go,' '' Parlor says. ``As far as Sammy goes for me, when the curtain goes down, Sammy goes back to bed.''
The Rat Pack Extravaganza< The Rat Pack Extravaganza show features Lonnie Parlor as Sammy Davis Jr., Joe Scalissi as Dean Martin and Jack D'Amico as Frank Sinatra, 9 p.m. Saturday at the Imperial Palace, 1291 N. Sherman Ave. Tickets are $25 adv. Call 241-7708 or visit the Web at www.palaceentertainment.net.
For more information on Scalissi and his upcoming shows, visit the Web at www.joescalissi.com. For information on D'Amico, go to http://members.aol.com/jackswings/start.html. Parlor's Web site is http://outernet.web.com/lonnie/index.html.
`RAT PACK' TRIO RETURNS '60S COOL TO THE STAGE.(Rhythm)
They were -- and to many still are -- the epitome of cool. Hipsters to the core.
In fact, surrounded by cocktail dresses, cigar smoke, martinis and mystery, the Rat Pack took a punch at the ``squares'' of society and gave the world a litmus test for a glamorous lounge lifestyle.
And while the original Rat Pack -- Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop -- may be gone, its libido lingers.
Not just in the form of movies, books and cable TV rebroadcasts of the Rat Pack's '60s concerts, but as tribute concerts and Rat Pack impersonators.
You might expect to find these impersonators playing at the Sands or the Sahara in Las Vegas or reliving Sinatra's ring-a-ding-ding days in a Mob-connected casino.
But for one night, the Rat Pack will bring a seemingly never-ending bachelor party to the Dragon Room of the Imperial Lounge as Saturday's Rat Pack Extravaganza brings to life three leaders of the Pack.
Madison lounge crooner Joe Scalissi plays the role of Martin and he'll be joined by Chicagoans Jack D'Amico as Sinatra and Lonnie Parlor as Davis.
Scalissi promises it will be a trip back to the days when gambling was glamorous, and cultural influence and political power were intertwined.
Scalissi, 33, is the best-known of the trio -- at least locally -- having won a Ho-Chunk Casino impersonator contest about five years ago and then taking his lounge show and songs such as ``That's Amore'' and ``Everybody Loves Somebody'' to restaurants, nightclubs and festivals all over Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago and even Steubenville, Ohio, the birthplace of Dino Crocetti (Dean Martin).
In fact, when the Rat Pack Extravaganza wraps up, Scalissi will turn his attention to Steubenville's annual Dean Martin Birthday Bash, where he will be the featured act June 16 and 17.
In July, he will join D'Amico for shows at Milwaukee's Festa Italiana.
Scalissi says he has known D'Amico and Parlor for about five years. They met through performing and realized they shared a passion for what some consider the coolest clique in show business -- the Rat Pack.
``This music is ageless,'' Scalissi opines.
Using a script, the Rat Pack Extravaganza trio promises not only music from the Rat Pack's ``Summit'' shows, but booze jokes, one-upping of each other, an on-stage liquor cart (in this case a table), and an amazing resemblance to the real Rat Packers.
In fact, one of the first things people notice about D'Amico is that, like Sinatra, he really does have blue eyes. Add to that a saloon-style voice.
``I always liked Sinatra's music and I was the kind of guy who always sat in at the piano bars,'' D'Amico, 47, recalls. ``People told me I sounded just like him (Sinatra). It's kind of been my blessing and my curse.''
A blessing in that he says everybody loves Sinatra songs.
``Myself included, and the benefit is that I get to sing the kind of music that I like,'' D'Amico says. ``My favorite songs to perform are the love songs and I like to do the fan favorites like `Fly Me to the Moon' and `Summer Wind.' ''
His Sinatra style has been a curse at times, though, because sometimes people stereotype him.
``People put you into that bracket and think that that is all you can do,'' he says.
D'Amico has been impersonating Sinatra for about 16 years and says he is constantly studying Sinatra's mannerisms to perfect his impersonations. He saw Sinatra perform three times live and has studied Sinatra shows on video.
``The big thing is the mannerism and the timing,'' he says.
D'Amico adds that he shares a stubbornness with Sinatra, though he considers himself less rough on the exterior than Old Blue Eyes.
Parlor is equally meticulous about his characterization. D'Amico and Parlor have quite a Rat Pack history, having performed together as part of ``The Pack Is Back'' show at Piper's Alley in the Phantom Sands Hotel in Chicago and the Chicago Rat Pack show, which they took to Aruba for 28 weeks.
Parlor has been singing rhythm and blues since he was 13 and performing professionally for 36 years.
``People have always told me that I look and sound like Sammy Davis Jr.,'' notes Parlor, 49. ``It's been a lifelong thing. I can recall getting into fistfights because people kept comparing me to him and I just got tired of hearing it.''
Eventually, Parlor gave in to ``The Candy Man'' comparisons and started impersonating Davis.
``You strive so hard to be yourself, but some things in life you can't control,'' he says.
In 1978, Parlor even performed for Davis and then met the star at a post-show party where the two discussed their similarities.
``The thing outside of personal appearance that always tied me to him (Sammy) was our demeanor. Sammy had a way -- they call it controlling the stage,'' Parlor notes. ``He never isolated people, but pulled them in . . . and one of the things I enjoy about Sammy is that he was one of the most gracious individuals I ever met.''
Parlor, like Scalissi and D'Amico, believes that the Rat Pack tributes are drawing large young crowds (teens to 20s) because young people are looking for what Sinatra had -- an I-did-it-my-way attitude and a swing-style swagger.
``The big band thing is very big right now,'' Parlor notes.
``This music is light-hearted, and when you get to a serious song it tells a story,'' D'Amico adds. ``I think this is also a nostalgic period. In the '60s there wasn't all the political correctness and all of the stuffiness and all that. It was more or less a time when people just wanted to enjoy themselves, and this is the kind of music that leans to that.''
Parlor says he and D'Amico have spent years honing the Rat Pack Extravaganza script for authenticity.
``Once you get into the Rat Pack, they all have so many idiosyncrasies,'' Parlor notes. ``Every time you think you know it all, somebody pops up and tells you, `Did you know that he held his little finger this way?' ''
But while Parlor admits the Rat Pack show is fun and pays the bills, he says he hasn't lost track of who he is inside.
``Some of these Elvis guys start thinking they are Elvis. It's like I want to tell them, `Wake up, hello, you are an actor. Let it go,' '' Parlor says. ``As far as Sammy goes for me, when the curtain goes down, Sammy goes back to bed.''
The Rat Pack Extravaganza< The Rat Pack Extravaganza show features Lonnie Parlor as Sammy Davis Jr., Joe Scalissi as Dean Martin and Jack D'Amico as Frank Sinatra, 9 p.m. Saturday at the Imperial Palace, 1291 N. Sherman Ave. Tickets are $25 adv. Call 241-7708 or visit the Web at www.palaceentertainment.net.
For more information on Scalissi and his upcoming shows, visit the Web at www.joescalissi.com. For information on D'Amico, go to http://members.aol.com/jackswings/start.html. Parlor's Web site is http://outernet.web.com/lonnie/index.html.
`RAT PACK' TRIO RETURNS '60S COOL TO THE STAGE.(Rhythm)
They were -- and to many still are -- the epitome of cool. Hipsters to the core.
In fact, surrounded by cocktail dresses, cigar smoke, martinis and mystery, the Rat Pack took a punch at the ``squares'' of society and gave the world a litmus test for a glamorous lounge lifestyle.
And while the original Rat Pack -- Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop -- may be gone, its libido lingers.
Not just in the form of movies, books and cable TV rebroadcasts of the Rat Pack's '60s concerts, but as tribute concerts and Rat Pack impersonators.
You might expect to find these impersonators playing at the Sands or the Sahara in Las Vegas or reliving Sinatra's ring-a-ding-ding days in a Mob-connected casino.
But for one night, the Rat Pack will bring a seemingly never-ending bachelor party to the Dragon Room of the Imperial Lounge as Saturday's Rat Pack Extravaganza brings to life three leaders of the Pack.
Madison lounge crooner Joe Scalissi plays the role of Martin and he'll be joined by Chicagoans Jack D'Amico as Sinatra and Lonnie Parlor as Davis.
Scalissi promises it will be a trip back to the days when gambling was glamorous, and cultural influence and political power were intertwined.
Scalissi, 33, is the best-known of the trio -- at least locally -- having won a Ho-Chunk Casino impersonator contest about five years ago and then taking his lounge show and songs such as ``That's Amore'' and ``Everybody Loves Somebody'' to restaurants, nightclubs and festivals all over Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago and even Steubenville, Ohio, the birthplace of Dino Crocetti (Dean Martin).
In fact, when the Rat Pack Extravaganza wraps up, Scalissi will turn his attention to Steubenville's annual Dean Martin Birthday Bash, where he will be the featured act June 16 and 17.
In July, he will join D'Amico for shows at Milwaukee's Festa Italiana.
Scalissi says he has known D'Amico and Parlor for about five years. They met through performing and realized they shared a passion for what some consider the coolest clique in show business -- the Rat Pack.
``This music is ageless,'' Scalissi opines.
Using a script, the Rat Pack Extravaganza trio promises not only music from the Rat Pack's ``Summit'' shows, but booze jokes, one-upping of each other, an on-stage liquor cart (in this case a table), and an amazing resemblance to the real Rat Packers.
In fact, one of the first things people notice about D'Amico is that, like Sinatra, he really does have blue eyes. Add to that a saloon-style voice.
``I always liked Sinatra's music and I was the kind of guy who always sat in at the piano bars,'' D'Amico, 47, recalls. ``People told me I sounded just like him (Sinatra). It's kind of been my blessing and my curse.''
A blessing in that he says everybody loves Sinatra songs.
``Myself included, and the benefit is that I get to sing the kind of music that I like,'' D'Amico says. ``My favorite songs to perform are the love songs and I like to do the fan favorites like `Fly Me to the Moon' and `Summer Wind.' ''
His Sinatra style has been a curse at times, though, because sometimes people stereotype him.
``People put you into that bracket and think that that is all you can do,'' he says.
D'Amico has been impersonating Sinatra for about 16 years and says he is constantly studying Sinatra's mannerisms to perfect his impersonations. He saw Sinatra perform three times live and has studied Sinatra shows on video.
``The big thing is the mannerism and the timing,'' he says.
D'Amico adds that he shares a stubbornness with Sinatra, though he considers himself less rough on the exterior than Old Blue Eyes.
Parlor is equally meticulous about his characterization. D'Amico and Parlor have quite a Rat Pack history, having performed together as part of ``The Pack Is Back'' show at Piper's Alley in the Phantom Sands Hotel in Chicago and the Chicago Rat Pack show, which they took to Aruba for 28 weeks.
Parlor has been singing rhythm and blues since he was 13 and performing professionally for 36 years.
``People have always told me that I look and sound like Sammy Davis Jr.,'' notes Parlor, 49. ``It's been a lifelong thing. I can recall getting into fistfights because people kept comparing me to him and I just got tired of hearing it.''
Eventually, Parlor gave in to ``The Candy Man'' comparisons and started impersonating Davis.
``You strive so hard to be yourself, but some things in life you can't control,'' he says.
In 1978, Parlor even performed for Davis and then met the star at a post-show party where the two discussed their similarities.
``The thing outside of personal appearance that always tied me to him (Sammy) was our demeanor. Sammy had a way -- they call it controlling the stage,'' Parlor notes. ``He never isolated people, but pulled them in . . . and one of the things I enjoy about Sammy is that he was one of the most gracious individuals I ever met.''
Parlor, like Scalissi and D'Amico, believes that the Rat Pack tributes are drawing large young crowds (teens to 20s) because young people are looking for what Sinatra had -- an I-did-it-my-way attitude and a swing-style swagger.
``The big band thing is very big right now,'' Parlor notes.
``This music is light-hearted, and when you get to a serious song it tells a story,'' D'Amico adds. ``I think this is also a nostalgic period. In the '60s there wasn't all the political correctness and all of the stuffiness and all that. It was more or less a time when people just wanted to enjoy themselves, and this is the kind of music that leans to that.''
Parlor says he and D'Amico have spent years honing the Rat Pack Extravaganza script for authenticity.
``Once you get into the Rat Pack, they all have so many idiosyncrasies,'' Parlor notes. ``Every time you think you know it all, somebody pops up and tells you, `Did you know that he held his little finger this way?' ''
But while Parlor admits the Rat Pack show is fun and pays the bills, he says he hasn't lost track of who he is inside.
``Some of these Elvis guys start thinking they are Elvis. It's like I want to tell them, `Wake up, hello, you are an actor. Let it go,' '' Parlor says. ``As far as Sammy goes for me, when the curtain goes down, Sammy goes back to bed.''
The Rat Pack Extravaganza< The Rat Pack Extravaganza show features Lonnie Parlor as Sammy Davis Jr., Joe Scalissi as Dean Martin and Jack D'Amico as Frank Sinatra, 9 p.m. Saturday at the Imperial Palace, 1291 N. Sherman Ave. Tickets are $25 adv. Call 241-7708 or visit the Web at www.palaceentertainment.net.
For more information on Scalissi and his upcoming shows, visit the Web at www.joescalissi.com. For information on D'Amico, go to http://members.aol.com/jackswings/start.html. Parlor's Web site is http://outernet.web.com/lonnie/index.html.
`RAT PACK' TRIO RETURNS '60S COOL TO THE STAGE.(Rhythm)
They were -- and to many still are -- the epitome of cool. Hipsters to the core.
In fact, surrounded by cocktail dresses, cigar smoke, martinis and mystery, the Rat Pack took a punch at the ``squares'' of society and gave the world a litmus test for a glamorous lounge lifestyle.
And while the original Rat Pack -- Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop -- may be gone, its libido lingers.
Not just in the form of movies, books and cable TV rebroadcasts of the Rat Pack's '60s concerts, but as tribute concerts and Rat Pack impersonators.
You might expect to find these impersonators playing at the Sands or the Sahara in Las Vegas or reliving Sinatra's ring-a-ding-ding days in a Mob-connected casino.
But for one night, the Rat Pack will bring a seemingly never-ending bachelor party to the Dragon Room of the Imperial Lounge as Saturday's Rat Pack Extravaganza brings to life three leaders of the Pack.
Madison lounge crooner Joe Scalissi plays the role of Martin and he'll be joined by Chicagoans Jack D'Amico as Sinatra and Lonnie Parlor as Davis.
Scalissi promises it will be a trip back to the days when gambling was glamorous, and cultural influence and political power were intertwined.
Scalissi, 33, is the best-known of the trio -- at least locally -- having won a Ho-Chunk Casino impersonator contest about five years ago and then taking his lounge show and songs such as ``That's Amore'' and ``Everybody Loves Somebody'' to restaurants, nightclubs and festivals all over Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago and even Steubenville, Ohio, the birthplace of Dino Crocetti (Dean Martin).
In fact, when the Rat Pack Extravaganza wraps up, Scalissi will turn his attention to Steubenville's annual Dean Martin Birthday Bash, where he will be the featured act June 16 and 17.
In July, he will join D'Amico for shows at Milwaukee's Festa Italiana.
Scalissi says he has known D'Amico and Parlor for about five years. They met through performing and realized they shared a passion for what some consider the coolest clique in show business -- the Rat Pack.
``This music is ageless,'' Scalissi opines.
Using a script, the Rat Pack Extravaganza trio promises not only music from the Rat Pack's ``Summit'' shows, but booze jokes, one-upping of each other, an on-stage liquor cart (in this case a table), and an amazing resemblance to the real Rat Packers.
In fact, one of the first things people notice about D'Amico is that, like Sinatra, he really does have blue eyes. Add to that a saloon-style voice.
``I always liked Sinatra's music and I was the kind of guy who always sat in at the piano bars,'' D'Amico, 47, recalls. ``People told me I sounded just like him (Sinatra). It's kind of been my blessing and my curse.''
A blessing in that he says everybody loves Sinatra songs.
``Myself included, and the benefit is that I get to sing the kind of music that I like,'' D'Amico says. ``My favorite songs to perform are the love songs and I like to do the fan favorites like `Fly Me to the Moon' and `Summer Wind.' ''
His Sinatra style has been a curse at times, though, because sometimes people stereotype him.
``People put you into that bracket and think that that is all you can do,'' he says.
D'Amico has been impersonating Sinatra for about 16 years and says he is constantly studying Sinatra's mannerisms to perfect his impersonations. He saw Sinatra perform three times live and has studied Sinatra shows on video.
``The big thing is the mannerism and the timing,'' he says.
D'Amico adds that he shares a stubbornness with Sinatra, though he considers himself less rough on the exterior than Old Blue Eyes.
Parlor is equally meticulous about his characterization. D'Amico and Parlor have quite a Rat Pack history, having performed together as part of ``The Pack Is Back'' show at Piper's Alley in the Phantom Sands Hotel in Chicago and the Chicago Rat Pack show, which they took to Aruba for 28 weeks.
Parlor has been singing rhythm and blues since he was 13 and performing professionally for 36 years.
``People have always told me that I look and sound like Sammy Davis Jr.,'' notes Parlor, 49. ``It's been a lifelong thing. I can recall getting into fistfights because people kept comparing me to him and I just got tired of hearing it.''
Eventually, Parlor gave in to ``The Candy Man'' comparisons and started impersonating Davis.
``You strive so hard to be yourself, but some things in life you can't control,'' he says.
In 1978, Parlor even performed for Davis and then met the star at a post-show party where the two discussed their similarities.
``The thing outside of personal appearance that always tied me to him (Sammy) was our demeanor. Sammy had a way -- they call it controlling the stage,'' Parlor notes. ``He never isolated people, but pulled them in . . . and one of the things I enjoy about Sammy is that he was one of the most gracious individuals I ever met.''
Parlor, like Scalissi and D'Amico, believes that the Rat Pack tributes are drawing large young crowds (teens to 20s) because young people are looking for what Sinatra had -- an I-did-it-my-way attitude and a swing-style swagger.
``The big band thing is very big right now,'' Parlor notes.
``This music is light-hearted, and when you get to a serious song it tells a story,'' D'Amico adds. ``I think this is also a nostalgic period. In the '60s there wasn't all the political correctness and all of the stuffiness and all that. It was more or less a time when people just wanted to enjoy themselves, and this is the kind of music that leans to that.''
Parlor says he and D'Amico have spent years honing the Rat Pack Extravaganza script for authenticity.
``Once you get into the Rat Pack, they all have so many idiosyncrasies,'' Parlor notes. ``Every time you think you know it all, somebody pops up and tells you, `Did you know that he held his little finger this way?' ''
But while Parlor admits the Rat Pack show is fun and pays the bills, he says he hasn't lost track of who he is inside.
``Some of these Elvis guys start thinking they are Elvis. It's like I want to tell them, `Wake up, hello, you are an actor. Let it go,' '' Parlor says. ``As far as Sammy goes for me, when the curtain goes down, Sammy goes back to bed.''
The Rat Pack Extravaganza< The Rat Pack Extravaganza show features Lonnie Parlor as Sammy Davis Jr., Joe Scalissi as Dean Martin and Jack D'Amico as Frank Sinatra, 9 p.m. Saturday at the Imperial Palace, 1291 N. Sherman Ave. Tickets are $25 adv. Call 241-7708 or visit the Web at www.palaceentertainment.net.
For more information on Scalissi and his upcoming shows, visit the Web at www.joescalissi.com. For information on D'Amico, go to http://members.aol.com/jackswings/start.html. Parlor's Web site is http://outernet.web.com/lonnie/index.html.
