As I mentioned in my trip report, I had a chance to see the new "Rat Pack is Back" show at the Desert Inn last week. The following is a very good review and description of the show.

COLUMN: Michael Paskevich LVRJ 7/30/99

The sextet sharing a booth at the Desert Inn to see "The Rat Pack Is Back" ranged in age from the mid-20s to nearly 80. The point being the ageless allure of Frank, Dino, Sammy and the cool vibe they brought to Vegas in the early 1960s before America was torn apart by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the ensuing deaths of more than 57,000 Americans in Vietnam.

Student protests and four shot dead by the National Guard at Kent State University. Long-haired hippies vs. crew-cut hawks. The women's movement, affirmative action and political correctness. No one was even thinking of such divisive issues on Dec. 12, 1961, the day Rat Pack leader Frank Sinatra celebrated his 46th birthday.

That's the undertone in the Desert Inn's 300-seat Starlight Lounge, where impersonators and a great live band offer an impressive look back at an era nicknamed Camelot and a collectively confident America that saw nothing but even better days ahead.

Comic Joey Bishop, the sole surviving Pack sidekick, is played with fitting reserve by Los Angeles' Hiram Kasten, who opens the show with 15 minutes of hit-and-miss gags as opening act for headliner Sinatra. Fellow Californian Bobby Caldwell, who had one hit of his own with "What You Won't Do For Love" in 1979, is equally understated when he takes the stage with a series of the saloon singer's classics such as "Luck Be a Lady" with the Lon Bronson big band cranking out lush arrangements.

Drink, cigarette and microphone in one hand, Caldwell's Sinatra is not a heartwarming character -- nor was the real thing -- as he takes to a stool under a sole spotlight to sing a ballad. That's when "The Rat Pack Is Back" really begins as Dean Martin -- played to varying degrees of effect by young Southern Californian Steve Apple in a thick black toupee -- stumbles on the scene and crashes the Chairman's show. Sinatra doesn't mind, of course, and Dino croons "Everybody Loves Somebody " and "That's Amore" to fine effect and laudable vocal similarity.

The attractive Starlight room is ringed with vintage black-and-white photos and multicolored balloons bounce against the ceiling, creating a festive air that exceeds the comfort level of the dingy and now-defunct Sands Copa Room where the Rat Pack staged memorable shows that were so well-rehearsed as to seem completely spontaneous.

The sudden entrance of Sammy Davis Jr. (local lounge veteran Tony Tillman) captures that vibe and leads to some quality banter and songs with Dean, while Sinatra exits for a break with an attractive showgirl. To his credit, Tillman interprets Davis without aiming for perfect replication, letting his natural moves and unforced air create a believable and likeable character.

He's not a mere mimic when he sings "Old Black Magic," capturing the mood more with his loose-limbed movements and happy demeanor. He prefaces a wistful but not overwrought, bowler-hat version of "Mr. Bojangles by saying, "I won't really be singing this song until 1968, but you're here and I'm here, so what the hell."

It's the only time in the clever show written and co-produced by David Cassidy and veteran TV writer Don Reo in which the harsher reality outside is acknowledged. Also, the real Sammy was often used as the butt of racial jokes, which are avoided wisely in the show that has been drawing big crowds at the (no longer) Deserted Inn since it opened earlier this month.

And the cast already is beginning to tinker with the text, a further encouraging sign that this consistently pleasing affair will grow even better as the onstage comfort factor flourishes.

Cassidy himself, looking sleek playing audience guest Bobby Darin, hops onstage for a swinging take on "Mack the Knife" that rouses the crowd further with each arm swing, pointed finger and strongly sustained note. His guest stints, while temporary, add more zip to a mighty fine show that reaches its peak when all four principals are onstage for the final 15 or so minutes, trading some funny cracks including a classic about God coaching a blackjack player.

A couple of harsh punch lines supply more authenticity and a homestretch run of great songs such as "Pennies from Heaven," "A Foggy Day (in London Town)" and a horn-driven "Birth of the Blues" makes this a feel-good show that pleased everyone in the house, age being no factor.

"The Rat Pack Is Back" is very hip and only rarely hokey, showing solid promise as the well-priced $30 show that's been missing from the Strip for too long. Whether you saw the real Rat Pack or not, this quality new arrival indeed captures the happiness of an era that many consider as Vegas' zenith. Times have changed, of course, but this show is surely worth a look.

"The Rat Pack Is Back" is presented at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. Tuesdays; 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 11 p.m. Fridays; 8:30 and 11 p.m. Saturdays; and 7:30 p.m. Sundays at the Desert Inn, 3145 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Grade: B+