Garrett Phillips, Nigel Casey and David Hayes to Star in West End's 'THE RAT PACK' This Winter

Final casting is announced today for the West End production of the Olivier Award-nominated The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas, which returns to the Theatre Royal, Haymarket - home to its first West End run in 2003 - for a strictly limited season from Wednesday 13 December - Saturday 3 February.

The cast features Garrett Phillips as Frank Sinatra, Nigel Casey (Dean Martin), David Hayes (Sammy Davis Jr), with Joanna Walters, Amelia Adams-Pearce, Rebecca Parker and Laura Darton as The Burrelli Sisters. Musical Director of the 12-piece Rat Pack Big Band is Matthew Freeman.

Nicola Emmanuelle (above) will also join the show from Tuesday January 9 to celebrate the 100th anniversay of the birth of the First Lady of Song and Queen of Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald. Songs featured in this special edition of the production will include Night and Day, The Lady is a Tramp, Mack the Knife and S'Wonderful.

From 13 December to 6 January, The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas - devised, directed and choreographed by Mitch Sebastian - will have a Christmas theme with the Pack's unique take on such festive classics as Baby It's Cold Outside, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, White Christmas, Winter Wonderland, Jingle Bells and Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.

The original show updated

At the start of the 1960s, The Rat Pack led by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. were the toast of Las Vegas. With the world's rich and famous jetting in to see them joke around and sing some of the finest songs ever written, the guys also starred together in a series of glamorous Hollywood films, set fashion trends, rubbed shoulders with the US President, politicians and mobsters... and partied hard as the coolest cats on the planet. The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas recreates that special time. Prepare to drift back in time to an era of glitzy nights spent on the Vegas strip in the company of three of the world's most popular entertainers. This spectacular production - with a very special Christmas theme until 6 January - celebrates the incredible singing talent of three world-famous entertainers and performers and some of the finest music and song that has ever been recorded. Frank, Sammy and Dean are once again performing in the world-renowned Copa Room at the famous Sands Hotel, supported by the fabulous Burrelli Sisters and The Rat Pack Big Band in a critically acclaimed show that clocked up over 1,000 West End performances on its West End premiere. Frequently imitated but never bettered, The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas features hit after hit, including Pack favourites The Lady is a Tramp, Mr Bojangles, That's Amore, I've Got You Under My Skin, What Kind of Fool Am I?, Volare, My Way, Candyman, Everybody Loves Somebody and many, many more. If you wish you'd swung with the hardest partying pack in town, now's your chance!

Now for 2018 with a special guest...

Director and Choreographer Mitch Sebastian said: "We are thrilled to introduce Ella Fitzgerald to the show for 2018 in both the West End and later UK tour dates, to celebrate the centenary of this great singers birth. The recipient of 13 Grammy Awards and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Ella was an artist Frank respected - 'the best way to start any musical evening is with this girl. It don't get better than this', he says on one recording. The warmth of their friendship really shines through on the many Youtube videos of their amazing performances together. They duetted live and in several TV specials including 'The Frank Sinatra Show' to a global audience of millions. It was the series of highly successful - and lucrative - concerts in 1974 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, and later for two weeks on Broadway headlining Ella, Frank and Count Basie, that are cited as an important incentive to bring Frank out of self-imposed retirement."

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Garrett Phillips (Frank Sinatra)
As an Irish actor and singer he is a familiar face on screen and stage, having starred in five series of the popular TV drama Ros Na Rún as Dr Cathal Hennessy. He also performs regularly with several bands including the 18-piece Black Magic Big Band, covering The Great American Songbook. His recent theatre roles include The Father in Blood Wedding and The King in Dr. Faustus. Winner of Best Male Voice at the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera, his musical theatre roles have included Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph in Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cliff in Cabaret, Melvin Thorpe in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Doody in Grease.

Nigel Casey (Dean Martin)
Nigel has enjoyed enormous success across Europe since he began his career as Greaseball in Starlight Express. His other starring roles include Billy Flynn in Chicago, Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Danny in Grease, both Bernado and Riff in West Side Story , Monty in Saturday Night Fever and the Pharoah in Joseph and his Technicor Dreamcoat. His self-written and produced album, Forever's A Long Time, was released to huge success in Germany. He previously played Dean Martin in The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas at the Savoy theatre and across America.

David Hayes (Sammy Davis Jr)
David has performed in The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas in the West End, touring the UK, in Germany, Denmark and across the US. Sammy Davis Jr actually saw David perform as him in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and said: "That was the best singing impersonation of me that I've ever heard!" An accomplished comedian and emcee, he has opened for and worked with such greats as George Lopez, The Temptations, The Four Tops, KC & The Sunshine Band, Herbie Hancock, Tower of Power, and Florence Henderson.

Nicola Emmanuelle (Ella Fitzgerald)
London-born Nicola comes from a South African jazz dynasty: her Father, Nathan 'Dambuza' Mdledle, was the founder and lead singer of the Manhattan Brothers and a hall of famer, her Mother, Louisa Manuel, also in the South African hall of fame, was a singer with the 'Woodpeckers'. Nicola attended the Cleo Laine school of music followed by the Bourne school of music and Goldsmiths foundation, then enjoyed a Classical training by Elizabeth Anderson Kramer. Her understanding of the feel and swing of the best of the past, and her own contemporary iconic style and individuality adds to and supports a voice of mesmerising purity and beauty. Many acts have recently tried to encompass the enduring appeal of the great jazz singers and writers. Few if any, have the capacity or talent to do it with such authenticity or affection as Nicola Emmanuelle.

Mitch Sebastian (Writer, Director and Choreograper)
Mitch Sebastian is a director, choreographer and writer. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, his career has taken him from performer to director to producer, having worked alongside Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Dame Gillian Lynne, Peter Hall Theatre Company, Sir Matthew Bourne and Kurt Masur at the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In the UK, he was nominated for an Olivier Award and WhatsOnStage Award for writing and directing the hit West End show, The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas. He went on to direct the film for American TV and productions continue to play worldwide. Sebastian was also the Artistic Director of Kilworth House Theatre, England's leading open-air theatre, for nine years during which he directed 15 landmark musicals. He created a seminal production of Pippin at the Menier Chocolate Factory with Stephen Schwartz. Sebastian also produced, devised and directed The Opera Show before launching a world tour in 2010. He also directed and choreographed the Olivier Awards ceremony. Internationally, Sebastian has directed large-scale arena productions of Chicago throughout the Middle-East and Asia. He directed the national premiere of The Sound of Music in Bogota, Colombia, which remains a box office sensation and the longest-running musical in Colombia. Sebastian returned to Bogota with Peter Pan, which he wrote, directed and choreographed, and was met with critical acclaim. Inspired by his travels, he went on to win a BAFTA award as part of the creative team behind the children's animation series, Yoko, Jakamoto Toto. He also collaborated with Paula Abdul in the USA to create a new entertainment, Cheer! for Broadway producers, Richard Frankel Productions and with Hiroaki Omote in Japan to generate Saviour IV multi media series. Sebastian is currently Creative Director working for Passport Theatrical Group, NYC.

Matthew Freeman (Musical Supervisor)
Matthew Freeman has enjoyed an active performing career worldwide since the West End debut of The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2003. He supervised the recording of the DVD of the show and has conducted The Rat Pack with the London Symphony Orchestra at Blenheim Palace and the Barbican. Matthew Freeman is a platinum and gold disc award-winning conductor, arranger and pianist who enjoys a diverse international career. His association with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra began in 2004 with the album Symphonic Rock. He has conducted the latest album in the series, More Symphonic Rock, and in 2014, conducted concert performances in Russia and the Baltics. In 2010, he conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales, celebrating 25 years of HRH's Business in the Community programme. He recently conducted and arranged the new CD of Symphonic Queen, performed at Royal Albert Hall this October. He arranged and conducted the 2011 album ABBAphonic for the Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra. The concert was premiered at the Royal Albert Hall and performed there again in May of 2017 It was also performed in Moscow and St Petersburg. His first venture into the world of ABBA was to conduct and arrange IQ Magazine's award-winning ABBA The Show. It has played in 38 countries and Wembley Arena. In 2015, he conducted the BBC's Planet Earth Live with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra in Germany and Austria. Planet Earth continued its arena tour in 2016 with Frozen Planet, performing throughout Scandinavia, Germany and Switzerland. He will be conducting the new BBC Planet Earth 2 across Europe in 2018. In 2016, he conducted the Alexandrov Red Army Choir with the Moscow Radio Orchestra in concert at the Moscow House of Music and later that year in Romania. He has conducted and arranged over 50 albums for, amongst others, Larry Adler, Dame Shirley Bassey, Vic Damone, Ruthie Henshall, Howard Keel, Millicent Martin, David Soul, Lorna Luft (creating a duet with Judy Garland) and Roger Whittaker. He was invited to arrange and conduct Decca's celebration of the Queen Mother's 100th Birthday. He has been the personal musical director for Dame Shirley Bassey, Michael Crawford and Anthony Newley, as well as for Mary O'Hara at Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House and for her 16-part television series with the City of London Sinfonia. In 2012, he conducted The King's Singers with the Sønderjyllands Symfoniorkester in Denmark. In February this year he conducted and arranged a concert of Doris Day songs at Cadogan Hall. He is currently orchestrating the music for the Whitney Houston Show for 2018. He has conducted and arranged the music for the British Fashion Award and was Musical Supervisor for the Olivier Awards. At the Royal Variety Performance he conducted Dame Shirley Bassey and for Sir Peter Hall's production of Amadeus at London's Old Vic, he created and performed the fortepiano music. Credits in the film world include vocal coaching with Drew Barrymore, Elizabeth Shue and Keanu Reeves.

The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas is produced by Paul Walden & Derek Nicol for Flying Entertainment & TRH Productions.

Visit www.theratpacklivefromlasvegas.com for more about the show.

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IF YOU GO:

The Rat Pack - Live from Last Vegas
Christmas Edition
Wednesday 13 December 2017 - Saturday 6 January 2018

The Rat Pack - Live From Las Vegas
celebrating Ella Fitzgerald's centenary
Tuesday January 9 - Saturday 3 February

Press Night: Friday 12 January at 7.30pm

At Theatre Royal Haymarket, 18 Suffolk Street, London SW1Y 4HT

Tickets from £15.00
Box office: 020 7930 8800 | www.trh.co.uk | www.flyingmusicboxoffice.com

Running time: Two hours 20 minutes (inc interval)
Monday - Saturday at 7.30pm
Thursday & Saturday at 3.00pm

Prior to the West End, Christmas with The Rat Pack - Live from as Vegas will play:

Tuesday 28 November
Hull New Theatre

Wednesday 29 November
Gateshead The Sage

Thursday 30 November
Halifax Victoria Theatre

Saturday 2 December
Basingstoke The Anvil

Sunday 3 December
Brighton Theatre Royal

Tuesday 5 December
Cambridge Corn Exchange

Thursday 7 December
Nottingham Royal Concert Hall

Friday 8 December
Poole The Lighthouse

Saturday 9 Decermber
Sheffield City Hall

Following the West End season, The Rat Pack - Live from Las Vegas featuring Ella Fitzgerald Centenary Celebration will play:

Tuesday 6 - Saturday 10 February
Glasgow King's Theatre

Tuesday 13 - Saturday 17 February
Liverpool Empire Theatre

Tuesday 20 - Saturday 24 February
Manchester Opera House

Tuesday 27 February - Saturday 3 March
Edinburgh Playhouse

Tuesday 6 - Saturday 10 March
Eastbourne Devonshire Park Theatre

Tuesday 13 - Saturday 17 March
Sunderland Empire Theatre

Tuesday 20 - Saturday 24 March
Cardiff New Theatre

Tuesday 27 - Saturday 31 March
Birmingham Alexandra Theatre

Monday 2- Saturday 7 April
Dublin Gaiety Theatre

Thursday 12- Saturday 14 April
Belfast Waterfront Hall

Tuesday 17- Saturday 21 April
Woking New Victoria Theatre

Tuesday 24 - Saturday 28 April
Blackpool Grand Theatre

Tuesday 1 - Saturday 5 May
Sheffield Lyceum Theatre

Tuesday 8 - Saturday 12 May
Darlington Hippodrome

Monday 14 - Saturday 19 May
Dartford Orchard Theatre

Tuesday 22 - Saturday 26 May
Bath Theatre Royal

Tuesday 29 May - Saturday 2 June
Crawley The Hawth

Tuesday 5 - Saturday 9 June
York Grand Opera House

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