Subtitled The Swingin' New Rat Pack Musical, the musical comedy tells the story of the spirits of Vegas, Hollywood and recording stars Sammy Davis, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin returning to Earth to right a wrong. But to do it, they must inhabit mortal bodies.
The show is co-written by Ray Roderick and James Hindman. Denver Center for the Performing Arts's Denver Center Attractions remains committed to creating new work; Roderick staged a conceptual Irving Berlin revue, I Love a Piano, at DCPA for Denver Center Attrractions in 2002.
Heaven Help Us! premiered at Florida Stage June 25 and continues to Sept. 5. Marcus Neville is the only cast member from the Florida run who will not continue to Denver. He gets replaced by Mark Zimmerman.
The company in the Mile High City will include holdovers Eddie Korbich, Adam Pelty, Julian Rebolledo and Jodi Stevens. Denver actress Shannan Steele (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change) understdies the female role.
The show is billed as "a singin', swingin' homage to the days of highballs and high rollers. It's heaven on earth in Vegas as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. get sent back to the land of the living with one chance to correct a 30-year-old white lie. 'It's a Wonderful Life' meets 'Ocean's Eleven' in this timeless new musical that will take audiences back to the glory days of the Rat Pack." The musical features a 15-piece swing orchestra performing 34 beloved classics on-stage including, "Come Fly With Me," "Ain't That a Kick in the Head," "High Hopes," "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "Volare."
Roderick also directs and choreographs the show he co wrote. Musical direction and orchestrations are by John Glaudini.
Tickets for the Denver run went on sale Aug. 15. For more information, visit www.denvercenter.org.
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The world premiere of the fanciful new Rat Pack musical, Heaven Help Us!, about the spirits of Sammy, Dean and Frank inhabiting bodies to comic and romantic effect, opened July 2 after previews from June 25 at Florida Stage in Manalapan, FL.
For Florida Stage information, visit www.floridastage.org.
