Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular Show comes to Birmingham

When Wayne Kennedy started the Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular Show, he simply wanted an excuse to sing.

The lifelong fan of the Great American Songbook thought the show would be fun – he didn't realise it would be a decade-long hit that has become more

popular by the year.

The production has proved popular in the West Midlands on previous visits and will return on Thursday when it headlines the New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham.

Wayne said: "It's my production, I began the show. I never thought that we'd be selling out and setting box office records for some of the UK's biggest theatres, like the Edinburgh Playhouse.

"The other week, we played to 5,000 people at Epsom Race Course. It's been massive."

Wayne has spent 25 years immersed in the Great America Songbook. His favourite Rat Pack performer was always Dean Martin, whose voice was most similar to his.

Wayne adds: "I stayed with Dean because I thought the tone of his voice would suit mine the most. My background was in the rock 'n' roll of the seventies. I had a few records out then and nearly made it. But during the past decade or so, I've really focused on the Rat Pack."

Wayne has always been a fan of American music and has spent many years dealing in music and film memorabilia. He has also spent many months in the USA, focusing on the culture of the 1950s and 1960s.

He says: "They were real stars back in those days. It wasn't some false idea of celebrity: they were real stars."

The Rat Pack has changed down the years, so that audiences always have something new to enjoy.

It began as a solo show, morphed into a three-man show and then became an all-singing, all-dancing spectacular with an orchestra. "We're like Formula 1. We change ever week. We're in a different town with a slightly different show and different jokes," added Wayne.

"There's a lot of work goes into it. We try to make sure people get a great night. We are always looking at ways to improve."

Wayne is looking forward to visiting Shrewsbury next month, with the show visiting Theatre Severn on October 3.

"Our show hasn't played Shrewsbury before, it'll be our first show at Theatre Severn, so we're very much looking forward to that.

"We've done the Alexandra Theatre before and we always enjoy it. Playing Dean Martin is always a blast, I thoroughly enjoy it. It's a fast-paced show, so the adults enjoy it and the children don't get bored.

"That era gave us great songwriters and brilliant performers. We try to recreate those times."

The Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular reaches the New Alexandra Theatre, in Birmingham, on Thursday. Tickets are available at www.atgtickets.com, tickets for Theatre Severn are available at www.theatresevern.co.uk.