THEATER

Academy's 'Somewhere Beyond the Sea' is a musical tribute to Rat Pack and the era

Sue Mellen
Special to the Cape Cod Times

The show: Somewhere Beyond the Sea: A Night in Vegas,” an original production, directed by Terry Brady, presented by Academy of Performing Arts.

What it's about: It’s sometime in the late 1950s or early 1960s at a little place in Vegas called the Horseshoe Club. Because it’s the era of the Rat Pack (led by Old Blue Eyes of course and including Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.) there is a steady flow in the show of the old Sinatra standards and 50s and 60s classics we all know and love.

Diamonds, left to right, Denise Page, Kimberly Matthews, Jennifer Almeida
(Photo: Courtesy of the Academy of Performing Arts)

The set is the ultimate in simplicity—just a few café tables in front of the curtain. So the focus is on the performers, with the women in shimmery, sequined and satiny gowns, and the men in dark suits, thin ties and rakishly tilted hats. Then there’s Randy Doyle in his lime-green and shimmering dinner jacket. (This is mid-century Vegas, remember, so we expect a healthy ration of sparkle.)

But the real focus of the show is of course the music. (The fact that it bears the title of the old Bobby Darin song tells you that.) There are a staggering 29 numbers in the show, sung by a dozen performers. Naturally, they include the old Sinatra standards like “Fly Me to the Moon,” sung by director Brady, “I Gotta Be Me,” sung by Randy Doyle, and “My Way,” performed by Brady and Bill Farrell. Then there is a whole pocketful of classics from the last century including “A Wink and a Smile,” performed by Ryan VanBuskirk and Kimberly Matthews, “Old Black Magic,” sung by Denise Page and Fred Carpenter, and “Moon River” handled by Jennifer Almeida. (“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” anyone?)

Denise Page and Fred Carpenter

Highlight of the show: Thanks to the coordinated efforts of director Brady and musical director and accompanist Chris Morris, the song list is a particularly satisfying one. The roster is a combo of solos, duets, trios and ensemble numbers, with a couple of audience singalongs, “No Place Like Home for the Holidays” and “Stand By Me,” tacked onto the end for good measure.

Standout numbers include the Etta James classic “At Last” beautifully sung by Matthews and “I Gotta Be Me” and “Can’t Keep My Eyes Off of You” belted out by Doyle as he grasps the old-style microphone and leans towards the audience in his sparkling green garb. And “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” is a fun and quirky piece sung by Denise Page, Matthews and Almeida.

Go or No Go: Go for the trip back in time to the era when the Rat Pack defined celebrity and songstresses were gorgeous and glamorous.

Worth noting: The show had an interesting genesis. According to director Brady, “During rehearsals for ‘Guys and Dolls’ (produced by the theater in June 2022) we would go backstage and fool around singing old Sinatra songs. So we thought it would be great to build a show around the tunes.” “Somewhere” cast members who were in the June production include Almeida, who played Sarah, Van Buskirk, who was Nathan Detroit, Anne Vohs who put her powerful voice behind the role of Adelaide and Brady as Nicely Nicely.

Interesting fact: Kevin Spacey, who plays Darin in the 2004 film “Beyond the Sea,” wrote, directed and co-produced the piece, while also using his own voice to deliver the musical numbers.

One more thing: Up for the holidays at the Academy is “The Best Christmas Ever,” running from December 8-18.

If you go: 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13. Academy of Performing Arts, Academy Theater, 120 Main St., Orleans, 508-255-1963, tickets $20-$30, www.academyplayhouse.org.