I immediately sent out e-mails to some of my childhood buddies, saying it was a chance for the Rat Pack to get together again. I claimed to be Dean Martin, a family man who pretended to drink far more than he really did. Pete, who along with his girlfriend Gayle goes several times a year, said he'd be there. As a smooth dancer, he would be our Sammy Davis, Jr.
I said Mike would be the Chairman of the Board, even though his response was noncommittal. I always say a "maybe" from Mike is better than a "yes" from most people, and he and his wife Linda also joined us. Apparently nobody wanted to be Joey Bishop despite the threat that the fifth Stacey Sentinel to commit would have to be the transvestite version of Cher.
Pete said that across from the Golden Gate Hotel where they always stay, the Plaza Hotel was staging The Rat Pack Is Back, which he said would be the perfect show for our reunion. When we arrived, we purchased tickets for that show rather than one of the more expensive production shows like Jubilee or a play like Jersey Boys, which was Mike's first choice. The singers playing Sinatra, Martin and Davis did a particularly great job covering the vocals, and the comedian who played Bishop did some good ad libs and updates of Bishop's patter. Throughout the show they sprinkled in some very old jokes I remember from when I was a kid. The room set-up, with a horn section, pianist and drummer on stage, felt like authentic early 1960s. The performers didn't have the ability to fill the room with their presence like the originals, and I have to say I have been spoiled by cruise shows, where the house bands are consistently amazing musicians. In any case, it was an enjoyable show.
Rather than the dinner show, we opted to join Gayle and Pete at one of their favorite buffets at the Cannery, about a twenty minute drive from downtown. The wide range of food included was delicious.
Julie and I stayed at the Golden Nugget, a nice hotel with large rooms. Despite temperatures in the 60s, we spent some time by the pool, but it was too cold to take the water slide, which is channeled through a huge aquarium. As usual, Pete and Gayle stayed at the Golden Gate, which I think is where my dad liked to stay. I remember my mom saying something about the great shrimp cocktail in Las Vegas, and that is the best place for that. My dad eschewed the big casinos of the strip, which he rightly said involved great distances from the parking lot to the rooms. The Golden Gate is a small hotel casino with the parking lot abutting it, making it quite easy to access.
The biggest attraction of Las Vegas for us was the Fremont Street Experience, where street performers, from bikini-clad go-go dancers on a long bar outside the Golden Gate to a jamming saxophone player by the 4 Queens, and people dressed as characters like Iron Man and showgirls added to the atmosphere. On the hour, short recorded rock shows by acts like Queen and the Doors were accompanied by a video presentation on the rooftop screen that spans the length of the Fremont Street Experience.
Being in Las Vegas, we of course gambled a little, but for whatever reason, I seem to spend too much time calculating how much the odds are in favor of the house to be able to enjoy giving the casinos my money.
Anecdotally, at one point Pete, Gayle and I had sat at a blackjack table where only one other gambler played. I immediately ordered a free Sam Adams, and by the time it came, I had been dealt a lot of losing hands and dropped $20. Gayle, however, who was sitting on my left, was on a hot streak. Some dude came up and basically squeezed in between us, and Gayle felt like he was throwing cold water on her luck. I was ready to leave anyway, as I had been getting nothing but 13s that busted and would have been beat by dealer 19s had I just stayed. Having the cold dude in my place didn't feel right, so Gayle and Pete got up too. Later, in the course of showing me how to play 3 card poker, Pete won something like $50 in about five minutes, but I just couldn't make myself believe winning was possible. I guess I like slow, methodical gambling, where you get to know the other players and the house doesn't take a hefty cut.
We ended up turning in early, because we were going to meet Mike and Linda at their hotel, New York New York, for breakfast at 8 AM.
The next morning, we met at Il Fornaiao, a "sidewalk" cafe with umbrellaed tables in the casino of NYNY. The service was good in the unique atmosphere. Mike and Linda were heading out to hike at Red Rocks, which is near the Red Rock Hotel where Julie and I would be spending the next couple of days, and we caught a ride with them.
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