The Sands Man

One man set a new standard in live entertainment while shattering racial barriers during the American Civil Rights era. The other keeps that standard alive while thrilling modern crowds during the YouTube era. Both men have channeled their infectious energy into countless artistic endeavors, sharing their passion for performing with audiences all over the world, though nowhere more famously than Las Vegas. And the similarities don’t end there.

The first man was Sammy Davis, Jr., the singing, tap-dancing American icon of stage and screen. The second is David Hayes, the actor/singer/dancer/comedian who has played Sammy Davis, Jr. to critical acclaim and will reprise the role Nov. 7-9 at Omaha’s Orpheum Theater as one of the central characters in “The Rat Pack: Live at the Sands.”

The popular touring production, which ran for six years throughout England – including theaters on London’s West End – partially imagines and partially recreates an evening in 1960 at the famous Las Vegas Sands casino, when Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin playfully interrupted Sammy Davis, Jr.’s act. More than a simple musical revue, “Live at the Sands” replicates the crooning, the dancing, the live 15-piece big band, the onstage banter and, of course, the drinking, that made the original “Ocean’s 11” stars infamous.

“It’s totally authentic – if they did it on stage, we do it,” says Hayes, who’s performed as Davis, Jr. across Europe and the states in variety shows and his own one-man showcases, all of which has given him an appreciation for the appeal of these legendary performers and their music.

“When do you actually see a guy on stage in a beautiful tuxedo singing with a full big band behind him any more?” Hayes asks. “I don’t think you even see it in Vegas anymore because no one wears bow ties anymore. About the only people who still wear ties at all are pastors and politicians.”

That throwback philosophy and old-school aesthetic is what continues to draw crowds year after year, Hayes says (that, and songs like “Mack the Knife,” “The Lady Is a Tramp,” “Mr. Bojangles” and “New York, New York,” of course). In fact, the fervor for Frank, Sammy and Dino is sometimes greater in small European cities than it is stateside.

“They’re very big over there,” says Hayes, the only American performer in a cast of Brits. “Any place in the free western world, you’ll see these guys. Closer to London, (audiences) are more reserved. When you go up north, to Newcastle, Belfast, Dublin, they eat it up. The people in Belfast, man, they’ll talk to you.”

Hayes is no stranger to the stage, having performed in hundreds of venues, often as his icon, Davis, Jr.

“He was probably the most versatile, talented entertainer there was,” says Hayes, who got his first Rat Pack gig after his Davis, Jr. impression was spotted in his stand-up comedy routine. “He was just a bundle of energy, love, joy and inspiration. Not just for black people but for all people.

“I could connect with him. He was someone that I always admired. Here’s a guy who could do it all.”

That admiration led Hayes to do much more than just mimic his hero. Like Davis, Jr., Hayes is an accomplished tap dancer and multi-instrumentalist – Sammy played vibraphone, trumpet and drums, Hayes is a pianist, guitarist and drummer. Both men come from artistic fathers and both have received praise for endeavors outside of performance (Davis, Jr. was an acclaimed photographer and Hayes’ artwork has been displayed throughout Nevada).

“I do art because my dad was an artist,” Hayes says. “I played drums in church and it all kind of just fits together.”

But Hayes makes no bones about his biggest passion.

“Live performance, that’s where I’m at,” he says. “I’m a variety performer and there’s just nothing like it.”

In fact, after performing on stage together in “Live at the Sands” more times than the actual Rat Pack, playing Sammy to huge crowds has become something of a religious experience for Hayes. After one particular “unbelievable” show in Wales, Hayes – who, like his idol, is passionately spiritual – remembered turning to the actor playing Dean Martin.

“After we got off stage I said, ‘You know what? I believe in heaven, because I was just there.’”

Fonda back on Broadway

Jane Fonda, who began her acting career on Broadway, is planning to return to the live stage this winter in “33 Variations,” a mystery about Ludwig van Beethoven. Fonda, 70, will play a terminally ill contemporary musicologist who “pores over Beethoven’s notebooks, determined to find out why the composer spent three years turning a trivial, 45-second waltz theme by a hack publisher into the 45-minute long ‘Diabelli Variations,’” according to Bloomberg.

The play is set in Bonn, Germany, and is set to open in early 2009.

Simon to be revived

“Brighton Beach Memoirs” and “Broadway Bound,” two of the plays in the “Brighton Beach” trilogy by Neil Simon, are reportedly bound for Broadway again.

An audition notice has been posted for the character of Eugene, the lead in both plays. The actor chosen is expected to play both roles in a repertory production of the plays.

The plays are to open in the fall of 2009.

Ready for the holidays?

The Omaha Community Playhouse’s annual production of “A Christmas Carol” opens on Nov. 21 on the theater’s main stage. The massively popular show, in its 34th year, will run through Dec. 23. Call 553-0800 or go to Omahacommunityplayhouse.com for ticket information.

Also in the holiday spirit, the Omaha Theater Company for Young People is set to stage “Berenstain Bears Save Christmas” beginning Nov. 27. The show will run through Dec. 21.

Go to Rosetheater.org or call 345-0606 for more info.