LYNN — Dean Martin lives — sort of — and he is coming to the city’s auditorium.
Drew Anthony has been impersonating the mid-20th century entertainer in the Las Vegas show “The Rat Pack is Back” for more than a decade. Now he has a new gig and he is taking it on the road, along with Marilyn Monroe, Jerry Lewis, Johnny Carson, and Peggy Lee. “Dean Lives The Show” makes its way to Lynn on Oct. 20.
“Dean Martin has a lot of fans throughout the world and it’s a lot of fun to bring the people something that reminds them of the past,” said Anthony. “I enjoy bringing people back to a different era and the other characters really help bring that whole atmosphere to life.”
The touring show was an idea orchestrated by Anthony after his Vegas show went on hiatus for a few months. After many years of portraying Martin, he thinks he is comfortable with the character. He said given they are both very laid back and enjoy entertaining, he felt it was a natural fit. Anthony wrote all the monologues and arrangements, and hired a 12-piece orchestra.
“This particular show is about Dean Martin’s life and it takes you through a journey of his career,” he said. “The show opens with a monologue about how back then it was simpler and was a totally different time, which gets viewers in the mood for the show. I specifically created a band with instrumentation that is unique to kind of get the Dean Martin sound with as few pieces as I could.”
Anthony grew up in New Haven, Conn., singing the standards with his grandmother. She strummed on the guitar or played the piano, even the organ once in a while, while the young performer-to-be practiced his vocals. His love for entertaining grew even more as he got older. He took part in musical theater during his high school years and went on to graduate from The New School, a university in New York City.
The Dean Martin impersonator did not grow up thinking he looked identical to him, but the resemblance is uncanny. Anthony said he spent years researching Martin’s life, his behaviors, and his attitude. He did everything he could to get into the head of Dean Martin so he could say every line with true persona and meaning.
Getting into character, Anthony said he combs his hair into the silhouette of Dean Martin’s and maintains the legend’s iconic attitude. He said when the attitude comes out and his expressions are on point, there is no denying the resemblance anymore.
“On the road, people are so much more responsive and I don’t know why that is, maybe in Vegas they lost a lot of money gambling,” he said with a laugh. “This show is just so much more special.”
