Ricci Martin shows 'Amore' for dad Dean

Hey pallies, here's info on our Dino's boypallie Ricci takin' his Dinotrib to Sacramento...but this Mel dude who wrote this Dinopiece begins with..."Dean Martin was a frustrating entertainer." Likes what could be further from the Dinotruth..and also he makes the mistep of sayin' that our Dino's way cool and only vid of "Since I Met You Baby" was made "shortly before his death." If 13 years is a short time then this dude is correct. If you wanna read this Dinoprose in it's original form, likes just click on the tagg of this Dinopost...and if likes you do, then you can checks out my Dinopatter to Mr.Mel. Dinoreportin', DMP




Ricci Martin shows 'Amore' for dad Dean
Tribute act by Dean Martin's youngest son proves that show business runs in the family
By Mel Shields - mshields@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, October 12, 2008
Story appeared in TICKET section, Page EXPLORE


Dean Martin was a frustrating entertainer.

There was no problem selling out his shows. He was iconic, the ultimate crooner, making singing look as easy as breathing. He was also one of the most reliable of the headliners, always showing up on time.

It was just that he approached his live performances the same way he did his television variety series, casually and unrehearsed. He rarely finished a song. He let his other reputation, that of a heavy drinker and rambling raconteur, take over his persona so completely that jokes and antics and digressions almost always took precedence over the music. Audiences forgave him, but he never built the legions of ardent returning fans other performers did. Once was usually enough.

Now, Martin's youngest son, Ricci, has built a show around his father, "That's Amore: A Tribute to Dean Martin," and he brings it to John Ascuaga's Nugget on Friday and Saturday.

There's no denying Martin deserves the tribute. He had hit after hit – "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime," "Memories Are Made of This," "Volare," "Houston" and "That's Amore."

He was half (Jerry Lewis the other half) of one of the biggest comedy teams in show business history. He was part of the Rat Pack and in movies such as "Ocean's Eleven" and "Robin and the Seven Hoods." He astonished everybody with his solo acting career, whether seriously in "Some Came Running" or spoofing James Bond as Matt Helm. And his appearances on television may have been unpredictable, but almost always came off as entertaining.

Ricci sings the songs and banters with his band, The Pack, just as his father always interacted with pianist Kenny Lane and band. He also shows photos of the private and public Martin during the music, talks of his father's breakup with Jerry Lewis and shows a 1980s video he made for MTV shortly before his father's death, of Dad singing "Since I Met You Baby."

The son also attempts something his father never did. He leaves the stage and enters the audience, fielding questions. Audience members feel free to ask anything, even more so now that we are in the tell-all know-all age of celebrity, and Ricci's answers are direct and often funny. He has clearly inherited his father's wit.

A few answers come as surprises. The legendary partygoer and heavy drinker, for example, hated parties and stayed home with the kids as much as possible. It seems he always did prefer "going to the couch."