SANDY HACKETT, PRODUCER AND STAR OF THE HIT
‘SANDY HACKETT’S RAT PACK SHOW,’ SET TO PREVIEW ‘MY BUDDY’ –
A NEW SHOW ABOUT HIS FATHER, COMIC LEGEND BUDDY HACKETT –
AT THE ICE HOUSE IN PASADENA, CALIF. SEPTEMBER 19

 Hot off yet another successful, critically acclaimed cross country touring season of “Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show,” producer and star Sandy Hackett is in high creative gear preparing to star in another show dear to his heart – “My Buddy,” an intimate show about his father, legendary comedian and actor Buddy Hackett.

The show is being billed as an “early preview” at the Ice House Comedy Club in Pasadena, Calif. on Thursday, September 19, 2013. The show hits the road in October with a performance at the 900-seat Stocker Arts Center in Elyria, Ohio, ahead of the official premiere of “My Buddy” in January 2014 at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. and additional performances at the Berger Center for the Performing Arts – Invisible Theatre in Tuscon, Ariz. in March.

“Being a comedy club, The Ice House is the perfect venue to preview “My Buddy” because this story is about the greatest comedian of all time, Buddy Hackett, who always said ‘it takes 10 years to become a working comedian and 20 years to become a great one!’ So many young comics have earned their stripes in the comedy club circuit,” says director, Lisa Dawn Miller, who also produces and stars in “Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show.”

Hackett and Miller have plans to tour “My Buddy” around the U.S. with the eventual goal of finding a home on Broadway or Off Broadway.

In the show, the younger Hackett explores the personal side of the deep bond between father and son, taking the audience on a unique journey full of personal anecdotes—including some from the ten years Sandy spent on the road with his dad. While the overall tone is charming and lighthearted, “My Buddy” also uncovers some interesting family drama that transpired after Buddy Hackett passed away in 2003.

Sandy Hackett is currently working on a book about life with his father (also tentatively called “My Buddy”), which, as a tie-in with the show, will be published in 2014.

Miller, the daughter of legendary Motown songwriter Ron Miller (“For Once In My Life,”) in preserving her father’s legacy, is working on a variety of unique projects. She is currently finishing up her latest independent CD project, Wasn’t I A Good Time?, which will feature 16 songs penned by her father—including some that were never previously exploited. The collection will include “Used To Be,” originally recorded by Stevie Wonder and Charlene in the early ’80s, and a duet with Miller and Hackett’s son, 12-year old actor and singing sensation Oliver Richman, on “Place In The Sun.”

Miller is also working on a documentary on the life and musical journey of her father, who was one of the original staff songwriters at Motown. The documentary will feature interviews of insiders commenting on Miller’s personal life and most popular hits. Lisa says, “This story is unique in that here you had a young Jewish kid from Chicago working for Motown in early 1960′s Detroit. He had this very “musical theatre-ish” kind of writing style and worked right alongside his African-American brothers in a place where differences were respected and brought together synergistically through the universal language of music. The result was that they made history together. I really want this story to be about my dad’s hope for a brighter day and his desire that people can come together, love each other and respect, embrace and cherish our differences.”

She also recently produced and performed two songs in the film, “When Comedy Went To School” which is rolling out in theaters this year and stars Jerry Lewis,  Robert Klein, Jackie Mason, Larry King, Jerry Stiller, Sandy Hackett and many more.

Lisa is also developing a stage musical based on the vast song catalog of Ron Miller tentatively entitled, “For Once In My Life – The Great American Ron Miller Songbook”; Miller’s previously unexploited “45 Seconds Of Love” is sung by Sandy Hackett in “My Buddy.”

“Sandy and I have been so blessed by being the offspring of fathers who brought so much joy to the world with laughter, music and song; and whose life and work meant so much to so many people,” says Miller. “Our goal with these projects is to preserve their legacies so that their significant contributions can be enjoyed for generations to come. Both Buddy and Ron came from humble backgrounds and passed away as humble human beings, but left their marks on our culture in indelible ways.”

Oliver Richman, whose video for “Defying Gravity” racked up over 100,000 views on YouTube and who shared the stage with Stevie Wonder at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, is set to release a new single and music video later this year.

Gearing up for the 2013-2014 National Theatre Season Tour, “Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show” will make stops in Yakima, Wash. (September 3-7); Bethesda, Md. (September 27); Council Bluffs, Iowa (October 11); Mason City, Iowa (October 12); Newark, Ohio (October 17); Galesburg, Ill. (October 19); Traverse City, Mich. (October 25); Benton Harbor, Mich. (October 26); Marion, Ohio (October 27); Statesboro, Ga. (November 1); Longview, Wash. (November 15); Bremerton, Wash. (November 16); Markham, Ontario Canada (November 20); Detroit, Mich. (November 23-24) and Kansas City, Mo. (May 27-June 1, 2014).

A special holiday version of the show, “Someday at Christmas” will run in Terre Haute, Ind. (December 11) and in Palm Desert, Calif. (December 14-15).

The 2013-2014 season schedule can be viewed at www.sandysratpackontour.com.

###