‘Dino’ With Songs and Stereotypes

Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents Dino! An Evening with Dean Martin in the Stackner Cabaret January 20 – March 19, 2023. Pictured: Tally Sessions and PJ Ju. Photo by Michael Brosilow

Knowledgeable devotees of Dean Martin and his music would be better turning on YouTube or their TV than attending the Milwaukee Rep Stackner Cabaret through March 19. They can find channels selling old tapes of Dean’s shows, music or roasts. Or look deeper to discover TCM and streaming services touting a fine 2021 documentary of his life also titled “Dino!”

In the documentary you will actually see the better anecdotes playwright Armen Pandola refers to, the truer biography without the constant attempts to emulate the Dino drunk act or joke about his Italian roots or fawn over his love life.

While every outlet praising Martin will explore “Volare,” “That’s Amore” and “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime,” the Stackner songbook provides Tin Pan Alley hits not necessarily associated with him plus so-so tunes loosely associated with him (“Red Sails in the Sunset,” “Wrap Your Trouble in Dreams,” “Marshmallow World”).

Baritone Tally Sessions has a lower register and Italian accent that sound generally in Dean Martin territory, but it’s sure not Dino hanging onto the high notes, and there is no rescue from saccharine moments by director Jonathan Hetler. The performance lands in an artificial no man’s land that means to flatter, but winds up as maudlin spoofs of the Martin personality. Dutiful pianist and occasional guitarist PJ Ju plays what vaudeville used to call the second banana in setting up a joke.

It is two hours beneath the Rep’s standard, making it painful when the introductory taped voice thanks us for our support of “live theater.” Oh, was that what it was?

Dominique Paul Noth served for decades as film and drama critic, later senior editor for features at the Milwaukee Journal. You’ll find his blogs here and here.