Great pop sounds close the Skokie Theatre

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Jack Miuccio

Tony Bernard in ‘Rock Around the Clock’

8 p.m.

Jack Miuccio in ‘The One Man Rat Pack’

10:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 31

Skokie Theatre, 7924 N. Lincoln Ave.

$25 in advance, $30 at the door for each show

(847) 677-7761 or visit www.skokietheatre.com

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A musical double-header is scheduled for the final night of performances at the Skokie Theatre.

On New Year’s Eve, you can “Rock Around the Clock” with Tony Bernard at 8 p.m., then return to hear Jack Miuccio present “The One Man Rat Pack” at 10:30 p.m. Each of the singers will perform to background music tracks.

Bernard will sing songs by artists who are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “To me, the beginning of the Golden Age of Rock and Roll was from the ’50s until the British Invasion in the early ’60s,” he said.

The singer described his show as “a nostalgic look at the rock and roll phenomena that started 50 years ago.” Bernard will perform hit songs of Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Ricky Nelson, Sam Cook, Bill Haley, Chuck Berry, the Everly Brothers and other greats of that period.

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The 90-minute show incorporates visuals. “When I’m doing Chuck Berry, for example, we have flashes of Chuck Berry over the years,” Bernard said. “Sometimes we have little sound bites and sometimes we have quotes. It’s informative and at the same point I’m singing their song, you’re seeing what they were doing at that time in history.”

Bernard was born in Mexico but has been a Chicagoan since the age of 2. He performs extensively for private parties and at Italian restaurants, “which is ironic,” Bernard said, “because I started off as a rock-and-roller as a kid.”

Miuccio promises that there will be variety in his New Year’s Eve show. He will perform songs made famous by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Engelbert Humperdinck, Tom Jones and Bobby Darin, as well as country music and Italian selections. “Just a variety so you make everybody happy,” he said. “The show will go until after midnight. Last year, I did the Skokie Theatre for New Year’s Eve. At midnight, we broke out the champagne, had some candy and it was a nice time.”

Sinatra fans should enjoy hearing “My Way,” “New York, New York” and “Luck be a Lady.” Miuccio will also sing “Kick in the Head.” “I do that on New Year’s Eve because that was sung in ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ — the original movie — by Dean Martin on New Year’s Eve,” he said. Other selections will include “Mack the Knife,” “Delilah” and “After the Lovin’.”

King stands alone

Miuccio sings each of the songs in his own style. He doesn’t imitate the artists — except for one. “You can’t do Elvis without singing like Elvis,” he said.

Miuccio, who has appeared with such legends as Connie Francis, Keely Smith, Frankie Avalon, Fabian and Bobby Rydell, has particularly enjoyed singing at the Skokie Theatre, where he has performed every month for three years.

“The acoustics are phenomenal,” he said. “It’s warm, it’s friendly. You’re right up there with the audience. I enjoy working with Al (manager Curtis) very much. The sound person is great. She knows what she’s doing. It’s just a wonderful place to work.”

Unfortunately, this will be Miuccio’s last performance at the Skokie Theatre. When the audience says hello to 2012, they will be saying goodbye to a venue that was a Skokie treasure.