Bio
FRANK TORCHIO (Male Lead Vocalist)
Frank Torchio has been performing for over three decades – as a vocal impersonator and comic impressionist. Frank inherited his devotion to The Rat Pack from his father Carl, who also sang and never missed an episode of the TV’s classic Dean Martin Show.
Frank began performing impressions at an early age and, by high school, had developed an act for fellow students and faculty at Cardinal Mooney High School, where he was voted class comedian in his senior year. Frank continued to perform at coffee houses and bars while attending Niagara University. Following his graduation in the early 1980s, he worked at comedy clubs in Manhattan, such as, The Comic Strip and The Improv.
Frank went on hiatus from performing by attending graduate school at the University of Rochester, commenced a new business venture. Frank began performing again for senior centers, retirement villages, and nursing homes, with this impressions of Dean Martin, Jimmy Durante, Jimmy Stewart, George Burns, Ed Sullivan, and other celebrities. The goal? To raise awareness and funding for The American Cancer Society and Catholic Charities. In 1995, Frank won first place as Rochester’s Funniest Bigshot at Rochester’s Geva Theatre’s fundraiser, Stand Up for Geva.
In 2003, Frank began singing with Nik and the Nice Guy’s Rochester Rat Pack. Shortly after, he formed Frank’s Rat Pack, who’s goal, according to Frank, may be summed up with Dean Martin’s favorite line: “We’re just trying to have a little fun, here, folks.” “We’re bringing back some old memories for some,” Frank himself adds, “and introducing some colorful characters to those who were not yet born when Ol’ Blue Eyes (Sinatra) was playing at the Sands Hotel in Vegas.”
JULIE KETCHUM (Female Lead Vocalist)
A native of Rochester, New York, Julie Ketchum is no stranger to show business. She starting her singing career at a mere 3-years-old, and began playing the piano at just 5. She was featured in several musical productions throughout her childhood, including House at Pooh Corner, Grease, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Peter Pan (the latter in which she played clarinet in the pit orchestra). While in junior high school, Julie won several first places in the Monroe County Fair talent shows and consequently made it to the finals at the New York State Fair.
Julie graduated from Pittsford Mendon High School in 1989 where she was voted most musical and won the first PMHS Talent Show. She continued her education at the State University of New York at Potsdam where she also attended the Crane School of Music. She participated in several choral ensembles there and was featured as a soloist in The African-American Heritage Concert in 1992.
Julie began performing with Nik and the Nice Guys shortly after graduating from SUNY Potsdam in 1993. She continues to sing with a number of popular groups associated with the Nik Entertainment Company, including Nik Lite, Fever: The Wrath of Polyester, and most recently The Rochester Rat Pack. Julie has also shared the stage with entertainers such as The Village People, The Pointer Sisters, Roberta Flack, and members of Kool and the Gang.
Samantha Robichaud (Female Lead Vocalist)
Samantha Robichaud has been performing for over 20 years now. She started out performing in local musicals and eventually worked her way into the professional realm. After graduating from Greece Athena High School, she moved to the west coast to pursue a career in musical theater.
While attending college she would audition for professional theater. On her second professional audition she landed the leading role in the National Tour of West Side Story. She traveled the country performing as Maria. Following that, Samantha traveled through Europe in West Side Story. After Europe, she decided to try her hand at Disney. She was hired to perform for Tokyo Disneyland as the Little Mermaid and Pocahontas. It is there where she met her husband, David.
After Tokyo, Samantha moved to California where she lived with her husband and performed in many musical theater productions including: Me and My Girl, The Hot Mikado, La Cage Aux Folles, Anything Goes, Jesus’ Kid Brother, and West Side Story. While living in California she was asked to join the cast of Saturday Night Fever in Las Vegas. Samantha performed as Flo, Tony Manero’s mother, and a dancer in Saturday Night Fever at the Sahara Casino. After several years of performing and residing in California, Samantha and her husband decided to move back to the Rochester area to raise a family. In the Rochester area she performs with local community theaters, Nik and the Nice Guys, Joey and Maria’s Italian Wedding, and Frank’s Rat Pack.