Jefferson City is about to get "all shook up" -- the King is coming to town.
Capital City Productions presents "Elvis, The Musical!" at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10-12, Feb. 17-19 and Feb. 24-26 and at noon Feb. 12, 19 and 26. Dinner is included for evening and matinee shows; tickets are $38. Some material may be inappropriate for children.
The show follows Elvis Presley's life from growing up in poverty in Tupelo, Mississippi, to his 1968 Comeback Special, tracing the influences, highs and lows that led him to becoming "The King." The musical features more than 40 songs performed by Elvis, including hits like "All Shook Up," "Burning Love," "Earth Angel," "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock" and more.
Part of the challenge of the show was finding "the" Elvis -- someone with experience impersonating the famed rock 'n' roll star who could also act. After relentless Googling and list making, director Rob Crouse said Ted Torres Martin made it to the top.
Based out of Orlando, Florida, Martin has traveled the world bringing tribute to Elvis through performing his songs while striking an uncanny resemblance to the famous singer. He also had some stage experience performing in "Death of a Salesman," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Biloxi Blues." Crouse reached out, and due to COVID-19, Torres' schedule was free.
He had found his Elvis.
"He happened to be open. I sent him the script, and it worked out," Crouse said. "We are so fortunate to have brought him to Central Missouri."
"Elvis, The Musical!" has been a unique production for CCP from the start -- it features a live band versus track music. Torres will be performing the songs live with the ensemble to the side of the stage, and some members of the band jumping into scenes to act. Crouse credits music director Scott Sellner for organizing and preparing the band -- "he has quite a job on his hands," Crouse said.
The crew also has the challenge of working with historic figures and recreating performances and people in Elvis' life. As the actors perform numbers, there will be film clips of the real-life stars projected in the background.
Tim Campbell, who plays Frank Sinatra, watched videos from Sinatra and Elvis' duets to try and capture his mannerisms -- the two performed multiple duets together, including a mashup of "Love Me Tender" and "Witchcraft."
For other cast members, they worked with a CCP collaborator Bill Dew to master a Southern dialect. Ben Miller, who plays Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis' manager, had the challenge of a Memphis/Mississippi accent sprinkled in with Dutch, as Parker was originally from the Netherlands.
Crouse calls "Elvis, The Musical!" a very introspective look into Elvis' life -- including his flaws and gritty realities of his time -- and the influence he had on our culture. Elvis grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi, in a predominantly Black community, which led to him being influenced by country western and Black gospel music, creating a new era of music. For a segregated America, it wasn't immediately accepted -- one scene shows his first manager, Sam Phillips, trying to distribute Elvis' records, but DJ's wouldn't accept them, concerned about a soulful musician playing to white audiences.
The show also doesn't skate over Elvis' affair with co-star Ann-Margret or the complicated relationship he had with his mother, Gladys Presley, and others around him.
"He was a very complicated man ... this looks at the complicated parts of his life," Crouse said.
Through the show, Crouse was able to learn new things about Elvis' life and his era of music, coming across Black musicians he had never heard of before and watching film clips he had not previously seen. He hopes it can be educational and help audiences understand all sides of Elvis' story.
"For people that lived through that time, it'll bring back memories of that culture," Crouse said, "and for those who didn't, you'll get to learn about that culture."
Tickets can be purchased at www.ccpjc.org or bit.ly/3EzDyFz, by calling or texting CCP's box office at 573-681-9612 or emailing [email protected]. Paper tickets will be issued.
Sweet Smoke BBQ will be served an hour before each show as part of CCP's new "Taste of JC!" initiative, in which each CCP production will be paired with a restaurant/catering service in the community to raise money and awareness of local cuisine. For more information, visit CCP's Facebook page.
Peter Laskowski, left, who plays Scotty Moore, rehearses Tuesday with Gordon Knatcal, who plays Sam Phillips, for "Elvis, The Musical" at Capital City Productions in Jefferson City. (Shaun Zimmerman/News Tribune)
