Elvis is in the building

FANS OF Elvis Presley are in for a rare treat next week as Steve Michaels returns to Bangkok’s International Festival of Dance and Music with the world-renowned tribute show, “Return to Grace”. 

Bringing a dynamic portrayal of authenticity to the stage, Michaels will be singing more than 30 Elvis Presley classics in a show that traces the greatest musical moments of a generation.

The production also features a narrator as well as six dancers, eight gospel singers, five horns, five strings and a five-piece rhythm section.

We talked to Michaels about Elvis. 

 

HOW AND WHY DID YOU BECOME SUCH A BIG FAN OF ELVIS?

I was a huge Elvis fan from the very beginning probably because I’ve been listening to Elvis for as long as I can remember. It was my mother who was the Elvis fan in the house and she was the one who introduced him to me.

 

WHEN DID YOU REALISE THAT YOU COULD BECOME ELVIS AND PERFORM?

I don’t think I ever realised that I was going to “become” Elvis but all I can say is that I am a huge Elvis fan and it’s a great honour to be performing his music. My very first tribute performance to Elvis dates back to 1996 and I guess you can say my performance at that time was a work in progress.

 

WHAT’S THE MOST CHALLENGING PART?

I didn’t have to commit to very much practice at first in terms of concentrating on the performance side of Elvis because I had watched and mimicked him for many |years. The work for me was |learning the techniques of |vocal performance.

 

FANS OFTEN PRAISE YOUR SINGING, BOTH THE VOCALS AND THE STYLE. HOW MUCH WORK IS INVOLVED TO PULL THAT OFF?

This is an incredible compliment. Elvis was a wonderful singer and to be able to emulate his voice in any way is a lot of work. It’s taken 21 years of continuous work to be able to deliver an accurate representation and vocal style and I’ve practised and worked with some of the world’s finest vocal coaches.

 

THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF ELVIS |IMPERSONATORS ALL OVER THE WORLD. WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES YOU STAND OUT?

Authenticity. If Elvis didn’t do it, |I don’t.

 

WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE ELVIS PERIOD?

I have to say I like them all. The 50s were a completely different style of performance than the ’70s concert years. The 50s were raw and full of playful rockabilly bounce, the black leather-clad Elvis from 1968 was an edgy rock ’n’ roll driven performance, and the 1970s live concert performances that Elvis delivered were slick and incredibly refined, coupled with a powerful vocal performance. 

 

ELVIS ALSO HADA UNIQUE FASHION APPROACH. DO YOU HAVE A STYLIST TO TAKE CARE OF THIS?

I guess you can say Elvis would be my stylist for stage. In fact, it’s a very straightforward approach because I emulate what he wore. The trick is to find the most accurate representation of the outfits and suits he wore during his lifetime

 

DO YOU GET RECOGNISED A LOT OFF STAGE?

Yes, it’s very hard to get away from the jet black hair and sideburns!

 

WHICH SONG IS THE MOST DIFFICULT TO SING, AND WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVOURITE?

I believe I can modestly say that I don’t particularly find any song in particular difficult to sing. The challenge is to deliver an Elvis style performance of that song. “American Trilogy” is one of my favourites as the song continually builds to a final and powerful musical crescendo.

 

Generous sponsorship from Bangkok Bank, Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, B Grimm, BMW, Beiersdorf, Crown Property Bureau, Dusit Thani Bangkok, Indorama Ventures, PTT, The Nation Group, Singha Corporation, Thai Airways International, Tourism Authority of Thailand and Ministry of Culture has enabled the organisers, International Cultural Promotions, to bring shows of such magnitude |to Bangkok.

 

“Return to Grace: Elvis Presley Tribute Concert” is being staged at the Thailand Cultural Centre on October 8 and 9 at 7.30pm. 

Tickets costing from Bt800 to Bt3,000 are available from Thai Ticket Major outlets and online. Call (02) 262 3456.

For more about the |production, visit www.ReturnToGrace.ca.