Elvis Is In The Building

Idols of the King

A Play by Ronnie Claire Edwards and Allen Crowe

Director, Russell Garrett; Musical Director, Fred Frabotta; Set Designer, Lisa Pegnato; Costume Designer, Kurt Hultgren; Lighting Designer, Andrew Andrews; Sound Designer, Ed Thurber; Prop Designer, Lisa Wondolowski; Stage Manager, Meghan Fisher

CAST

Jack Foltyn, Elvis Presley

Bill Mootos, Ralph, Zig, Kevin, Pressman, Norton, Paul

Lynne Rosenberg, Darla, Edna, Raynelle, Showgirl, Zephyr, Ruth, Waitress

Performances through February 1, 2009 at Foothills Theatre Company

Box Office 508-754-4018 or www.foothillstheatre.com

Pegged pants, ducktails, and blue suede shoes are back in fashion, if only for a short time, as the Foothills Theatre Company presents a lighthearted celebration of Elvis Presley and the fans who still adore him more than 30 years after his death. Replete with many of his iconic songs, Idols of the King is a bittersweet reminder of the early days of Rock 'n' Roll, the awesome reach of this entertainer, and his untimely demise.

However, there is nothing maudlin about this show as it introduces us to an assortment of characters that follow Elvis across the country or share some personal stories about how he affected their lives. Each sketch is a setup for a concert performance by Elvis (Jack Foltyn) and the five-piece band, conducted onstage by Musical Director/Keyboardist Fred Frabotta. Idols is at its liveliest when the music kicks in and Foltyn jumps around as if stricken with St. Vitus' dance. With incredible energy, he never misses a beat as he swivels his hips, shivers his legs, and shimmies his whole body to emulate the Elvis style. Foltyn considers himself an Elvis interpreter, not an impersonator, but he captures the sound in some of the slower songs like Love Me Tender and Where Do You Come From? and infuses all of his singing with the drawl and sexy grit of the Memphis country boy.

Bill Mootos and Lynne Rosenberg each play half a dozen roles as the devoted followers. Darla and Ralph wait for hours in the heat to pass by Presley's body and pay their respects; Edna and Zig memorialize a commode that Elvis used and take it on tour as the King's Throne; a waitress relates the story of Elvis making it possible for her little boy to receive the finest medical care to treat his asthma. Kevin and Raynelle appear repeatedly as a stoner biker and his hot-to-trot chick hitchhiking cross country to try to catch an Elvis concert in Las Vegas. She has a guitar slung around her back and is inspired by her idol to become a songwriter, while Kevin hopes to lip-synch his way to fame and fortune. Besides their eccentricity, what all of these people have in common is their love for Elvis and single-minded belief in his goodness. Mootos and Rosenberg have the ability to use their characters' commonality to color in their differences with humor and a dose of poignance.

Speaking of color, Costume Designer Kurt Hultgren clothes Elvis in a variety of costumes, ranging from gold lame to a red velvet suit to a white jumpsuit adorned with multicolored bits of glass. He dons a new outfit for every appearance and I began to anticipate the costume changes as much as the next song. The sketch characters wear clothes that reminded me of The Carol Burnett Show's Mama's Family, quite evocative of lower income, perhaps lower class folks. The set is rather nondescript, but pieces roll on and off to suggest a casino, a diner, a living room, and roadside locations. The props fill in some of the blanks, as do assorted sound effects. We hear Hollywood Squares on television, a passing 18-wheeler, and slot machines, to mention a few. The lighting design by Andrew Andrews is especially effective in the concert segments, including bringing up the house lights when Elvis ventures into the audience to kiss a lot of the women and drape them in his colorful scarves.

That foray into the crowd is a good indicator of the level of fun for the fans who clamor for their second in the spotlight. Director Russell Garrett keeps the energy high and the mood light to garner an enthusiastic response and leave 'em asking for more. How often do you go to musical theatre and get treated to an encore? Elvis was the consummate showman and Foltyn works hard to play the part well, offering up one more song after receiving a standing ovation. He even gets the audience to join in on Viva Las Vegas and they all know the words. Idols of the King is a celebration of Elvis Presley, his life and his legend, but it is also a snapshot of history and a lesson in the power of music to transform and transcend. The King is dead; long live the King.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

  

 

 

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