Guest Blog: Steve Michaels On THIS IS ELVIS

This is Elvis begins with a life-changing moment in Elvis Presley's career, celebrating the 50th anniversary of his leather-clad, '68 comeback special. Broadcast from NBC studios in Burbank, California, this special was Elvis's return to his roots of Southern rock 'n' roll, highlighting a number of the greatest performances history had ever seen.

Our show celebrates Elvis's groundbreaking return to the stage, and the struggles he faced before headlining at the Las Vegas Hilton International Hotel.

As a fan, I'm excited to be part of this sensational ensemble cast, presenting a side of Elvis that has never been showcased before on stage or in any entertainment form. This is Elvis embodies the icon, the music, but most of all, the sincerity of the man himself.

Elvis has always been such a big part of my life; he's been my inspiration since I was a boy. The first time I realised I could perform Elvis was as a kid, performing at family dos. It became like a party trick. Even in my teens I was still playing around with it.

In 1996, I started performing Elvis publicly and at that point, I made my mind up I was going to perfect it - the art of Elvis! But could I act Elvis? Well, Bill Kenwright saw the potential.

It's amazing to see the amount of preparation it takes to get a musical like this off the ground - whether it's me slipping into the smooth Memphis accent that's iconic to Elvis more and more often, or watching the set, characters and music come to life.

It's one thing to play a fictional character, but another set of rules apply when presenting a man beloved by millions and millions. Elvis fans feel as if they know him, like a family member they've never met. There's a fine balance between art and reality that come together in this show to bring the legacy of Elvis and all his greatness to life.

One thing Elvis and I have in common is that I, too, am very close with my mum. She always sends me these amazing and encouraging emails and messages. In addition, I actually met my wife through Elvis! She's British and we met at another Elvis production in Canada. We've got two beautiful children, a five-year-old son and an 18-month-old daughter. So I have a lot to thank Elvis for.

We're touring over the next eight months across the UK, giving us the opportunity to reach as many Elvis fans as possible. And what's incredible is that Elvis himself never toured outside of the United States, except for Canada, my homeland, in 1957. I guess the TCB rule applies here. We are "taking care of business" he never had the opportunity to do.

This is Elvis is unlike anything you've ever seen. It's not an impersonation but rather a spot on representation of who Elvis was, from beginning to end. And in my very humble opinion, it's something every Elvis fan or rock 'n' roll buff should see.

It means so much to me as an Elvis performer; it's completely different to all the other shows I've performed in as Elvis around the world. And as I write this, Elvis himself is on the radio singing "Suspicious Minds"... See you all at the show!

Find full tour dates and venues for This Is Elvis

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