Elvis is in the building!
In fact, the same building where he performed first on July 31, 1969, and would continue through 636 sold-out shows and seven years until December 1976.
He’s shaking, gyrating, swiveling, slithering across the stage and belting out “You ain’t nothing but a hound dog” from “Hound Dog” and a medley of other hits from his legendary career.
Sure, it’s not actually Elvis. But you knew that, right? In fact, it’s one of countless Elvis impersonators that populate the streets, supermarkets, sidewalks, and showrooms of Las Vegas.
This one is Joey Calveri, a shorter, more slender version of Elvis but with dark hair and just enough sideburns to be convincing.
The title of his 90-minute show at the Westgate Las Vegas is “The King Comes Home.” It’s a tribute to his gig that followed Barbra Streisand when the hotel — then the International — opened. By at least one account, his gig at the hotel’s showroom, the Showroom Internationale with its 60-foot wide stage, rescued a career that was drifting sideways in a tide of bad movies and unchartable records.
So a friend and I checked out a Saturday matinee of the show at the Cabaret Theater. The theater was roughly half-full, but Calveri and his trio of backup performers, Paige Strafella, Sujana Chand, and Derek Adams, delivered an energetic performance.
In addition to “Hound Dog,” Calveri delivered credible renditions of “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Suspicious Minds,” “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” and a jazzy “Jail House Rock” accompanied by the requisite costume changes and mic-stand contortionism. And of course, “Viva Las Vegas.” You know the lyrics to that one, right?
Just as intriguing as the music, the show displayed clips and visuals from his 1968 television special on NBC and his movie career that included 31 feature films and a Las Vegas Strip-length list of co-stars including Shelley Fabares (three times), Barbara Eden, Tuesday Weld and Hope Lange in one film alone, Barbara Stanwyck, and Ann-Margaret. A few online rumors linger that Elvis had an off-screen affair with Ann-Margret, and that the chemistry translated into the movie.
While the crowd was small, they were enthusiastic. At least one older patron clapped and sang along throughout the show. And Calveri closed by meandering through the crowd and shaking hands with the audience before finishing with a sly “Thankyouverymuch.”
On a rating of 1-5, our overall rating for the show came in a 3.5 stars. But definitely worth a look on a weeknight or weekend matinee. Shows at the property on Paradise Road are Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday-Friday at 7:30 p.m., and the Saturday matinee at 2 p.m.
