The Elvis Show, starring Nathan Belt, is currently running at the Mandela Theatre, in Johannesburg, until March 8 and I was one of a handful of people invited to enjoy opening night last Thursday.
A lively performance from Belt offers the audience the King’s songs and moves in this great tribute to Elvis which saw many audience members jiving in their seats.
An excellent Elvis show is a rare beast with so many terrible impersonations of the King gracing stages each year.
This however, is not one of those.
Rather the quality of the show surpassed my hopes and expectations in a fun show with lots of audience interaction.
While Belt’s performance alone would make any Elvis fan swoon, it must be said that the supporting singers and dancers, the sets and lighting lift this from a great show to a truly remarkable theatre spectacular.
Opening night was a lively affair with audience members swarming Belt, at his invitation, to get one of his trademark red and white scarves.
While not everyone vying for his attention walked away with the precious fabric, the standing ovation he received, and the demands to hear more, seemed to indicate unanimous enjoyment of this gifted man’s abilities to capture the King’s moves and voice to (almost) perfection.
The woman next to me certainly enjoyed herself – despite her (seated) dance moves making her look a little like she was having a fit of some sort – and went away a very happy women, especially since she had secured a red scarf to remember her night with the King by.
The show includes the music of the ’50s, movie songs that charmed in the ’60s, the electrifying ’68 comeback special performance and the thrills of the Las
Vegas years and is one not to be missed – whether you grew up with Elvis’ music or inherited your love of his tunes from your parents or grandparents.
