Leather jacket? Check. Guitar? Check. Blue suede shoes? Uh-huh. Get ready to relive the life and music of Elvis Presley, the global phenomenon who would go on to birth a musical revolution. Going from his upbringing in Tupelo, Mississippi all the way to his iconic 1968 NBC Comeback Special, Elvis: A Musical Revolution tells the story of a boy who dared to dream, then turned those dreams into reality.
Producer David Venn and director Alister Smith (The Wedding Singer and Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical) have brought Elvis’ life to the stage in a bio-musical that celebrates his illustrious discography that spans generations.
Highlighting over 40 of his biggest hits, this production is jam-packed with high-energy musical numbers and sombre notes aimed at targeting the audience’s every emotion. From All Shook Up and Jailhouse Rock to Viva Las Vegas and more, these infectious tunes easily get the feet tapping and the fingers snapping. While these big, upbeat hits are spread well throughout, the second act is where many of the slower, sombre tunes like Love Me Tender and Can’t Help Falling in Love are found. As much as Elvis’ music is phenomenal, the musical numbers themselves aren’t as grand as they could have been. Listening to Blue Suede Shoes and Hound Dog may be fun and upbeat, but neither these nor any other musical numbers are all that memorable.
It’s missing that wow factor, where you leave the theatre and can’t stop thinking about how incredible that one sequence was. The lack of a huge, visually stimulating musical number could be a result of the aim to keep things as close to the real deal as possible, but a stage musical is where you have the opportunity to do something that leaves audiences stunned. The climactic musical number and finale certainly rectifies that, but the missed opportunity for more exceptional moments is felt.
An Elvis bio-musical is nothing if you don’t have a good Elvis. Thankfully, Rob Mallett isn’t just a good Elvis; he’s the perfect Elvis. From the voice to the dancing and the mannerisms, Mallett embodies everything that makes Elvis one of the most unique and famous singers in history, so much so that he could give Austin Butler a run for his money. He’s undeniably electric on stage across every scene, oozing charisma and charm and hyping up the audience with his extraordinary energy. From signature leg movements to trademark shakes and wiggles, Mallett embodies the King so well you’d be forgiven for thinking he’s the King reincarnate. Then there’s his singing voice, which is oh-so flawless. He nails the deep southern drawl through both dialogue and song, never once breaking out into an Aussie accent.
The rest of the cast have their moments to shine, but none stand out more than Kirby Burgess in the dual roles of Ann-Margret and Marion Keisker. In the first act, she breathes life into the part of Marion, nailing her dialogue and playing very well alongside Ben Hall, who plays record producer Sam Phillips. Once she leaves behind the role of Marion Keisker, she turns into a tour de force on the stage. She flexes her singing talents with a great performance of She’s the Boss alongside Elvis early in the second act, but it’s her energetic dancing that had the audience awestruck. With wild flips, spins and high-energy dance moves, she shines brightly even when accompanied by the wonderfully talented ensemble of dancers.
Choreography and costuming are both well-executed highlights of the production. The costume design is especially effective in bringing the fashion of the ’50s and ’60s to life, especially the iconic outfits that Elvis wore. Attention to detail is high in these areas, meaning the costumes looked authentic and not like cheap cosplays of the era. The choreography is great across the board. When it’s just Rob Mallett being featured, he dominates the stage with Elvis’ signature dance moves, and then whenever the wider ensemble joins, they also knock it out of the park with some dazzling moves.
The narrative moves along at a pleasantly blistering pace, an observation that’s understandable considering there’s a lot of ground to cover in Elvis’ very eventful career. It hits all the key bullet points you’d expect from an Elvis biography, but time could have been better spent on Elvis’ big life moments without the inclusion of young Elvis’ journey through the ’40s. Throughout the production, the story will regularly jump back in time to give us wholesome moments with a young Elvis interacting with his family and exploring the Blues scene around Tupelo. The impact of these scenes is lost because they drag down the pacing without adding any emotional weight to the narrative. The opening sequence with young Elvis worked fine as a jumping-off point, but anything beyond that was wasted time that could have been spent elsewhere. The young Daniel Lim is aptly charismatic and good in the role, but many of those moments weren’t needed.
Lastly, the technical elements of the show are well handled, while leaving room for improvement. The lighting design, helmed by Declan O’Neill, is as dazzling as you’d expect for the one and only Elvis. Every musical number and intimate moment is greatly enhanced by the clever use of vibrant spotlights and gleaming lighting effects. On the other hand, the set design is nothing to write home about. There are some good, identifiable sets here and there, like that of the Sun Studio, as well as a clever use of the screen at the rear of the stage, but otherwise, most other sets seemed vague and empty. Perhaps there are limitations on the amount of room on stage, but I’ve seen productions utilise the stage of the Athenaeum Theatre to its fullest and pull off some incredible feats.
When it comes to Elvis, one thing is for certain – when the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll is in the building, you’re bound to have a rockin’ good time. While not without its issues, there’s no denying that Elvis: The Musical Revolution is an energetic production that makes the most of Elvis’ long list of timeless hits. Rob Mallett’s electrifying lead performance is almost single-handedly enough to make up for the production’s narrative woes and lacking wow factor. He’s wonderfully captivating and disappears into the role of Elvis, channelling everything that made the man such a legend in the music industry. With needle drops aplenty, this is a night at the theatre that all generations can enjoy.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Elvis: A Musical Revolution is now playing at the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne through to December 17th, 2023. For more information and to purchase tickets, head HERE.
Reviewer attended on Friday October 6th, 2023
Photo credit: Nicole Cleary
