Marriott Theatre “Can’t Help Falling In Love” with “King” Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel”
The maker of “Million Dollar Quartet” didn’t have to look very far to find the subject of his next show, “Heartbreak Hotel,” which finds writer/director Floyd Mutrux taking a deeper dive into one of the primary characters, Elvis Presley, on the path to becoming “The King Of Rock And Roll.”
There’s obviously no shortage of information on the entertainer who completely and permanently changed the landscape of popular culture, including “EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert” and tons of other recent projects, yet this official musical biography, directed and choreographed by Deidre Goodwin, approaches the performances and persona in its own unique manner.
After a successful stint on Broadway In Chicago, the Marriott Theatre hosts the revamped and expanded hit until Sunday, May 31 where fans of all ages get a chance to encounter extremely realistic versions of the child, teenaged and adult Elvis, respectively portrayed by Charles Adler Bischoff, Colton Sims and Broadway’s Tyler Hanes.
Humble beginnings in Tupelo, Mississippi include an extremely close-knit relationship with an ailing mother, Gladys (Elizabeth Telford), who encourages her son’s artistic pursuits in the wake of gaining a deep appreciation for the Black gospel, blues and rock artists coming out of Sun Records during a period of widespread racism.
It was that very label where Presley would first find artistic footing and fame under the direction of producer Sam Phillips (Jackson Evans), followed by a contract sale to the sweet-talking, deal-making Colonel Tom Parker (Rob Lindley), the man almost single-handedly responsible for turning his client into an international superstar.
Of course, the hip-swiveling, lip-curling ladies’ man was way ahead of his time in the 1950s and early ’60s, but those qualities only made impressionable appreciators become more attracted to Elvis’ magnetic presence.
Along the way, Presley moves on from a high-school sweetheart, Dixie (Anna Louise Bramlett), to meeting future wife Priscilla (Amanda Walker) while serving in the Army, and later, rumors of a romance with frequent movie co-star Ann-Margret (Alexandra Palkovic), leading to stresses behind the scenes, compounded by spending too much money and letting the expanding celebrity status get to his head.
However, due to a series of dreadful film flops and changing tides on the charts courtesy of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, even “The King” reaches a creative crossroads where those younger selves offer advice and recollections of his roots, resulting in the leather-clad “68 Comeback Special” once again propelling its headliner straight to the top.
Considering the two-hour tour de force also features over 40 colossal singles, remakes and rarities on the way to reaching a concert-styled pinnacle, chances are the Marriott Theatre “Can’t Help Falling In Love” with “Heartbreak Hotel.”
