Johnny Seaton

Friday, August 17, 2001
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal


SHOW REVIEW: Elvis can still draw crowds around Las Vegas
Impersonators pay tribute to the King with varying degrees of success
By MIKE WEATHERFORD
REVIEW-JOURNAL





Four Elvis impersonators in one day? I did it so you won't have to.

They call this "Elvis Week" in Memphis, where a variety of special events cater to pilgrims marking Elvis Presley's 1977 death. It never really caught on in Las Vegas, even though the sequined jumpsuit has become almost as universal a Las Vegas symbol as the showgirl.

But if you want to mark Elvis' passing today (one late, but the day people were pouring into Memphis to file past his Graceland coffin) don't worry.

You can spend the equivalent of a work day checking out Elvis impersonators, from 11 a.m. to midnight. You have to follow the same route I took, which stopped short of a 10:30 p.m. late show: Either "Legends in Concert" -- where Elvis shares the stage with other impersonators who merit a separate review -- or James Rompel's "Elvis & Friends," this weekend only at the Castaways.

Two shows are ticketed attractions produced by the Elvis-a-Rama Museum at the New Frontier. Two others are in open lounges, with the option of either paying a two-drink minimum or gawking for free from the sidelines. Oddly enough, the lounge shows offer live bands, while the ticketed shows play to taped "karaoke Elvis."

The day begins with the last of three sets by Johnny Seaton, unofficial greeter at the MGM Grand. He performs high above a bar built in the dome that used to house the cheesy "Wizard of Oz" exhibit.

People coming in from the Strip stop on the second-floor mezzanine level to watch, giggle or roll a few seconds of camcorder video. Others dodge the minimum by squatting at covered blackjack tables near the lazy lion habitat -- thus creating the potential ad slogan, "Crouching Elvis, Hidden Lion."

There's a reason for watching from above: Those on the mezzanine have their own little speakers, hidden in decorative columns. The rest of the dome is subjected to a cavernous echo.

Seaton does the best he can in these detached circumstances. In fact, he seems to put extra energy into "Suspicious Minds" to compensate, shakin' and karate kickin' in a white jumpsuit that lacks sequins, but has no shortage of tassels.

Seaton starred in "Elvis: An American Musical," an elaborate stage show that played the Las Vegas Hilton in 1988-89. Without the makeup and lighting he looks less like Presley, but covers a predictable song list in strong voice and even flies a video flag on the overhead screen during the climactic "American Trilogy."

Number of scarves handed out to audience members: One.

It was tempting to take Seaton's anemic quartet and two female singers for granted until the next stop, "The King in Concert," the 4 p.m. show at the New Frontier.

Johnny Edwards is youthful and good-looking in a white jumpsuit trimmed in chrome hoops. In profile, he looks sort of like Kurt Russell's TV-movie Elvis.

But it's a lonely job up there singing to tape -- so lonely that Edwards takes to joking with the spotlight operator. Despite his game sense of humor and some off-the-beaten-path song choices ("Walk A Mile in My Shoes," Perry Como's "It's Impossible") the karaoke show simply doesn't cut it as an $18 ticket when compared to the open lounge acts.

Number of scarves handed out: Three, plus one "Teddy Bear."

This notion is reinforced by heading from the New Frontier to the Riviera for the second set by Jim LeBoeuf. It's pronounced "le-buff" but he's anything but; he so resembles the heavyweight Elvis of the later years that his "jumpsuit" is actually a two-piece red suit with a fancy collar.

Still, LeBoeuf's show is the most fun of the bunch, and his four-piece band actually rocks. LeBoeuf ventures way off the list of standards, telling the audience that he never repeats a song in one day and that the band can play almost 150 of the nearly 800 songs Elvis recorded.

He proves it by doing "Almost on My Mind." "Willie Nelson recorded it. I wasn't too crazy about his version," LeBoeuf tells the crowd. Chuck Berry's "Promised Land" and the Vegas-era "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" also are included.

Number of scarves: None. LeBoeuf sticks to teddy bears and he's very generous: "Nothing like buying the audience, huh?" he remarks after tossing out four in one song.

Then it's back to the New Frontier for "All Shook Up" with Tim Welch. This one's a little better than the afternoon show because of its theatrical structure and costume changes.

It's broken into four segments, with video and recorded narrative to introduce the early Elvis, the movie era, the " '68 Comeback Special" and the Vegas jumpsuit years. This show is also sung to tape, but does use two female dancers to help populate the stage.

Welch is the "sexy Elvis," cozying up to female audience members and speaking in whispered tones with that boy band type of studied, eye-batting shyness. The gals loved him in black leather pants, and the movie segment gave him a reason to march around in uniform singing "G.I. Blues" and "Rock-a-Hula Baby." It's almost a commercial for the "Thunder From Down Under" male strip show that follows.

Number of scarves: Four.

And now for the big question: what was the most-played song?

"Burning Love" was covered by all four Elvi. And that only seems right. Presley's last Top 10 hit was released in 1972, so it's entirely of the Las Vegas Hilton era. Las Vegas should get at least one piece of Elvis Week all to itself.



- Las Vegas Review Journal

Abroad
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
(Elgin Theatre, Toronto; 1,478 seats; $58 top)
By KAREN MURRAYA Live Entertainment presentation of a musical in two acts with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Tim Rice. Directed by Steven Pimlott.

Joseph - Donny Osmond
Narrator - Janet Metz
Jacob/Potiphar/Guru - Michael Fletcher
Pharoah - Johnny Seaton
Butler - Rufus Bonds Jr.
Baker - Trent Kendall
Mrs. Potiphar - Karen Holness
Apache Dancers - Glen Kerr, Linda Talcott

Donny Osmond has found the perfect vehicle to shed his bubblegum teen-idol image, turning in an exceptional performance in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." While the pop music may not be a huge stretch for Osmond, his stage charisma makes him plenty capable of carrying this multimillion dollar production.
A vision in a white costume that sets off long, dark curls, he's physically perfect for Joseph, the pretty boy despised by his 11 brothers for the attentions their father (Michael Fletcher) bestows on him.

Yet Osmond, literally stumbling into an opening sequence, seemed slightly unsure of himself in the beginning. It took some time for him to ease into the character. By the end of the first act, Osmond seemed more comfortable.

At that point, Joseph's brothers have sold him into slavery. From behind bars , he delivered a powerful solo, "Close Every Door," which drew a wildly enthusiastic response from the sold-out house.

His reprise of the song garnered a standing ovation even before the show's final production number.

Though Osmond proves a strong casting choice, narrator Janet Metz comes up short. While her acting is average, her singing often comes out as an unpleasantly nasal, forced vibrato. On the other hand, Johnny Seaton is spectacular as the Elvis-like Pharoah. His performance drew hoots and shrieks, a somewhat unusual occurrence in the elegant venue.

The remainder of the energetic cast contributes to the production's exuberance, though a children's choir does not meet the professional standards of the company.

Director Steven Pimlott moves the tale rapidly along, with the aid of Mark Thompson's colorful stage design and choreographer Anthony Van Laast adds some energetic dance sequences.

An angled projection screen framed like a picture hangs over centre stage with a staircase on either side. Moving panels across the stage transport characters and scenery.

Joseph's journey into slavery has Osmond and his captors moving one way across the stage while landmarks move in the opposite direction. A model of Toronto's CN Tower thrown into the mix drew appropriate laughter from the crowd.

Even padded out to extend the show to full-length status, the score seems to have lost none of its freshness or humor in the 25 years since Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice wrote it.

More than one option(Person) Michael Fletcher
Actor, Assistant Location Manager, Consultant
(Person) Michael Fletcher
Construction
(Person) Michael Fletch Fletcher
More than one option(Person) Glen Kerr
Transportation
(Person) Glen Kerr
ActorMore than one option(Person) Mark Thompson
Voice, Actor, Stand-In
(Person) Mark Thompson
Camera, Digital Effects, Graphic Designer
(Person) Mark Thompson
Carpenter, Construction Coordinator
(Person) Mark Thompson
Costume Designer
(Person) Mark Thompson
Property Master
(Person) Mark Thompson
Assistant Director
(Person) Mark Thompson
Publicity
(Person) Mark Thompson
Security
(Person) Mark Thompson
Model MakerMore than one option(Person) Andrew Lloyd
Assistant Editor, Legal Services
(Person) Andrew Lloyd
LeadmanChoreography, Anthony Van Laast; designer, Mark Thompson; musical supervision, Michael Reed; musical direction, Phil Reno; lighting, Andrew Bridge; sound design, Martin Levan; orchestration, John Cameron; casting, Johnson-Liff & Zerman. Opened June 24, 1992.



With: Lee Lobenhofer, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Timothy J. Alex, Avery Saltzman, Vance Avery, Michael Berresse, Glen Kerr, Timothy Howar, Edwin Louis Battle, Kim Scarcella, Kiri-Lyn Muir, Cara Hunter, Deborah Leamey, Jacquie Holroyd, Anne Gingras, Jody Ripplinger, Susan Gattoni, Marianne McCord, Northern Exposure Choir, Bayview Glen Chorus.



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More than one option(Person) John Cameron
Sound, Co-Executive Producer, Gaffer
(Person) John Cameron
Music, Original Music, Song
(Person) John Cameron
Visual Effects EditorMore than one option(Person) Michael Reed
(Person) Mike Reed
- Karen Murray

Before the tour left the Greek Isle’s, Marie D’Angelo of Channel 99 Cable News interviewed some of the guests, including Johnny Seaton, who is back in town making plans to star in his own show that will be a tribute to Elvis. Johnny played the MGM and the Las Vegas Hilton in the 90’s and left in 2002.


Marie D’Angelo of Channel 99 Cable News and Johnny Seaton

- Nikki Artale

Cloning the King; `Elvis' The Musical; Beltsville's Own As an American Icon
From: The Washington Post | Date: 6/12/1988 | Author: Richard Harrington
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Elvis Lives!

And he's from Beltsville!

No, it's not another media scam ("Illegitimate Granddaughter of Elvis Impersonator Talks to The King on Mars!").

It's "Elvis-An American Musical," the multimillion-dollar, multimedia extravaganza that opened in New Haven, Conn., this week with Beltsville's own Johnny Seaton in the title role,
- The Washington Post

Three actors portray Elvis at different ages. Johnny Seaton is the lead, on stage for roughly 90 percent of the production. Julian Whitaker and Terry Mike Jeffrey play the older and younger Elvis. Sometimes the actors are on simultaneously to contrast the vibrant star with the suffering man near the end of his life.

''We don't intend this to be an Elvis impersonator show,'' Jules Fisher said. ''This is a theatrical work about what Elvis did to the country, how he transformed an era. It's also about how America eats up its stars.''

The Presley estate has long been aggressive in protecting Elvis's name and image, successfully shutting down productions that capitalized on him without authorization. And the estate has been in the forefront of efforts in various state legislatures - New York most recently - to prohibit the commercial exploitation of deceased celebrities without permission of their estates; Barry Ward of Memphis, the estate's lawyer, has testified at hearings in Albany, seeking to convince lawmakers to follow the lead of California and Tennessee, states offering the widest protection to stars and their heirs. Others involved in these lobbying efforts have been the estates of John Wayne, Babe Ruth, Charlie Chaplin and W. C. Fields.

- The New York Times

The musical version is jam-packed with excitement, energy, and musical variety. There's country (One More Angel in Heaven), there's Elvis (Song of the King), there's French-bistro (Those Canaan Days), there's Disco-rock (Go, Go, Go Joseph) and there's even Benjamin Calypso. And of course some typical Webber, too: Any Dream Will Do and Close Every Door have become theme songs for Donny Osmond.

Donny is not the whole show, however. Good thing, as he is being replaced by Los Angeles-based musical theatre personality David Burnham on May 28. The story is held together by the Narrator, Kelli James Chase, back again in this tour after taking a few months off. In strong support are also Johnny Seaton, whose gyrations are still knocking them dead as Pharaoh ("The King") as he did in the 1992 premiere, and James Harmes in the multi-role of Jacob / Potiphar / Guru. Steven Pimlott is the director that keeps the pace pulsing, and Mark Thompson is the creative talent behind the set and costume designs. And did we mention the children's choirs? There are four of them, alternating performances, serving both to entertain and to bring the "spectacle" down to an irresistibly endearing human scale.

- A Stage Door Review