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REVIEW: 'ELVIS: A Musical Revolution' ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Writer's picture: We Talk TheatreWe Talk Theatre
Dec 14, 20233 min read

This review is based-off a performance on the 11/11/23


Rob Mallett as Elvis Presley & the cast of ELVIS: A MUSICAL REVOLUTION

Photo by Ken Leanfore


‘Elvis’. Quite possibly the most recognisable name in the history of music, if not the world. It wasn’t surprising when Hollywood took his story and made a blockbuster film about life, and yeah, it was a pretty damn good movie - receiving a multitude of 5-star reviews, it was a beautiful and crucial piece of entertainment that gave us a deeper look into the life of Elvis Presley. This musical, while not met with as many 5-star reviews, still impresses audiences nightly, but not quite as intended.


I need to begin by saying that Rob Mallett’s performance as Elvis is more than impressive. The physicalization, the voice, the attitude - all an incredible feat of theatrical brilliance. Every note, every step & every line had me absolutely gobsmacked by Mallett’s phenomenal performance. In saying that, all the cast members in this show did a great job. Especially the young boy who played the role of ‘Young Elvis’ at the performance I attended, he had more lines than a lot of the adult company and still nailed every single one, not missing a beat.


The choreography is great. It’s punchy and powerful one minute, and the next it’s slow and delicate - always matching the pacing of whichever Elvis Presley hit is being sung at the time. I’m not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to choreography, but I really was impressed by the dancing in this show, so, that’s gotta mean something.


My biggest worry when going into jukebox musicals is that songs will get thrown into the show just because they’re famous, and not because they actually help the plot, which seems to be a common theme - thankfully, that doesn’t seem to occur. All the songs in ‘ELVIS’ seem to fit into the story correctly, with not one feeling out of place or not needed.


The cast of ELVIS: A MUSICAL REVOLUTION

Photo by Ken Leanfore


Something is limiting this show’s potential, I’m just not 100% sure what it is. My main thought is that it could be the fact that many moments in this show just feel boring and long. The 2 scenes that seem to be the main victim of this both happen in recording studios. The scene’s dialogue isn’t bland, the scenes are still full of quick and witty lines, so it can’t be that the script is poorly written, the 2 scenes are just both reaaaally lengthy. I don’t know the running time for the scenes exactly, but I’m pretty certain they both run for anywhere from 7 - 13 minutes. And sure, if there was a full song or two in then a 10-minute scene isn’t too crazy, but the fact that both these scenes don’t contain a full song and STILL run for that length of time is just a bit much.


‘Elvis: A Musical Revolution’ is great. The performances, the music, the lighting - It’s all great. The problem I had with the show though, is that it doesn’t feel as much like a musical as it does feel like a tribute act to the ‘King of Rock and Roll’. To some people, this isn’t a problem in the slightest as a lot of people going to see this production aren’t going for the fact it’s a musical, they’re going to see an epic live showcase of Elvis’s life and music. For those people, this show is perfect. With how spot-on all the cast’s performances are, people seeking a tribute performance should look no further than grabbing tickets to see this show.


Rob Mallett as Elvis Presley

Photo by Nicole Cleary


ELVIS: A MUSICAL REVOLUTION is running at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre until December 31st, before heading back to the State Theatre in Sydney from 4th February until the 3rd March, Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide in April, Perth’s Crown Theatre in May and HOTA in the Gold Coast in June.


Written by Seb Smee

Produced by We Talk Theatre

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We Talk Theatre:

Seb Smee (Producer & Presenter) - www.instagram.com/sbsmee

Jack Marshall (Presenter) -www.instagram.com/jckmarshall

 
 
 

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