Elvis show stays true to the King

By JOHN BENSON

entertainment@vindy.com

During the decades after Elvis Presley died, Dayton native Don Rose made a name for himself in the Buckeye State and beyond as a talented King of Rock and Roll impersonator.

Northeast Ohio fans may remember his acts The Classics, The Don Rose Classic Show Band and The Don Rose Revue coming through town. However, it’s Rose’s relatively new outfit, “Elvis in Blue Hawaii,” which makes its Youngstown debut April 17 at The Georgetown, that has the Las Vegas resident excited about returning to the area.

“This show is completely different and separated us from the field,” said Rose, calling from his Sin City home. “I’ve never seen a show like this done by anybody else. If you ever went to an Elvis concert, there were three sections. The opening had [backing act] The Sweet Inspirations doing their thing, and then they had a comedian and then Elvis played an hour.

“In our 90-minute show, we have a section where our Hawaiian girls represent a different Hawaiian culture and dances. There’s Tahitian and hula and so forth. We have a section of the show with comedy built around a warrior that’s very funny. And then intertwined in that is the Elvis part of the show where we do Elvis music. So what we try to do is build a show around what Elvis did when he first started filming movies in Hawaii.”

In addition to four costume changes, Rose promises popular songs such as “Paradise, Hawaiian Style,” “Rock-a-Hula Baby,” “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “Viva Las Vegas,” “Come on Everybody,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “In the Ghetto” and more.

A Presley impersonator for more than three decades, Rose considers himself a veteran that provides a show heavy on talent and light on “Thank you, thank you very much” shenanigans. A few years ago Rose, who has toured the world, was voted “The Best Elvis in Las Vegas.”

In his mind, he’s paying respects to The King.

“My stamp has always been my voice,” Rose said. “I’ve always been a singer first. So everything I’ve ever done stems from how strong my voice is. I excel at the big high-note stuff.”

Rose said that nowadays, the trend among Presley impersonators is to present a career retrospective from all eras of the legend’s career. It’s for this reason that “Elvis in Blue Hawaii” is something unique.

“I think anybody will enjoy the show,” Rose said. “When we play casinos, everybody sings along. I think it’s a great show and a very unique way to deliver the music of Elvis Presley.”

if you go

What: “Elvis in Blue Hawaii” dinner-show, featuring Don Rose

When: 7:30 p.m. April 17

Where: The Georgetown, 5945 South Ave., Boardman

Tickets: $45 (includes dinner); available at Trolio’s in Poland and by calling (330) 757-2779