ON THE 36th anniversary of the death of ‘The King’ – the legendary Elvis Presley – one of the world’s most acclaimed Elvis impersonators is coming to Port Macquarie.
Elvis Presley was a cultural icon and decades on his memory and legend lives on in the guise of the impersonator Max Pellicano.
Pellicano’s tribute Elvis To The Max goes beyond mere impersonation. His recreation of The King’s looks, moves, vocal style, impressions and humour is so accurate, it’s awe-inspiring. There are plenty of Elvis impersonators around, but Max Pellicano is considered as one of the best. Critics have described him as ‘Elvis resurrected’ and ‘reincarnated’.
In addition, the costumes worn by Pellicano are exact replicas made by Elvis’s personal tailor Bill Bellow.
The shimmering encrusted ‘White Eagle’ costume is a $10,000 re-creation, identical to the one worn by Elvis in 1972.
Pellicano was born in Monte Carlo, of French and Italian parents. He spent most of his childhood in New York before moving to San Francisco at the age of 14.
Today, he is based in Detroit. He has been a professional actor and entertainer since 1974 when he graduated from the California State University with a degree in Dramatic Arts. Max Pellicano first brought Elvis (as an actor) to life on stage in a production of Bye Bye Birdie.
“I was doing musicals and theatre and had to study Jailhouse Rock for my role as the Elvis-type character, Conrad Birdie,” he said.
“I studied the way he walked, the way he talked and the way he moved for months – I guess you could say I got into impersonating Elvis in a kind of roundabout way.”
Pellicano’s performance led to an Elvis tribute show and the rest is history.
“I learnt long ago that the fans don’t want the legend to die. They want to keep the memory going,” he said.
Elvis To The Max will appear in Port Macquarie on Friday 16 August.
Book online www.glasshouse.org.au or call 6581 8888.
