A Decade Of
Memories

   A threshold in time has finally been crossed. We?ve taken our first gallant strides into a new millennium, eagerly keeping our sights on the horizon, wondering what the future holds. But that doesn?t mean we can?t look back from time to time. In fact, looking back is the name of the game at Memories Theatre. The hundreds who file into the Pigeon Forge showplace nightly get to see history come to life before their eyes. Good times live and breathe again, and for a few hours it?s okay to dwell in the past.

    In the midst of these modern days when life can be anything from chaotic to stressful, this one music theater is an oasis for those in need of a temporary escape. And should you have any doubts that human beings take comfort in the warmth of nostalgia, consider the fact that Memories Theatre has been ?shoo-shooping? its guests down Memory Lane for a full decade. It?s not the biggest kid on the block, but it has proven year in and year out that size really doesn?t matter. What matters is what happens on the stage, under the lights, between performer and audience. It?s a real kind of magic that Memories fans have become addicted to.

    On any given night, there?s no telling who you?ll encounter as the cast guides you on your journey toward happy days. Singers of mythical proportions are channeled into presence through song. Memories is a place where Elvis, Aretha and Patsy become more than just names. Rather, what you remember most about them is rekindled in each word, each note and each movement of the Memories performers. Legends reappear for the moment, the essence of their greatness shimmering before you like jewels.

    While the Memories experience is designed to give you a sampling of musical tributes, the emphasis is most definitely on one man in particular. You see, at Memories Theatre, Elvis never leaves the building. Of course, the fact that the Presley tribute is the anchor of the show shouldn?t come as a surprise considering that the boy from Tupelo is as much adored 23 years after his death as he was during his life. There aren?t many artists whose heyday never ends, and Presley?s enduring popularity goes a long way toward explaining Memories? enduring popularity as well. After all, they are the Elvis show.

    Over the course of two decades and some change, Elvis reinvented himself more than once, starting out as the sensual rebel who was often regarded as a menace to society in the 1950s, playing the role of movie star following his stint in the Army, and finally adopting the stages of Las Vegas as a second home of sorts during his last years. At Memories Theatre, Presley?s career is played out in similar fashion during each night?s show, beginning with the early Sun and RCA hits and closing with the songs associated with the extensive road tour and casino showroom appearances of the 1970s.

    The star of this ultimate salute to Elvis is Lou Vuto, a man who shuns the label ?Elvis Impersonator,? but nonetheless is uncanny in his portrayal of The King during his hours on the Memories stage. Vuto, a mild-mannered New York son by day seemingly uncorks a bottle that releases a snarling, hip-swiveling genie by night. For the past five years, he has successfully worn the Presley persona at Memories Theatre, making him the most durable act in the showplace?s history. Vuto even has his own fan club that numbers well over 600. When he sings Love Me, that?s exactly what his admirers feel.

    Sure, Vuto has all the props?jet black hair, mutton chop sideburns and time-appropriate costumes?but it?s what he produces from within that sends the ladies swooning, screaming and stampeding to stage?s edge for a touch, a kiss or a snapshot. The vocals are dynamic and embody Presley?s soulful and plaintive lilt, but still manage to bear the stamp of Vuto?s own interpretation. The body movements are every bit as daring as they were when Eisenhower was president, and they come off by second nature, never seeming rehearsed or mechanical. The looks, the voice, the moves?and even the star?s sense of humility?are forged together under the spotlight into a winning combination that sets him distinctly apart from the stereotypical, Vegas-marinated Elvis act.

    Playing a supporting role to Vuto?s Elvis is real-life Presley sidekick, Charlie Hodge. From their first meeting as Army buddies in 1958 until Presley?s death in 1977, Hodge was an integral part of his friend?s inner circle, a true Memphis Mafioso. He was a permanent resident of Graceland for 17 years, during which time he served Elvis in more official capacities as well?as personal aid and band member. In concert, he was also the guy who handed scarves to Presley before they wound up sweat-soaked and in the hands of some ecstatic female fan.

    Hodge?s first appearance each evening comes at the start of the second act. That?s when it?s just Charlie talking with the audience, sharing with them an intimate glimpse of the Elvis he knew. Through stories, jokes and even a few impressions, Hodge is able to take Presley as myth and humanize him. His tales paint an image of a best friend rather than The King of Rock and Roll. Later in the show, Hodge shows he has pretty much picked up where he left off in 1977, joining Vuto with a guitar slung around his neck and adding backing vocals. And yes, he?s still handing out scarves.

    The onstage chemistry between Vuto and Hodge is very real and clearly evident to anyone watching. Even between numbers, the sixty-four-year-old Hodge takes his casual everyman style of conversation and converts it to ripe banter. It shows itself the night that Lou pauses, turns to look at Charlie:

Lou: Do you need anything?
Charlie: Got any Viagra?
Lou: I don?t use that stuff.
Charlie: You will.

    There?s also a mutual admiration between the two that translates into a tightly jelled and energetic performance. Hodge respects Vuto?s talents, skills and the way he refuses to be a 24-hour-a-day, reincarnated Elvis like so many lounge lizards that sprang up in the wake of Presley?s demise. Vuto simply respects the fact that Charlie Hodge is Charlie Hodge.

    Of course, at Memories Theatre it?s all about the music, be it that of Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin or Fats Domino. And while it?s Vuto?s image that dominates the theater?s Parkway sign board, the art of the tribute is very much a team effort at Memories.The foundation on which the show is built is the music of the Memories Showband, led by drummer and vocalist, Hank Miles, who himself is also celebrating a decade at Memories. His seven-piece ensemble is crisp, versatile and has to its credit a repertoire of so many songs that you could attend the show every night for a week and never hear the same tune repeated.

    Filling out the vocal textures of the band?s selections are the Three Inspirations, a female trio who not only back up Vuto (Elvis had a similar backing threesome in concert), but take the spotlight themselves on many of the tribute numbers. The Inspirations set the mood early on in their poodle skirts, saddle Oxfords and renditions of At The Hop and Why Do Fools Fall In Love? They even pepper the show with occasional skits that accent the flow of the evening nicely.

    No matter what decade you grew up in, it?s natural to associate the music of that period with memories of fun and innocence, of carefree days and nights. As a performing unit, Vuto, Hodge, the Memories Showband and the Three Inspirations deliver a bundle of entertainment that recaptures those times, breathes life into them and sends them twisting and reeling into the forefront of your mind. They present a slide show of the past, filtered through the music of the day. For anyone who longs for momentary solace in simpler times, Memories Theatre is truly a place of pure escape where you can shake, rattle and roll your cares away.

What's Showing Magazine
Volume 5, Issue 1

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