Elvis and Billie will both be in the building on Dec. 17 — in Genesee Theatre, that is, to perform iconic tunes, including “Blue Christmas” and “God Bless the Child.”
Of course it won’t be Elvis Presley and Billie Holiday in person — but two award-winning singer/actors who have been praised for their interpretations of the famous icons.
Brandon Bennett, who portrays Elvis, and Alexis Roston, who sings Billie Holiday style, have studied the legends by reading about their lives, listening to them sing and watching videos to perfect the style, the sound and the soul.
Bennett, a Missourian, has been appearing as Elvis for more than 15 years and recently starred in the Chicago cast of “Million Dollar Quartet,” a musical about a famous joint recording session with Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley.
“It was one of the best experiences of my entire career,” Bennett said. “I did more than 2,000 performances. It never seemed to get old.”
Now that the show’s over, he continues to perform Elvis-style for fans throughout the nation.
“Every time I’m on stage, I strive to recreate what people remember and respect about what Elvis offered in his performance,” Bennett said. “He was a phenomenal singer, entertainer and human being. He showed humility and remained humble throughout his life. That’s what I want people to remember or catch a glimpse of. It wasn’t about what he wore. It was about the music, his voice and, most of all, he was real.”
Bennett said his mom loved Elvis, but he was more of a country music fan following stars like Merle Haggard and Garth Brooks when he was growing up. Friends and family told him he looked like Elvis — and soon Bennett joined the high school choir, singing “Blue Christmas” for holiday concerts.
He then got hired to play Elvis at parties. “It was helping me get through college and at some point in the first half of my freshman year in college, I decided I needed a break from school to see what I could do with this business,” he said.
“The man could sing just about any kind of style. That’s what I focused on most,” Bennett said, adding he listened to recordings and recorded himself asking for others to criticize his work. “I needed someone to be honest with me and have a critical ear.”
Bennett also worked on the famous Elvis gyrations.
“I remember one particular movement he did in the early 1950s — they called it the windmill — both his arms are moving around and he’s pivoting on his right foot and left foot. I watched frame by frame to see how he was doing it and I would practice that move and started to get it down.”
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Bennett said he approaches being Elvis “from an acting standpoint,” and that’s what Roston said she does when she performs Billie Holiday music. A few years ago she was cast in a show depicting Holiday’s life.
“I’ve grown up with jazz music in my home. My dad always played a bunch of jazz and blues and they did play Billie Holiday. So as a kid I would be humming her songs all around the house,” Roston said.
When Roston auditioned for the show, she didn’t think she had it in her to portray the legend. But she was cast — and soon was learning about Holiday, the American jazz musician and singer-songwriter nicknamed Lady Day.
“Two weeks before rehearsal, I listened to her music, day in and day out to get a grasp of what she sounded like. Her voice is soulful. It’s a bluesy jazz. It’s a voice that touches you to the core. You felt the heart of the woman in each song. She always evoked some major feeling.
“My goal was to sound just like her. I’m very honored to be able to play this jazz legend. She changed the face of the jazz scene. People need to continue to celebrate such a prolific female artist. She was strong-willed and always persevering to be great.”
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance writer.
Christmas with the King starring Brandon Bennett With A Very Billie Holiday with Alexis Roston
When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17
Where: Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan
Tickets: $35-$45
Information: www.geneseetheatre.com