Everyone’s heard of Christmas in July, but what about a night of theatre celebrating the six month mark before the birth of The King? I didn’t say The King of Kings, just The King…you know, the one whose palace sits behind music-themed gates in the Whitehaven neighborhood of Memphis, TN. Now you’ve got it, and so does Playhouse 615 (11920 Lebanon Rd, Mt. Juliet, TN), for that’s where you can find Thank You Very Much: A halfway to Elvis’ Birthday Celebration featuring Graceland, a one-act play by Ellen Byron. Co-Directed by Playhouse 615’s Joel Meriwether and Ann Street-Kavanagh, Graceland stars Diane Bearden-Enright and Addison Myatt with performances continuing thru Sunday, July 17.
Enright, who’s currently an Adjunct Theatre instructor at MTSU, with an acting resume including stage appearances ranging from Nashville to New York and back again, whose recent theatre credits include Ouiser in Steel Magnolias and a fantastic turn as Rosie in a pre-pandemic run of Mamma Mia, stars as Bev Davies, a middle-aged, polyester-wearing, fiery redhead…or is she? Myatt, who recently assistant stage managed Playhouse 615’s production of Next to Normal, and was among the ensemble of their fabulous production of Dracula, plays Rootie, an attractive, thin, small-town girl on a mission. But there’s more to both these ladies as the show soon reveals. As an added bonus, following the one-act, Elvis Tribute Artist, Wess Aaron presents some of EP’s best-known hits, done…his way.
Graceland’s plot is simple, two seemingly polar-opposite Elvis fanatics, Bev Davies (Enright) and Rootie Mallert (Myatt) are both hoping to be the first devotee of the King of Rock and Roll to enter the hallowed halls of his former home on June 7, 1982 as it opens for the public for the very first time.
As Graceland begins, Enright’s Bev enters the small bare stage carrying with her a cooler, a folding lawn chair, a tote-bag (emblazoned with an image of Elvis, of course) and various pieces of what will eventually be a pop-up tent. Thus begins at least five minutes of Enright’s Bev in a silent struggle with said tent as she lays claim to her premium spot just outside the gates of Graceland. With not a single word of spoken dialogue, save the occasional frustrated swear-word under her breath as she fights the aluminum rods and nylon fabric to build herself a temporary shield from the elements, Enright’s Bev elicits howls of laughter from the audience as she awaits entrance to the sacred halls of Elvis’ former abode. What a way to start the show! Enright’s physicality during this scene pulls out all the stops, a true masterclass in conveying humor and exasperation without words.
As Bev gets things situated just as she wants them, and all seems calm, here comes Myatt’s Rootie wearing a midriff top and jeans and sporting a short curly blonde hairstyle reminiscent of any number of late 70s/early 80s pop culture icons. By their wardrobe alone, you just know they’re gotta butt heads, and they do. As I said previously…polar opposites.
That opposition takes center stage when Rootie throws down her blanket, and the proverbial gantlet as it were, proclaiming she was technically the first one there as her blanket touched the ground just before Bev unfolded her chair and sat.
As the two explain why they are the ultimate Elvis fan, and therefore should be the first to enter Graceland, Bev reveals that Elvis basically saved her marriage because any time she and her husband had any discord, she’d simply think of the joy Elvis and his music…and his pelvis, no doubt, had brought her, she’d just smile and find contentment. There’s even a funny line in which Bev reveals that her husband was ok with her crush on The King, stating that if she’s in love with another man, at least he’s dead.
Meanwhile, Rootie’s reasons for wanting to enter Graceland first are quite different. As she explains to Bev, she feels a spiritual connection to Elvis and to a lost friendship and it’s her hope that she could reach out to Elvis to have him then, in turn, reach out to her late friend as a way of expressing her gratitude for what he meant to her. She even mentions some hippie-dippy cosmic stuff about bringing Elvis back, citing the plot of Gene Kelly’s 1954 musical Brigadoon, in which he seemingly resurrects an entire town that only comes to life once every hundred years.
Byron’s script finds Bev the stronger character, both in her ability to find humor I life and in her resilience, devoting a bit more time to her development and in the hands of Enright, she’s nicely revealed.
By contrast, Myatt’s Rootie, though she has the more serious backstory, a story of being bullied and an abusive boyfriend who devalues her in front of others, falls a bit short. Perhaps a bit of direction to vocalize might have helped. Yes, the character is meek, but at the top of the show, several of her lines were missed during the performance I attended. Whether that was due a lack of projection or technical issues with the sound, the character and its development suffered.
Like any good formulaic script, or any mediocre sitcom, by then end of the half-hour+, our two Elvis fans find common ground, understanding for each other’s situation and an unexpected kinship. They even share a hilarious duet of Heartbreak Hotel.
Graceland has all the basics of a clever, often touching and funny show, too bad it’s limited to only about a 45 minute run-time. For were it fully fleshed out into a two-act play, this could definitely be something Elvis fans, and fans of sweet little theatrical productions would love. As it is, Playhouse 615 has found the best aspects and showcased them. Heck, they even have Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches as part of the concessions…and of course the forethought to follow the all-too-brief one-act with their very own Elvis impersonator.
As for Wess Aaron‘s post-play Elvis tribute, right from the get, he revealed to the opening night audience that he’s usually backed by his full ensemble, billed as Wess Aaaron and The CC Riders, but is performing at Playhouse 615 with only pre-recorded backing tracks. Nonetheless, there are moments when the vocals are just right enough, the stage energy choreographed altogether appropriately for the situation and the cockiness of The King, personified. Now, it must be said, if you’re going in expecting a young Elvis, a la Austin Butler as seen in the current box-office smash hit film from Baz Luhrmann, you might wanna check out the movie. Think of later Elvis, a little tour-warn, a little over himself, but still hitting the stage. That’s the Elvis Wess Aaron showcases. With Aaron’s gusto, bravado and a few humorous quips between tunes, it’s somehow the perfect companion to Graceland.
As the show goes into the final weekend of performances, there’s three chances left to see Enright and Myatt make you shake, rattle and roll with laughs. Tickets are $18 and may be purchased online CLICK HERE or at the door. For details on upcoming shows at Playhouse 615, check out their website or find them on Facebook.
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