Rick Alviti as Elvis
Rick Alviti's "That's the Way it Was" A Tribute to Elvis .. is truly a show like no other!
Rick's Elvis tribute show is high energy and full of audience interaction. A show that has everything needed to make for a fun and memorable evening. One that will leave you feeling as if you have, miraculously, seen Elvis .. in person!
Rick has performed all over the country from the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas to Turning Stone Casino in New York State. Rick perfected his skills as a live performer at his own venue named Celebrity Theatre in Myrtle Beach SC. His all-Elvis, Las Vegas-style tribute to the King of Rock and Roll continues to travel bringing his amazing show to a wider audience.
Alviti brings the passion, commitment and professionalism gained from his years as an actor/entertainer while living in Los Angeles. Although Rick is truly a master at performing for live audiences these skills have been enhanced by his other appearances in movie roles, on radio shows and television performances such as ER with actor, George Clooney.
When Rick Alviti looks in the mirror, he sees Elvis! There is no getting around it .. the pushed-back hair, the thick sideburns, the sexy sneer, the blue eyes! It is no wonder this actor had to face the music, so to speak, and learn how to "be" Elvis. When Alviti, at 38, was living in California as an actor and working as a singing bartender at a popular club across the street from the NBC studios in Burbank he was one of the few who could sing and mix drinks at the same time. He became a hit! At this time, more than anything else, he found the Elvis in him! For years his style was a beard and long hair, but as soon as he cut his hair and removed the facial hair .. Rick became the singing Elvis behind the bar!
"Every day of my life, someone said something about Elvis and told me I should go to Vegas. I didn't want to do it. I was an actor though the comments kept coming and I needed to make a living so I decided to try it. I wanted to make sure I represented Elvis in the proper way so I started studying him I watched all of Elvis' movies. I rehearsed for a year to sing as close to him as possible. Then, things just took off for me. I was getting all kinds of Elvis jobs".
Along Alviti's career path, he landed a job on the Vickie Lawrence Show and made a Miller Lite commerical with former Nascar racer, Rusty Wallace though one of his more memorable performances was for Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Mansion in 1998.
"People love Elvis and I like to represent the 'primetime' Elvis. Not the way he was in the end, the sick and overweight gentleman. I try to represent the good-looking, charismatic singer and entertainer."
Diehard Elvis fans who have seen Alviti's show say that he is one of the best! In fact, they rank his show among the top! An Elvis fan by the name of Keith Zimmerman who saw the real Elvis 5 times and has seen Alviti twice, was quoted to say .. "Alviti is about as close as anyone is going to get to Elvis".
Alviti's father, Richard, a retired manager and salesman from the manufacturing industry, has been his manager.
When Rick is preparing for his show he calls it .. "getting Elvised-up!" Alviti was 14 when Elvis died and never saw Elvis in concert.
This tribute show to Elvis is truly the closest thing to a live Elvis performance you will ever see or hear!
Elvis trivia .. Elvis recorded 744 songs. Elvis' favorite song was King Creole. Elvis made 31 movies. Elvis' costumes weighed 8 to 10 pounds. His white rhinestoned jumpsuit was fashioned after his interest in karate. Elvis' most requested song was Hound Dog and Suspicious Minds. Elvis' favorite cologne was Brute. Elvis loved Cadillacs and gave many away to his family and friends. Sadly, Elvis left his many fans at the age of 42 in 1977 while in residence at Graceland in Memphis TN.
Alviti has been to Graceland 3 times. The first time was in 1986. Does Alviti get tired of hearing .. "Elvis has left the building"? He does, but Rick says .. "it's just part of it". It has been said that the phrase spoken at the end of his concert was a way to clear out the building as Elvis didn't do encores.
Interesting how the phrase has stuck.
Pat Locke, Maestro Muse
#popslove
