Elvis
Unsettled
Choreography by Monica Barnes
University of
California
San Diego, CA
Costume Design by Kelly Hansen
Lighting Design by M. Scott Grabau
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| Ever notice a cultural phenomenon that
takes itself very seriously and has earned a lot of respect, but still seems
just a little odd? Elvis is a bit like that. Sure, he was a superstar. He had
dozens of top ten hits, sold out huge concerts all over the world, and is an
icon in the history of Rock and Roll. But, those crazy jumpsuits, those movies,
and the is-he-still-alive thing, seems so silly. Elvis Unsettled takes on this serious but off beat demeanor. I had a blast working on this project. It is my most exciting work to to date. Monica and Kelly were new collaborators for me. The collaboration, although brief, was wonderful. The lighting came together easily. Elvis iconography has been in my life since childhood. I've seen more of his films than I care to admit. Thanks go to my Mother for making me a fan at an early age. So, I brought to the piece a great understanding of what Vegas era Elvis spectacle looked like. In my research for this piece I reviewed footage from Elvis' 1973 "Aloha From Hawaii" live telecast and his 1968 NBC television special. |
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 Love Me |
The piece consisted of several songs from a concert Elvis did at Madison Square Garden. | |
| All right, this one is a little Fosse-esque, I'll admit. At this point in the music Elvis makes several attempts to begin Hound Dog, each time stopping to acknowledge some interruption. When he does get the song started and the band kicks in, it turns out to be an unexpected sultry arrangement of the song. That's a lot like our approach to the piece, to almost give the audience what they expect. |  Hound Dog intro |
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 Cant help falling in love |
At this point in the piece the dancers begin singing with Elvis at the top of their lungs. The whole scene takes on a Vegas concert environment, complete with the obligatory "audience blinders." | |
| Three battens of strip lights fly in quickly to fill the scene with points of light. |  Finale |
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 Finale |
The lights chase and the music changes to the familiar Elvis theme vamp. | |
| Of course there is a big button at the end followed by the announcer saying, "Elvis has left the building. Thank you and good night." |  Finale button |
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