Scot Bruce and Mike Albert team up to pay tribute to the “king of rock ‘n’ roll” in their performance of “Blue Suede Shoes: The Ultimate Elvis Bash.” The show will be at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 at the Young Auditorium. 
Bruce brings Elvis’ younger years back to life, while Albert impersonates the “king” during his days of fame in Vegas.
The duo will be joined by the Big ‘E’ Band.
Bruce and Albert have performed together for a total of 15 years.
“I’ve always loved to make people smile and laugh, and I have found Elvis to be a great vehicle for that,” Albert said.
The Young Auditorium’s Marketing Director Leslie LaMuro said Director Ken Kohberger and the cultural affairs staff chose the show after seeing a showcase at the Midwest Arts Conference.
“We also surveyed the audience to see what they would be interested in seeing, and this show ranked pretty high,” LaMuro said. “There are a lot of Elvis fans.”
Fans of all ages are welcome to join this night of rock ‘n’ roll fun.
“We are expecting a largely older demographic because Elvis was popular in the 1950s and 1960s, but Elvis has fans of all ages because he had such an impact on the music industry,” LaMuro said.
Bruce and Albert’s impressions have been approved by Elvis’ friends and family.
“We do not pretend to be Elvis,” Albert said. “We are fans of Elvis showing appreciation. We are always Mike and Scot, not Elvis.”
Aside from impersonators that aim to poke fun of Elvis, Bruce and Albert are in it to show their utmost respect.
“They truly believe Elvis was the influential man that he was,” LaMuro said. “They both portray him with honesty and sincerity, not mockery.”
Die-hard Elvis fans are encouraged to rock out in the “king’s” attire.
“A lot of people wear Elvis shirts and some wear ties, and that’s great,” Albert said. “We want our fans to be comfortable.”
Although Albert and Bruce have been performing as Elvis together for 15 years, Albert said they always switch the shows up and never play the same set list twice.
“I never know the exact song line-up until that day,” Albert said. “I go with what I feel the audience will enjoy. But because it is our first time in Whitewater, we will stay with hits like ‘Suspicious Minds,’ ‘Jailhouse Rock’ and ‘Love Me Tender,’ along with songs that Elvis did on tour in Vegas that weren’t that popular.”
Albert said a lot of times audience members are expected to just sit in the crowd and be quiet, but he and Bruce want the audience to be interactive and have a great time.
“We’re going to rock the house, and everyone is going to get ‘All Shook Up,’” LaMuro said.
There will also be a “Memphis” style dinner held before the show in the Kachel Center, right next to the theater. All the food served will be Southern inspired like BBQ and fried chicken and black-eyed pea salad.
