“Christmas With Elvis” reviewed by Julia W. Rath

*** A creative idea taken to its dramatic extreme, “Christmas with Elvis” is a two-character play where a divorced woman who is incredibly down on herself happens to meet up with Elvis Presley in her apartment—46 years after he died! At first, she’s not sure what she’s seeing: Is it a ghost? But the man is apparently in the flesh! The contrast between her mundane existence and his fame and flashiness could not be any more polar. But what they share in common are their reflections on a life that did not go well for either one of them. Billed as a dramady, if not also a romantic comedy, the show is actually quite sad. While there are a few funny lines, it is only a comedy in the Shakespearean sense of the word in that everything ends up okay for both. Written by Terry Spencer Hesser and directed by Dexter Bullard, this play with music is about the interaction of two very vulnerable people who use drugs, alcohol, and overeating to dull their emotional pain. The script was originally written 32 years ago and recently updated and now revived. While the show starts out a bit too slowly and contains a good deal of unevenness, it does feature entertaining music and a worthwhile ending.

The first on stage is Trudy Davis (Brenda Barrie), who  feels unloved and thinks she is forgettable. Trudy is all alone now that her former husband has left, and now she receives a phone call that Harlan is engaged to marry another woman. This only adds to her depression, and she totally doesn’t know what to do with herself. In her despair, she puts on an Elvis Presley record—and poof! To her surprise, Elvis (Victor Holstein) comes alive in her living room! He has been living in purgatory for a very long time, and now he is walking the earth again!

Elvis is constantly checking the medicine cabinet for drugs and orders a case of Jack Daniels and several pizzas at once. Trudy is like a female Woody Allen character, who suffers from neurosis, having to do with feelings of inadequacy especially when it comes to her sexuality. Plus she has all sorts of sensitivities and aversions that define her personality. She says that she gave up drinking but actually drinks too much; she says she gave up eating but secretly binges on fast food in the middle of the night; and she says she suffers from bulimia, more or less. I found myself losing interest in Trudy when I listened to all of her monologues and saw her overexplain so very much of herself to Elvis. A lot of this should have been handled with more acting and close contact and less talking. We need to see more physical and emotional closeness and even debauchery for this story to work. But what adds warmth and charm to the production is the music. Elvis is at his best when he is being Elvis, that is, when he is entertaining Trudy and (by extension) the audience. Listening to Elvis’s hits and watching his body motions helps to balance out the storyline with just the right songs at just the right moments. What a fine performance by Holstein as an Elvis impersonator who can sing, act, and play the piano! Most impressive is the fortitude that both Barrie and Holstein exhibit in their roles. As the only two actors on stage, they have to perform each night for two hours straight (with one brief intermission).

Nicely done are costumes by Lori Hall-Araujo. The audience was especially thrilled with Elvis’s glitz and glamor and liked the costume change between acts one and two. Scenic design by Eleanor Kahn is more than appropriate. Trudy’s apartment is laid out decently, and I liked how the audience is privy to Trudy’s bathroom and medicine cabinet. Props designer Amanda Hermann makes the great room seem modestly realistic. I did feel, however, that the piano should have been oriented differently. Elvis should have mostly faced the audience when he sat down to play; seeing his back was not a wise choice. Lighting by Bridget S. Williams is good, and projection design by Steve Labedz gives us a hint about other spirits and purgatory.

Some of the funnier lines have to do with differences in life today in 2023 versus 1977, the year when Elvis passed away: for example, the nonexistence of cell phones back then. Yet somebody else with a different sense of humor might enjoy watching this show more than I did. It didn’t tickle my funnybone to observe such an overly neurotic person like Trudy. The more drinking that she and Elvis did to excess, the less I cared about both of them, and I found it hard to watch both of them portrayed as being spiritually bankrupt. Now having said that, the show is better in the second act when it begins to accomplish its primary goal, that is, to provide some type of useful message from the netherworld as expressed by the King of Rock. One of Elvis’s lines: “You need to take risks to get some rewards” is a major takeaway. Spoiler alert: The good part is that Trudy takes Elvis’s advice to heart. Through her interaction with him, she learns how to become the best version of herself and allow herself to live life rather than dwell on her sorrows.

The Christmas theme behind this play cannot be minimized, as all the action takes place on Christmas Eve. Like the show “A Christmas Carol”, Elvis shows up as a ghost, like the story “It’s a Wonderful Life”, Elvis saves Trudy, as Clarence the Angel did for George. But Elvis is no angel: He is flawed like the rest of us. And that is important! Who knows if he can or ever will escape purgatory? However, by dint of personality plus his music, Elvis feels he can help out those currently living on earth. Maybe that’s why his words—his song lyrics and his underlying philosophy—will resonate with a lot of theatregoers who might be experiencing their own loneliness, heartache, and agony this holiday season.

“Christmas with Elvis” is playing through January 7, 2024, at Chopin Theatre, 1543 West Division Street, in Chicago.

Tickets are $65-$75 plus applicable fees.

Performance schedule:

Thursdays and Fridays – 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays – 3:00 and 7:30 p.m.
Sundays – 3:00 p.m.

For more information about “Christmas with Elvis” or to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.chopintheatre.com/event.php?id=2906&pageId=now
or email: ChristmaswithElvis@gmail.com.

To learn more about the Chopin Theatre and its other offerings, go to: https://www.chopintheatre.com/.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Christmas With Elvis”.