The “Spirit of the King” is Alive and Well at the Spa Resort and Casino:
By Lisa Morgan
How does a guy with a business restoring art and painting church ceilings become one of the most electrifying entertainers in Las Vegas? And how did a guy, steeped in the musical style of Led Zeppelin, who actually fronted one of the most successful east coast heavy metal bands, go on to write and perform country/rockabilly music that captures all of the melodic integrity of the Americana movement? And how does this guy use his skills as a painter and musician to become perhaps the most sought after Elvis stylist in the country? These questions all get answered when you see Steve Connolly perform live in the spirit of Elvis at the Spa Resort and Casino in down town Palm Springs. Coming off the huge successes of his Elvis shows in Bally’s Jubilee Theatre, the Blue Note Cabaret as well as Fitzgerald’s Hotel & Casino in Vegas, Steve brings his insanely broad range of talents to uniquely celebrate one of the greatest artists and performers of all time.
“Elvis Presley was a performer whose music can still top the charts today in country and pop, here in America and Europe”, touts Steve. “Elvis has more number one hits than the Beatles do in England. If my mission is to entertain audiences as completely as possible, why not recreate a complete expression of Elvis Presley’s performance so that audiences experience not just the music of Elvis Presley, but grasp the real ‘Spirit of the King’. I have studied hard in order to deliver a show that would be just as if he were performing today, right here, right now!” To accomplish this, Steve distinguishes himself from all other Elvis impersonators and stylists. Steve not only masters all of the physical nuances, moves, and conversational tones of the man from Memphis, he also studied the entire body of Elvis’s music: the novelty of some of his arrangements, and even his sense of humor and abilities as a band leader in live performances. Finally, Steve took his considerable skills as a composer, guitar and bass player and vocalist, and set about to fully “perform” rather than slavishly mimic Elvis’s signature performances. Without ignoring music from any of Elvis’s periods, Steve delivers them with all the athleticism and sexual confrontation of Elvis during his most vital years (think in terms of Elvis’ 1968 comeback special in black leather). The response to this style of Elvis entertainment in Las Vegas has been exceptional.
Over 4000 public performances, including shows at the MGM Grand, along with corporate engagements throughout Las Vegas, has seasoned Steve into a finely tuned performer. Steve was awarded “Best Elvis in Las Vegas” two years in a row by the Las Vegas Review Journal. His show has met with rave reviews from Las Vegas papers as well as the L.A. Times. These reviewers praised Steve’s ingenuity for including performances wherein Steve portrays Elvis performing today’s music. “Steve Connolly is a born showman”, wrote longtime Las Vegas entertainment writer Mike Weatherford. Las Vegas entertainment writer, Joe Delaney, not only recognized Steve’s ability to fully entertain an audience as a humorist, but also identified Steve as “perhaps the best of all the Elvis depicters”. Steve’s fan base includes well known musicians, Steven Tyler, Kenny Logins, Dennis Miller, Donald Trump and even President Clinton. Bobby Morris, Elvis’ conductor at The International, calls Steve, “The number one Elvis on the planet”.
Today, Steve is creating a new tribute to Elvis interpreting “The King” in the visual medium of fine art painting. When you see Steve perform at the Spa Resort and Casino, you will witness the amazing marriage of Steve’s two incredible tribute forms. His show, “Spirit of the King” is a mind blowing performance of Elvis’ music and singing while literally creating an original “Portrait of a King” (paintings that sell after the show for hundreds of dollars). Steve Connelly delivers all of his talents at a spectacular level. You truly have to see it to believe it and to grasp this display of exceptional talent. Sadly, Elvis Presley is no longer available, but thanks to Steve Connolly, “the hardest working king in show business”, Elvis is still alive and kicking in spirit.
Tickets for “Spirit of the King” are available at startickets.com. The show will be running in the Cascade Lounge at the Spa Resort Casino through June 30th. You can also follow Steve Connolly on Facebook.
