Explanations in Elvis musical

Press, 14 July 1987, Page 9

Explanations in Elvis musical

Explanations but no excuses, say Pat Urlich and Pat Kearns about the show in which they play the rock star, Elvis Presley. The two New Zealand singers believe the audiences at “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” which traces the singer’s life, will understand him better by the end of the show. Presley is a familiar figure to Pat Kearns. The Christchurch man who has been singing for 15 years has his first taste of acting with his role in the show, which will open tomorrow at the Theatre

Royal. “I have been lucky. Playing Elvis Presley is largely a matter of singing, which is my background. I knew him inside out from watching him sing and move.” Kearns plays Presley during the last six hours of his life. With the aid of make-up and padding he becomes the ageing star. Pat Urlich plays him as a young man at the height of his career. He did not know much about the singer but an intense video-viewing of “This is Elvis” allowed him to pick up mannerisms and movements.

Urlich’s background also is in singing. He is the former lead singer of the band, Peking Man, and the 1986 male vocalist of the year. The pair say they try to present an image of Presley. They are conscious of an obligation to accuracy — within limits. “Some of the play does take artistic licence,” Pat Kearns says. “The facts and the people are correct, but the play uses dream sequences, for instance. What licence it does take is for the story.” They have had no hostile response from Presley fans to their portrayals.

Pat Urlich cites one dedicated American fan who went backstage at the Wellington season to tell the actors how much she enjoyed their presentation of the singer. “I don’t think Presley was a hero, a god, as some of his American fans do. He wasn’t lily white but he wasn’t so bad. The play just shows the influences on a boy from the sticks of things like fame and money and other people,” he said. We’re not making excuses for him. The play is more an explanation.” Both men are proud to be part of an all-New

Zealand production. The cast is a good one, “just one big family — there are no stars,” they say. The only thing that has Kearns worried is opening in his home town. Making the two singers look like Presley is the responsibility of the make-up artist, Jeanette Barson. Pat Kearns’ make-up takes about 20 minutes. “I have to fill out his face, give how jowls and age him. He also wears padding to fill him out.” Pat Urlich does his own make-up. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour.