Review: Elvis Is Back! MSMT Presents Concert Series in Auburn

Elvis is back! Having mesmerized Maine State Music theatre audiences for two years, Victor Trevino, Jr. now brings his tribute concert to a new venue in Auburn, Maine.  For the first time ever, MSMT has produced a fall season that includes a series of concerts at the brand new, state-of-the-art Donald M. Gay PAC on the Edward Little High School campus. And what better way to delight new audiences in this spectacular new space than to showcase the music of the King of Rock and Roll.

A foremost interpreter of Elvis Presley‘s music and legacy, Victor Trevino, Jr. captures the vocal power and sultry charisma of Presley’s physicality, and he delights in engaging the audience directly.  His velvety baritone caresses Presley’s’ ballads and belts out the big rock numbers with equal appeal. Trevino’s various programs focus on decades or concerts in Presley’s life, and despite the familiarity of then material, he manages to invest each performance with a freshness and authenticity.

Backed by an expert musical ensemble (guitar, bass, drums, backing vocals), led by the fleet-fingered Music Director JR McAlexander on keyboards, Trevino, himself, plays excellent guitar.

The visual ambience of the concert has all the glitz and glamour of Presley‘s actual Las Vegas concerts. the lighting design is bright, bold, and pulsating, while the sound design is vibrant, filling the 1200-seat auditorium with kinetic force. MSMT‘s Director of production, Kyle Coyer, oversees the whole with a skilled hand.

Among the many highlights of the evening: a robust “All Shook Up,” a “Jailhouse Rock” sung with wild abandon, a heartfelt rendition of “In the Ghetto,” a seductive “Love Me Tender,” and the Frank Sinatra hit “I Did It My Way” sung with soaring power and lyricism.

In the few short years that Victor Trevino, Jr. has performed at MSMT, he has established himself as an audience favorite, and judging from the effusive reaction of the large audience at the Donald M. Gay PAC, it appears that he has also added Lewiston-Auburn fans to his roster. MSMT’s Concert Series in Brunswick during its regular summer season routinely sells out, so the decision to expand these programs into Androscoggin County offers new audiences a chance to connect with the theatrical magic of MSMT and provides fans a chance to let that magic linger beyond the  summer main stage series. One more concert on October 4- 5 remains – RAVE ON, featuring the music of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper, performed by artists from MSMT celebrated ranks.  A brilliant way to ensure that the music never fades.

Photos courtesy of MSMT

VIVA LAS VEGAS runs from September 20-21, 2025, at the Donald M. Gay PAC at the Edward Little High School, 77 Harris Ave, Auburn, ME. www.msmt.org. 207-725-8769