Scotty's Boys Productions to Present ELVIS IS WATER at 2013 St. Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival, 6/15-22

Elvis is Water is a vibrant musical exploration of the birth of rock and roll, and a quest to understand the power of one man's song, told and sung through the prism of the heady early days at Sun Records in Memphis. In a show written by Katherine Sandford and directed by Jackson Andrews, lead singer John Burnsand his band - Joe Hawkins (electric guitar), Denis Drouin (stand-up bass) and Deb Thomson (keyboard)- bring to life the music that changed it all. Elvis is Water is a story and a performance you'll never forget.

Thirty-five years after the death of the King, Elvis is now more alive than ever; so much a part of our world that it's like we are fish and 'Elvis is water'. But why are people still so fascinated? What makes Elvis, Elvis? Not wanting to do a traditional Elvis impersonation, John Burns decided instead to tell the story of Elvis' early career. Underlining it all is the story of Burns trying to understand why he has been mesmerized by Elvis his whole life.

Elvis is Water is a labour of love for co-creators Burns and his wife Katherine Sandford. Sandford explains Burns' fascination with Elvis, "John is an amazing singer and has performed with many bands over the years including a professional opera company. But he has always been obsessed with Elvis - especially the early Sun Sessions material." Sanford continues, "And he loves the story of Elvis, or the beginning of the story - before it gets too sad. Every year for Christmas I would buy him a book about Elvis and every year he'd start to get sad around the end of the holidays, when Elvis dies. So finally I said- 'don't read the end!' Now he doesn't. In our house Elvis is forever 21."

But Elvis is not the only musician that made his mark through the Sun Sessions. The other players on those shockingly spare recordings, Bill Black on slap stand-up bass and especially Scotty Moore on electric guitar, have both left influential musical legacies. Burns was happy to find aficionados close by, "We have been so fortunate to find absolutely outstanding musicians to play with us- our very own Scotty and Bill." Joe Hawkins (as Scotty Moore) is a much sought after guitarist who has played the Ottawa Bluesfest and Denis Drouin (as Bill Black) graces many musical ventures with his distinctive style, including the eclectic percussion band God Knows What. The band is rounded out by Deborah Thomson on piano, a musical ingénue who is also a well know composer, choir leader and musical director. Most recently Thompson performed in Theatre Wakefield's production of Something's Afoot, and every year she leads over 300 young choristers in Music Makers in the Great Hall in the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Even those without an interest in Elvis have fallen under the spell of Elvis is Water: "I didn't really like Elvis before I started working on this show," says director Jackson Andrews, "but it didn't take me long before I drank the Kool-Aid and fell into the rabbit hole. For Andrews, it's the music that gets to him, "It's so happy and joyful. As well, the story is amazing and John's performance brings it all home. Now my eyes have been opened and I see Elvis everywhere. This is an Elvis show for people who don't like Elvis."

Elvis is Water is touring this summer, making stops at the Montreal and Toronto Fringes. In Montreal it will be at the Cabaret du Mile End 5240 Avenue du Parc (near Fairmount): Sat. June 15- 7:15 pm; Sun. June 16 - 2:15 pm; Mon. June 17- 6:45 pm; Thurs. June 20- 4:00 pm; Fri June 21- 8:15 pm; Sat June 22- 6:00 pm. Running time: 75 minutes, Tickets: $10.00 (+ $2 service charge) To purchase: 514 849-FEST (3378), online at www.montrealfringe.ca, at the Central Box Office located at FRINGE Park (corner Rachel and St-Laurent) or at Cabaret du Mile End as of one hour before show time. www.elvisiswater.com

"If love is truly going out of fashion forever, which I do not believe, then along with our nurtured indifference to each other will be an even more contemptuous indifference to each other's objects of reverence. I thought it was Iggy, you thought it was Joni Mitchell or whoever else seemed to speak for your own private, entirely circumscribed situation's many pains and few ecstasies. We will continue to fragment in this manner, because solipsism holds all the cards at present; it is a king whose domain engulfs even Elvis. But I can guarantee you one thing: we will never again agree on anything as we agreed on Elvis. So I won't bother saying good-bye to his corpse. I will say good-bye to you." - Lester Bangs' obituary for Elvis Presley, The Village Voice, 8/29/77

Katherine Sandford- writer Katherine is a children's television writer, story-editor and development consultant whose work has been broadcast around the world. Most recently, Katherine finished executive story editing the first season on the animation/live-action hybrid Napkin Man for CBC and is currently story editing Julius Junior (based on Paul Frank's famous monkey) for Nickelodeon. In her previous life, Katherine wrote for theatre including Snowlands (The Banff Playwrights Colony), Her Steamboat Went to Hell, (The Great Canadian Theatre Company Main Stage), An Inkling of Nirvana, which toured Montreal, Toronto and Edmonton Fringes, and the three-season live action soap opera, The Vapid, the Vacuous and the Venomous (The National Arts Centre and The Great Canadian Theatre Company)

John Burns- actor, musician John Burns is a versatile singer who has performed pop, rock, jazz, blues, bluegrass, opera and Christmas music. Recent bands include Bag of Squirrels (bluegrass) and John Burns and the Burnettes (jazz standards). John has studied voice under Cara Gilbertson and Gary Dahl and performed for three seasons in the chorus of Opera Lyra. John was also a semi-finalist in the Bravo's reality show Bathroom Divas.

Jackson Andrews- director Jackson Andrews happened upon this show by keeping in touch with his old woodworking buddy John Burns. Jackson is a graduate of Studio 58 in Vancouver B.C. and has had the privilege to work with a number of talented artists and companies across Canada including Mi Casa (Ottawa); STO Union (Wakefield, Quebec); Carousel Theatre (Vancouver); Vancouver Symphony Orchestra; and The Old Trout Puppet Workshop (Calgary).

To post a comment, you must register and login.

 

---

Join Team BroadwayWorld

Are you an avid theatergoer? We're looking for people like you to share your thoughts and insights with our readers. Team BroadwayWorld members get access to shows to review, conduct interviews with artists, and the opportunity to meet and network with fellow theatre lovers and arts workers.

Interested? Learn more here.

---