The tunnel scene in Men in Black got a teenaged Eli “Tigerman” Williams fixed on Elvis.
Actor Will Smith pushed a button that propelled their vehicle onto the ceiling of a congested tunnel, Tommy Lee Jones slid an eight-track of Elvis Presley singing “Promised Land” into the player and Surrey teen Williams left the theatre, got himself a pompadour hairdo, picked up some retro clothes and embarked upon his Elvis odyssey.
Now Williams, 26, will slip on a bedazzled jumpsuit and smooth down his sideburns to perform at the Invitation to an Imitation show at the 11th annual In the House Festival, which runs June 6 to 8 across 13 Grandview-Woodland homes and backyards.
Williams’ grandmother was “a huge Elvis fan” so he grew up listening to the King of Rock ’n’ Roll. Williams first performed as Elvis at a high school talent show and then a decade later took “Elvis 101” from four-time international Elvis Grand Champion Brian “Elvis” Simpson, and another tribute act was born.
Williams (“Tigerman” because Elvis liked to be called Mr. Tiger when he studied karate, and Williams has studied karate too) has since won the Professional Grand Champion crown at the 2012 Pacific Northwest Elvis Festival, finished top 15 in the King of the World competition in Memphis, finished in the top 29 in the world in the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest and in 2013 won the first Ultimate Elvis Contest in Hawaii.
Williams performs in basements and casinos and spends 40 per cent of his time performing in Elvis competitions. The graphic designer’s ultimate goal is to perform as Elvis full time, perhaps with the Legends in Concert outfit that mounted the 2013 Ultimate Elvis Contest.
But Williams can’t explain why he’s such a massive Elvis fan. “Maybe it’s charisma or the attitude, the vocals and so forth, but it’s just one of those things I can’t directly pinpoint,” he said.
In addition to Elvis tributes, In the House features music, dance, magic, comedy, burlesque and always closes with a backyard circus act.
Myriam Steinberg, artistic director of In the House, is most excited about the festival’s “Planetarium” backyard show. Visitors will lie back and look up at a white screen suspended from a third-floor balcony and watch Mind of a Snail Puppet Co. improvise a shadow puppet show to music by Jocelyn Pettit Band and Four on the Flour String Quartet.
Silk performers and contortionists will execute acts with a new twist in this year’s grand finale. Performers will be forced to match their choreography to a random selection of music. They’ll vie for the prize of best adaptation, best adaptation to the worst music and a people’s choice award.
“Picture the cheesiest most horrible pop song you possibly could,” Steinberg said. “So you’ll have a beautiful silk piece that’s set to ABBA or something like that.”
Members of the Underground Circus will present an excerpt from one of their full-length shows while the votes are tallied.
From cheesy pop to The King of Rock, In the House strives to offer something for everyone in laidback, family friendly settings. From jazz to gospel with a detour through beatboxing, the Voice of A’Capella concert will explore the possibilities of the human voice. Other shows feature rock ’n’ roll burlesque, comics that include Charlie Demers and Graham Clark, and spoken word. Â
Adding Elvis alongside Frankly Yours, a Frank Sinatra act, to the In the House family might seem an odd pick, but Steinberg says it makes sense.
“I don’t think Elvis ever dies,” she said. “Everybody knows the songs. When you see the outfits, you’re like holy sh**. That’s really awesome. It just brings a lot of joy.”
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