Elvis Has Left the Building

The program opens with a “Vegas Medley” including "See See Rider," "I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You," and "Suspicious Minds" – featuring special guest Kraig Parker, an internationally popular Elvis tribute artist who has performed from Las Vegas to London, Biloxi to Brussels (the London Times called him the world’s foremost Elvis tribute artist).

Next is Michael Daugherty’s Dead Elvis, in which the bassoon solo becomes the Elvis impersonator, followed by a set of works by another American original, Frank Zappa, including Dog Breath Variations-Uncle Meat and G-Spot Tornado. The program also includes Eric Whitacre’s Godzilla Eats Las Vegas, a drama in two acts: “The story begins on a sunny day in Las Vegas, a day filled with anticipation of ‘The Big Payoff.’ All is well, very well, until Godzilla makes his appearance. Frank Sinatra, Wayne Newton and Liberace are all stomped, and everything seems lost, until an army of Elvises (Elvi) appear and, eventually, save the day.”

As conductor Jack Delaney noted, a program inspired by a quote from Leonard Bernstein would not be complete with­out a work by this giant of the twentieth century, in this case “Selections from Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.” Like Elvis, who blended “white” country and “black” rhythm and blues music, and Zappa, who fused rock with avant-garde, as a composer, Bernstein combined seemingly opposing musical styles. West Side Story has it all – elements of opera, ballet, jazz and Latin dance music. The concert concludes with the classic hit, "My Way."

Info from the Meadows Wind Ensemble