Elvis & Me – Starring Mark Janicello opens for one-day only on the Sunday 16th August at the Phoenix Arts Club, offering a fresh approach to Elvis’s music. Learn more about what you can expect:
1: For people who haven’t seen Elvis & Me, how you describe the show?
ELVIS & ME is a very personal evening. It’s the story of how the life of an operatic tenor from New York was unexpectedly turned upside down by Elvis Presley…and how, for the next fifteen years, his music became one of the greatest adventures of my life. So…what exactly isELVIS & ME? That’s a fair question, because if you’re expecting a guy in a white jumpsuit saying, “Thank you very much,” every five minutes…you’ve definitely come to the wrong show!
I had the privilege of playing Elvis more than 400 times in two different musicals about his life throughout Europe, and I loved every minute of it. But I discovered something important along the way. The real magic wasn’t in copying Elvis. I was never an Elvis Tribute Artist or an impersonator. I simply happened to have a lot in common with the man. When I was younger, we even looked surprisingly alike. The funny thing is, I wasn’t a huge Elvis fan growing up. Of course I liked him, but I wasn’t the kid with every Elvis record in my collection. What I did have was a life that, in some unexpected ways, mirrored his own. Somehow, I understood him. And once I began exploring his music, I found emotions, vulnerability and honesty that I don’t think most people realize are there.
That’s what ELVIS & ME is all about. It’s not about pretending to be Elvis Presley. It’s about celebrating the music that made him one of the greatest entertainers who ever lived, while sharing the extraordinary journey his songs unexpectedly took me on. The truth is, I never planned to have anything to do with Elvis. It all happened completely by accident…and if you want to know how, you’ll have to come to the show!
You’ll hear many of Elvis’s greatest hits, but you’ll also discover some wonderful songs that rarely get performed today. Through my friendship with the legendary songwriter Ben Weisman, who wrote 57 songs for Elvis—more than anyone else—I discovered an extraordinary catalogue of songs written for Elvis’s films. Many were never radio hits, but they’re absolutely beautiful. I have a feeling one or two of them will leave you wondering, “How on earth have I never heard this before?” Ben also entrusted me with something incredibly special—an unreleased Elvis song called “Will You Still Be There.” It was one of the songs Elvis was expected to record for what would have been his final, unfinished album. Ben asked me to make the first commercial recording of it, and that single decision changed my life. It led directly to my being cast as Elvis in ELVIS: The Musical Biography, a role that opened doors for me throughout Europe. I’ll tell you that story during the show……and yes, you’ll hear the song, too.
There’s another reason this evening is especially meaningful to me. When I moved to London in 2022, I somehow found myself being named “The World’s Best Gospel Elvis” at the Porthcawl Elvis Festival—the largest Elvis festival in the world. Now, after all these years performing Elvis’s music around the world, ELVIS & ME has finally arrived in London at the Phoenix Arts Club.
I’ve created something that’s a little different. Beautiful video projections, rare photographs, a few surprises, and stories that connect the songs in ways you probably won’t expect. Some moments will make you laugh. Others may catch you completely off guard. Whether you’re a lifelong Elvis fan or someone who simply loves great music and a good story, I think you’ll find something to enjoy.
My promise to you is simple. I won’t try to be Elvis. Nobody could. What I will do is share the music, the stories, the laughter, and the remarkable journey that Elvis unexpectedly took me on. And who knows? You may just discover an Elvis you never knew before. I can’t wait to share that journey with you.
2: What is your favourite number to perform?
That’s a tough one. There are a LOT of songs that love singing — “Suspicious Minds” is certainly one of them. I love “Fame and Fortune” is another one… but there are too many to pick just one.
3: Ben Weisman called you the “best Elvis interpreter – not imitator – in the world”. What did that mean to you?
I had the extraordinary good fortune to spend a great deal of time with Ben and his wonderful wife, Lisa Weisman. Once again, it all came about through a series of unbelievable coincidences. I was invited to perform Ben’s songs written for Elvis at the Cinemusic Festival in Gstaad, Switzerland, where Ben was being honored for his remarkable contribution to Elvis’s films.
That engagement turned into a friendship I will always treasure. Ben became a dear, dear friend. We stayed friends and in touch from 1995 until he passed in 2007. One day he said something to the international press that completely caught me off guard:
“Mark has a voice that Elvis could have only dreamed of. He is, in my opinion, the Best Elvis Interpreter (not IMITATOR) in the world, and I know what I’m talking about. I’ve heard them all.”
Believe me, no one was more shocked than I was. To this day, I still can’t quite figure out how an opera singer from New York—who was never even a particularly devoted Elvis fan growing up—ended up receiving a compliment like that from the man who wrote more songs for Elvis than anyone else. The truth is, I never had to learn how to sound like Elvis. When I sing pop music—as opposed to opera—my natural voice simply has a similar quality. I never studied his phrasing or tried to imitate his vocal style. It was just…there.
I think that’s what Ben responded to. He respected the fact that I approached the music first and foremost as a musician, not as an Elvis Tribute Artist. I wasn’t trying to recreate Elvis’s performance; I was bringing my own life, my own emotions, and my own experiences to songs that happened to mean a great deal to both of us. Of course, there are performers who have every detail of Elvis’s look and stage mannerisms down to perfection. I have enormous respect for what they do. My connection was different. It wasn’t built on the jumpsuit or the hair. It came from the music itself and from discovering that Elvis and I shared certain experiences, values, and aspects of our upbringing. Somehow, that gave me an understanding of him that audiences—and Ben—seemed to recognize.
4: What inspired you to create Elvis & Me?
There are so many tribute shows to Elvis. Some of these guys do great shows. I cannot and don’t want to compete with that. My journey to Elvis, and my time with his life and with his music is pretty unique in that I met Elvis through Ben Weisman. Ben told me so many stories of times he spent quietly with Elvis in Las Vegas or LA. Ben was a quiet, very reserved man. Elvis called him “the Professor.” They shared a love of music. Not the glitter, not the glamour, not the fame. It was all about the music. Ben and I shared the same, and it’s from that point of view, that I felt I had something UNIQUE to say about Elvis, his life and his music. Me, the opera singer, who had never been to a rock concert, ended up playing Elvis more than 400 times in two different musicals about his life. Never, ever in a million years, could I have imagined that happening. That’s the heart of ELVIS & ME!
5: If someone could take away just one thing from Elvis & Me, what would you hope it would be?
Elvis was one of the greatest entertainers who ever lived. He could sing believeably in almost EVERY style of music. He looks, personality and his humanity gave him an unbelieable charisma that still fasciantes audiences nearly 50 years after his death. To be fair, Elvis, his image and his music have been better marketed and promoted than any other singer alive, until Madonna and Michael Jackson. That’s part of the fascination. Why do we still care about Elvis? It’s the MUSIC. It’s the way he made audiences feel. When he was no longer the young stud, but an overweight, middle-aged performer with substance issues, audiences still LOVED him, because he made them FEEL! That’s my goal with every performance, to TOUCH the hearts of the audience. If I’m able to do that, then I’ll have done Elvis (and Ben) very proud.
6: What has been the most enjoyable part about creating Elvis & Me?
I thing going through all the video clips and photos of Ben and I together was wonderful. I had some amazing high points in my life with Elvis’ music and with Ben Weisman. Putting this show together, I’ve relived an extraordinary journey that took me, literally, around the world. And now I get to share those stories, those songs, and that incredible experience with audiences.
Elvis & Me – Starring Mark Janicello opens Sunday 16th August at the Phoenix Arts Club. Many thanks to Mark Janicello for answering our questions. Book your tickets now!
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