For my sister and I, there is no other show in Branson or
anywhere! TONY is IT! We drove 225 miles one way to see TONY
and some times to and from in one day! We have seen his show seven
times since he has been at the Music City Center Theater and are
planning to see him at least once every month the rest of the
season. We only discovered him in May and we were hooked from the
moment he stepped on stage!
-We came loving Elvis and left loving TONY!-
It’s
not enough to say he looks like E because he does, but he also
exudes an image all TONY! It’s not enough to say he sounds like
E - because he does yet he has a unique sound that seems to
intertwine with the very, very best of E! You will swear it’s E but
no - it’s TONY! Let those strobe lights hit him and it’s like
watching a hologram – first Elvis then TONY – then Elvis then TONY
and back and forth again and again! Whoever it is, the thought runs
through our minds “I’m so happy I’m here and God please don’t let it
end!”
You want to close your eyes to bring back memories of E but yet you
want to keep them open to gain new memories of TONY! It’s not enough
to say he moves like E because TONY has moves you swear E never even
thought of - but then again maybe he did. And then you think;
“Oh
yes, that was just like Elvis! I remember that move!”
TONY has E’s curled lip, the shaky leg, the tenderness
in his voice, the light-hearted banter with the audience, and
most of all, the love of performing and being on stage.
In fact, TONY has the Elvis persona down to the sweat pouring
off of him! And never forget what E did to
every red-blooded female at his concerts – during “Are
You Lonesome Tonight” or another tender love ballad such as
“Memories,” most will want kisses from the stage but do they dare
move from their seat? During “All Shook Up” or “Burning Love” some
want to scream when he starts shaking but do they dare bring
attention to themselves? Sorry, but I - I mean some - just can’t
help it - screams will always be a part of the atmosphere at a TONY
show! Even some males have been known to yell “YOU ROCK, MAN!!”
To which TONY is very humbled and you can tell how much he
appreciates everyone in his audience. The more the audience
appreciates TONY, the more he seems to give his audience. And TONY
has a smile that will melt your heart.
An exciting part of the show is when the lights come up and the band
plays “Love Me Tender.” TONY invites everyone who wants a picture
taken with him to come up on the stage. Everyone is very patient but
excited to get closer to TONY.
You can tell when a performer is truly loving what he is doing or
when he is just going through the motions. We have never seen TONY
just going through the motions! You can tell he loves music - from
the most hillbilly rock’n songs to the most tender love
ballads, from country to patriotic, from the blues to movie themes,
from the 50’s to the 70’s – TONY covers it all in his show.
And a rather incredible talent in TONY – his high notes will thrill
you as well as his low ones!
His band members and his “Angel” singers add to the excitement on
stage. They radiate the same enthusiasm for TONY and E’s music. And
in return, he always gives them the recognition they deserve, and
the audience is very appreciative of their exuberant talent also.
Yes, it may be E's music but TONY and his group make it their own in
songs like “Kentucky Rain” and “In the Ghetto”.
After the show, TONY undoubtedly is exhausted, but always greets
his fans with humility and cheer to say hello, pose for
pictures, give autographs, hugs and kisses and says jokingly
“anything you want, baby.” His fans are anywhere from a 1 year old
dancing on her grandma’s lap to the elderly gray haired and it seems
the autograph line keeps getting longer and longer each time we are
there! And he loves every one of his fans – just like E!
We saw E four times in the seventies. We’ve seen all the most
popular videos. We have our E collection like most E fans. Now we’re
starting a TONY collection! Autographs, scarves with his sexy
fragrance, key chains, photos, cd’s etc. – anything with that “face”
is bound to be a must! Oh, and all the girls like collecting those
kisses also! We can’t help it!
The Music City Center Theater staff is always friendly and
personable and the theater is comfortable and well maintained. They
truly have a great performer in TONY ROI!!
