Mr.
Miracle - Tony Roi
Well, it truly is a small, small
world. I have been sitting here in Olathe feeling pretty sorry for
myself because I haven’t been able to get to
Branson to see Tony Roi since his opening weekend in March.
Before I found Tony, my favorite thing to do was to go to the
antique malls and lose myself in the past. So, since I couldn’t get
to TONY’S HOUSE, I returned to my PREVIOUS PASSION!!
 I
was in a small antique store in Spring Hill, KS, and I noticed that
the station they had on was playing only Elvis music. I asked the
man behind the counter what station it was, and he said it was a
satellite TV station that played only Elvis music – I think it was
called Elvis Radio. We got to talking, and I asked him if he had
ever been to Branson – he said he and his wife had talked about
going, but they just never seemed to get around to it.
So, of course, I went immediately
into my TONY ROI COMMERCIAL!! I showed him my Tony keychain and he
thought it was Elvis! I told him that “Tony Roi’s Elvis Experience”
was THE BEST (and ONLY - in MY opinion) SHOW IN BRANSON!!
He seemed very impressed and said he was going to talk to his wife
about planning a trip to Branson soon, because they are both Elvis
fans. I hope they make it down to see Tony.
As I was browsing through the store, a woman approached me and said
she couldn’t help overhearing my conversation with the clerk. Her
name was Anna, and she said she had been to Branson several weeks
ago because Tony’s show had been recommended highly to her by a
co-worker. She had taken her friend’s advice and had gone to see
Tony, and she told me that he had worked wonders for her depression.
“Of course,” I said, “Tony can cure anything that ails you!!”
I mentioned
Branson Critic to her
and said she should write a review (nagging everyone as I always
do!). She told me she doesn’t have internet access at home but that
she would be happy to write something about her time in Branson. She
lives in a rural area about an hour from me, so I told her she could
write it up and send it to me and I would send it on to Branson
Critic. I can’t write about any recent experiences of my own at
TONY’S HOUSE (but I am counting the days until May 27th, Fan
Appreciation Day for Tony’s Club!)
I suppose that since Anna’s words
are coming from my IP, that will make it difficult for me to send
another review of my own after I see TONY again, but that’s
okay…….this is even better because a new voice for Tony is being
heard. Here’s what Anna had to say about Tony Roi and “The Elvis
Experience”:
"I’m pretty sure I experienced a miracle in Branson, Missouri,
several weeks ago! Tony Roi and his wonderful show have cured me, at
least for awhile, of my troubles and my woes. I will probably never
be the same, and from what I hear, Tony Roi has this effect on most
of the women who go to see him.
I was in the midst of some bad winter blues and ongoing depression.
Things were piling up at home and I had been working long hours to
help make ends meet. I’m not young anymore and I was tired. I needed
to escape from it all – work, husband, children, grandchildren – I
wanted to run away. But being on a very tight budget, I didn’t think
I could afford to go anywhere far enough away to revive myself.
I was sharing my problems with a
co-worker one day, and she suggested that I could go to Branson for
a few days and it wouldn’t cost me a lot of money. The first
question I asked was, “Why should I go there?” She knew that I have
always been an Elvis fan, and she told me about seeing a show called
Tony Roi’s Elvis Experience last summer. I wasn’t all that
interested, because I’ve always been kind of offended by people
trying to replace or reproduce Elvis. He’s gone, there won’t ever be
another one, so let him rest in peace was my feeling on the subject.
I was pretty desperate, though, and
she was pretty convincing. She showed me some pictures of Tony and
gave me a brochure about the show. So I decided that I had nothing
to lose and soon found out that I had everything to gain!
I told my family I was taking a trip…..ALONE! I assured them all
that I was coming back, just needed a break for a couple of days.
The drive from Kansas to Branson was a breeze, and the hills and
trees were beginning to turn green. As I got further away from home,
I was already feeling better.
I arrived there in the evening, found a lovely little hotel and a
nice restaurant. So far, so good. The next day I went to Music City
Centre and bought one ticket to see Tony Roi’s show. I’m a little
shy, so I sat quite a ways back and settled in, still feeling like I
may have wasted the money that I shouldn’t have been spending.
I was so wrong!
When Tony came on stage, I did a
double take, because for just a moment, I thought Elvis was back
among the living. It was hard to believe that Tony was NOT Elvis,
especially when I looked at him in profile. The weirdest thing about
it was that as the show went on, I began to think that Tony’s voice
just might be better and more versatile than Elvis’s was. I felt a
little like a traitor – how could anyone compare to the King?
Tony can sing the high notes
and the low notes and everything in between, and I sat there
stunned. I don’t know if the tears in my eyes were tears of joy or
sadness or just relief from my everyday stress.
Tony sang for over two hours, with
only about a 10-minute break. He covered everything from the old
fifties to the final seventies. He danced. He flirted with the
audience. They were eating out of his hands. My troubles seemed to
float away. I was off in another world. How good it felt to feel
young again. It was worth every penny and then some.
What can you say about someone that you wish everyone could hear? It
is my understanding that Tony has appeared in Atlantic City and Las
Vegas and has done some recording in Germany. He should be popular
all over the world. This man should be making millions in the
recording business. The only thing I can think of is that maybe he
sounds too much like Elvis, and we now
live in a different time where taste in music is not the same as it
was back then.
If you listen to some of the
so-called music that my grandchildren are addicted to, you will see
how sad that is. I bought a CD by Tony called “Hand in Hand.” It
only has one Elvis song on it, and I can say for sure that if there
was more of Tony’s own music available, I would buy it all. His
voice can soothe away your cares and calm the weary soul. I have
evolved from an old Elvis fan (which I will always be) to a new Tony
fan, and I’ll bet that there are a lot of people who have seen
Tony’s show who have said that very same thing.
I will also say that Branson proved to be much better than I had
imagined. I thought it was just a little place full of little shows
featuring a lot of old country singers. I have come away from
Branson with a different view. It’s a booming little city, with good
restaurants, and it appears to have some very diverse types of
entertainment.
Music City
Centre is a very nice theater. The sound system was great (so
was Tony’s band), and there’s even a Starbuck’s in the lobby. How
much more upscale could you get? I will definitely go back when I
can afford another escape. Branson is a great place to get away from
the humdrum of your everyday life, and prices are reasonable. I only
spent two short days there, but the next time I feel the need to
rejuvenate, I’ll know exactly where to go.
I was too shy to have my picture taken on stage with Tony, or to
stand in line to meet him. I didn’t even think to take a camera
along with me. But I still have vivid pictures in my mind of this
wonderful singer and entertainer, and I can see him every time I
hear his voice on his CD. There’s always another day and another
show, I hope, and I plan to be better prepared the next time around.
I want everyone to know that Tony
was “good medicine” for me and that he lifted my spirits so much. I
returned home with a lighter heart and a brighter outlook – and I
really do believe that miracles can happen when and where you least
expect them."
-Anna from Paola, KS
So there you have it – another satisfied Tony customer!! It is a
small world, and word about this great entertainer seems to be
spreading!! Maybe we should start calling Tony 'Mr. Miracle'!!
Thanks, Anna, for adding your support for the Best of the Best in
Branson!!
Shirley Hendricks
Olathe, KS
Editor's Note: Thanks so much,
Anna, for taking the time to write about your experience and thanks
to you too, Shirley, for forwarding it to us in a digital format so
that we can share it with everyone.
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