If anyone had told me last spring that I would be sitting down to
write a rave review about some guy in Branson, Missouri, I’d have
said they were crazy! AND, if anyone had told me that at age 62,
I would become a card-carrying member of a fan club for the first
time in my life, I’d have known for sure they were crazy!! It turns
out it’s ME who is crazy – over one fantastic entertainer by the
name of Tony Roi!!
This
whole thing started when my sister and her husband, who have a
timeshare condo in the area, invited me to go down with them for a
week, specifically to see Daniel O’Donnell. Being obsessed with all
things Irish, I was excited to do that; however, I had not been to
Branson in over 20 years, and I wondered what in the world we would
do in Branson, Missouri for a whole week!!
So we got together and picked two other shows – Darren Romeo
because of his connection with Siegfried and Roy, and Tony Roi’s
Elvis Experience because my sister and I have been Elvis fans
forever. We went into this a bit skeptical, having always been a
little touchy about “Elvis Impersonators.” To us, no one could ever
come close to “the King.” Were we ever in for the surprise of our
lives!!
We went to see Daniel, and he gave us a wonderful Irish
Experience. We went to see Darren, and he gave us an amazing Magic
Experience. But Tony!! Tony Roi’s show was a whole Other
Experience!! We thought we’d died and gone to Graceland!! (That’s
Heaven for you non-Elvis fans). From the moment the curtain went up,
it was as though Elvis had been reincarnated before our very eyes. I
told Tony after that show that when Elvis died, his soul, spirit,
and his talent must have jumped right into a young boy named Tony
Roi.
My sister and I were hooked – so much for not knowing what to do
in Branson for a whole week. We went back to see Tony 3 more
times. It would have been more, but alas, we had to go back to
real life – until the next time. For you see, Tony gets into your
soul – way down deep - and he won’t let you go!! He’s like an
addiction, and you MUST have your Tony fix – at least as often as
time and high gas prices will allow!! We drive 4 hours to see him.
In fact, I recently moved from South Dakota to Kansas so I could be
closer to Tony!! Just Kidding!! It was really to be closer to my
daughters, but being closer to Tony is a definite perk!!
Let me make one thing clear. Tony takes on the persona of
Elvis when he is on stage, but he is no Impersonator!! He is a
Tribute Artist, and he does it brilliantly!! However, the more times
you see his show, the more Tony just becomes Tony – a huge talent in
his own right. Just listen to his CD’s, each one different, each one
superb, whether he is singing as Tony or as Elvis. We fans are also
breathlessly awaiting the release of his DVD so we can watch Tony
every day!!
His voice is astounding, from the lowest J.D.Sumner-like lows to
the highest Mario Lanza-like highs!! He radiates talent, charisma,
enormous energy and overwhelming sensuality. It is evident how much
he loves performing and how much he loves his fans. He truly gives
more than any entertainer I have ever seen. He skillfully takes you
from the fabulous 50’s and “Heartbreak Hotel,” to the unforgettable
“68 Comeback Special” and “Memories,” my favorite Elvis song (which
brings me to tears when Tony sings it), and on through the pulsating
70’s and “Polk Salad Annie,” when Elvis was at his peak. Then he
brings the audience to their feet with his patriotic tribute that
closes the first half of his show.
Tony’s love for this country and his respect for all those who
have fought and who continue to fight for freedom come shining
through.
Tony’s audience consists largely of
screaming women – from teenagers who never knew Elvis to
grandmothers who are joyously transported back to their younger
days. But the men love him, too, as one male fan shouted out at the
last show we attended – “You Rock, Man!!” And he does!!
Since we first discovered Tony, we have been back many times.
When my daughters were teenagers in the 70’s, my sister and I took
them 4 times to see “the King,” and we all recently went to
Branson to see Tony’s show and relive those happy memories. The
girls thought we had exaggerated how good this show is, but now Tony
is in their souls, too, and they can’t wait to see him again.
On October 14th, my sister and I returned, yet again, to Branson,
just to see Tony. We had tickets (front row, of course) for Friday,
the 14th, and Saturday, the 15th. We were so disappointed to find
that Tony was ill and would not be performing on that Friday. We had
often wondered how he keeps up the pace of 6 shows a week, two hours
per show, with energy that leaves you speechless!! So with sad
hearts, we saw another Irish Experience, and we saw the Legends
Experience, only to find that there is NO EXPERIENCE like the TONY
EXPERIENCE!!
On Saturday, though he had been ill and had cancelled two shows,
this man came onstage and put on the best performance we’ve seen
yet, even doing a curtain call – “That Old Time Rock and Roll” –
and he had the house rocking!!
The crowd was huge that day. Everyone would have understood if
Tony had done his show and gone straight home and back to bed; but,
as he always does, he stood outside the auditorium and signed
countless autographs, posed for pictures, and graciously and humbly
accepted all the compliments and all the silliness and all the love
that we fans pour over him after every show. He makes every fan feel
SO SPECIAL, and he doesn’t leave until every single one has gone.
Tony not only shares his love for Elvis and his own great talent
with all of his fans. He shares his family, too – his lovely wife,
Melanie, and their two beautiful children are almost always on the
scene. And Melanie graciously shares Tony with all of us, and we
sure do thank her for that!! She’s the luckiest fan, though. She
gets to take him home!!
Everything about this show is spectacular. The theater is
great, the sound is tremendous, the band is fantastic, and the Angel
Singers do a wonderful job in singing backup for Tony. Even the
staff members are all so friendly and helpful and very supportive of
the love we have for our Tony. I truly can’t say anything remotely
negative about this man or his show!
As I’ve said, Tony gets in your soul, and he pulls you back time
after time after time. That’s good for his fans, that’s good for
Tony, and that’s good for Branson!! So if you’ve never experienced
the Elvis Experience, and even more if you’ve never experienced the
Tony Experience, get down to Branson as fast as you can! And all you
FANS already out there – get on your computers and VOTE for
TONY – no one deserves the honors for 2005 as much as this ultimate
performer!!
And, by the way, thanks, Tony, for the most Joyful Experiences
this old(er) lady has had in over twenty years! The “King” is dead –
long live Tony Roi!!
-Shirley Hendricks, October 24, 2005
Editors note - What A Review! Now
that's what we are talking about. Great job Shirley,
Editors at Branson Critic