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- Aloha From Hawaii 2013 - the Enhanced Screening Aloha From Hawaii - The Concert 2013: January 14th 2013 the recreation of that event was stunning for all who were there. Around 700+ had flown in internationally while over 3,000 tickets had been sold to the actual event. Not bad for a DVD concert replay!
After the exciting build-up of being in the actual Arena, firstly Tom Moffatt (below) introduced the show with Hawaii Governor proclaiming a new Hawaii "Elvis Presley Day" and handing over the official document to EPE CEO Jack Soden.
Following that Priscilla Presley appeared via video to explain the significance, apologise for not being there and to thank all of Elvis’ fans for their amazing support.
Then the real excitement kicked off with the "In Concert" portion of Elvis leaving Graceland in a helicopter used cleverly to connect to Elvis flying in to Hawaii in the helicopter. (of course his jumpsuit miraculously changed to the White Corduroy jacket) And then the sound CRANKED UP as the ‘Also Sprach’ theme announced to everyone that ELVIS WAS IN THE BUILDING.
The video quality was magnificent compared the versions we know (most images here are however only happy-snaps of the screen!) and the immediate surprise that ALTERNATE camera angles and multiple screens were used throughout the show. This not only added to increase the feel of the action on stage – BUT also gave us plenty of camera angles that we have NEVER seen before – nor knew existed.
After the Intermission The Stamps and Joe Guercio came on stage to explain their part in the production and to sing ‘Sweet Sweet Spirit’ which was announced as Elvis’ lucky warm-up song and performed that night before the original broadcast in his dressing room. Then Bill Baize, Ed Hill, Larry Strickland and David Dars (who had to replace Donnie Sumner who sadly couldn't make it) sang 'Peace In The Valley' and followed it with a stunning 'How Great Thou Art' which rightly earned them a standing ovation! It was a magnificent personal note to the DVD presentation.
But it does let fans know that there is plenty more ALOHA footage available for future projects.
Even the "non" Elvis who had just come along for the ride said how impressed they were with the whole show and the applause for Elvis’ performances echoed throughout the Arena.
It was a SERIOUSLY impressive night with the sound pumping loud you really felt part of the whole experience. EPE put far more into this presentation that mots people expected, it was a real winner.
More tomorrow – the after-party is calling! - Piers Beagley, EIN roving reporter! The King "live via satellite" a Great Experience in 2013: - The local Hawaiian Review Any lingering suspicions that the long-anticipated "Elvis ‘Aloha from Hawaii’ 40th Anniversary Screening" was going to amount to a shared viewing of the familiar television special that’s available for free on YouTube were laid to rest as soon as the lights went down on several thousand Elvis fans who’d assembled to celebrate The King’s "live via satellite" concert last night in Blaisdell Arena. Second, the 40-year-old television special was dramatically modernized and upgraded for the anniversary screening. The entire concert was re-imagined as a multi-image experience — at times there were two or three images on the giant screen, at others there were 16 or more in various combinations. There was Elvis, or multiples of Elvis, seen from different angles, as well as the familiar footage of his core musicians — James Burton (lead guitar), John Wilkinson (rhythm guitar), Ronnie Tutt (drums), Jerry Scheff (bass), Glen Hardin (piano/keyboards) and Charlie Hodge (vocals/acoustic guitars) — and the audience.
Another segment not seen on YouTube consisted of snippets from trailers of the three Elvis movies with Hawaii ties. These included two scenes from "Girls! Girls! Girls!" where Ginny Tiu and her younger sister, Elizabeth, performed with Elvis, and shots of Ralph "Hana" Hanalei as one of the beach boy musicians in "Blue Hawaii."
Most memorable of all the additional content were silent film clips of Elvis’ previous visits to Hawaii, including a visit to the Arizona Memorial and footage of his 1957 concert at Honolulu Stadium. The anniversary event was emceed by "Uncle Tom" Moffatt and its significance noted by Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie. Abercrombie sent a shout out to the people who were seated "right up there in the upper deck" where he had been sitting 40 years ago, and asked everyone who had been in the audience for the original "Aloha from Hawaii" concert to stand — and a notable number of people did. He also read a proclamation designating Jan. 14, 2013, as "Elvis ‘Aloha from Hawaii’ (via) Satellite Day" and encouraged "all the people of the Aloha State to celebrate the music of Elvis Presley." Jack Soden, CEO of Elvis Presley Enterprises, accepted the proclamation for display at Graceland. Later in the evening Moffatt introduced Joe Guercio, Elvis’ conductor and musical director for many years (who is seen briefly in the broadcast), and Elvis’ Stamps, a gospel quartet headed by Bill Baize, who performed in "Aloha from Hawaii" as a member of Elvis’ favorite male gospel group, J.D. Sumner & the Stamps Quartet. Baize and his partners — David Darst, Ed Hill and Larry Strickland — sang two gospel classics that are important titles in Elvis’ discography, "(There’ll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me)" and "How Great Thou Art," and earned a standing ovation for their performance. For anyone who’s grown up with gospel music it was hard to not sing along.
The bottom line to the evening, and to the week of celebrating Elvis and his ties to Hawaii, was about more than commemorating an entertainment milestone 40 years on. It was remembering or, perhaps, learning that before there were Elvis impersonators mumbling "thankyuverrymuch," and tribute artists and look-alikes and "weekend warrior" karaoke singers, there was a flesh-and-blood entertainer named Elvis Presley who created something fresh and new and revolutionary in American music.
Review and Article by Piers Beagley. Click to comment on this review
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