The King

On the second night of the cruise we wandered into one of the many lounges on the ship.  It was karaoke night.  The host announced that on the final day of the cruise there would be a special show featuring guests in the role of various legendary celebrities.

I play a little guitar and enjoy singing for my kids, and those who encourage me.  And I have been known, with the proper mixture of alcohol and encouragement, to sing a little Karaoke.  The host explained that they would be doing male auditions for Garth Brooks, Elton John, Ricky Martin, Frank Sinatra and Elvis.  In the back of my mind I was thinking I might try Garth of maybe Sinatra.

The first audition was for Elvis, and several people auditioned.  They were all terrible.  I guess I was just a little impatient, so I went ahead and auditioned for Elvis Presley, and was selected.  Okay...

They gave me a little MP3 player with a little mixed up version of Jailhouse Rock and Hound Dog, and I was in the show.  The rehearsal would be on the day of the show, which was the final day of the cruise.  It wasn't until that day that I took the time to listen to the song and try to memorize it.

Now, we've all heard Jailhouse Rock a million times, but have you ever really listened to the words?  I hadn't, and in all my life I have never had such a difficult time memorizing a song.

The show came on that night to a packed showroom.  I donned my ultra tacky "Elvis Comeback" costume. (Ironically, I am the same age that Elvis was when he died.)  The lights came up, I stepped out onto the stage with the roar of the crowd.  The live orchestra hammered out the intro, and I....flubbed the words.

I pulled it together for the second verse and saved the performance, hamming it up as well as I could.  It was great fun.