Making An Elvis - A Reality Blog on the road to Collingwood

Tom in 2010 in Collingwood

  It Occurred to me that if I didn't do the Elvis Festival in Collingwood soon as a performer, I may run out of time to be able to pull him off effectively. I've always been able to do his voice pretty well, I thought, and have been told there is some resemblance, so with this in mind I simply mentioned the fact that I was thinking about it to a die hard fan and regular festival goer and then got her best impression of a take-away close (sales term) on me by "assuming the deal" by asking certain assumptive "closing" questions such as,

" So what songs are you going to do?"

  
"Hold on! I never said I was going to yet" I'd replied.

  "Well what songs do you think you're going to do then?" she responded. Ha.

  At any rate, after some thought, I decided to go for it and approach the task like I would as if preparing for an acting role. I started seeking out photos and footage and asked my new " Elvis Adviser" Linda which songs she liked and which performers stood out to her at the festival and why. After all if I'm going to do this thing I want to try and do it right. Linda has always enjoyed when I've done Elvis over the past several years, always at me to perform more often and even closed the deal one year by having me croon to her mom for her birthday! When I first raised the possibility with friend Linda she wasted no time in checking into it and found out I needed to register within 2 days or it was over before even starting... Talk about a pressure sale! Ha!

2009 in Collingwood, TP's Elvis Adviser Linda dresses up in 50's wear!

   Upon listening to the what she and some others had to say regarding song and era choice I decided that although I have the 70's Elvis suit and it fits well, that I'm just too skinny so with this as part of the reasoning, I decided to do earlier Elvis, and will scout out another outfit for this. After much consideration I decided that for the first time out I'd pick songs I know quite well - ones that I can really feel when I sing them and that I feel I most resemble Elvis singing - after all the contest wants to see as close a rendition to the real deal as possible and so with that in mind I chose I Can't Help Falling In Love, Don't Be Cruel and Blue Suede Shoes. I went back and forth a lot and considered a GI Elvis song as well as doing Jailhouse Rock but in the end decided on a first go round with familiarity.

  Of course I've been to the Collingwood affair before and it is a good time especially if you're dressed as Elvis. I decided to wear my Elvis suit the 1st year I attended and everyone wanted my autograph as I walked around..it was hilarious...One time another Elvis comes running up to me and says

"Hey, how you doing, have you seen Subway Elvis?"

  "No", I replied after a slight hesitation as if I knew him, and he went off in search after thanking me.

  Subway Elvis, was of course, renowned at the time because he played in the subways of Toronto getting known after some media coverage. I felt slightly guilty by taking all the glorious accolades that went with being "an Elvis" but not performing. Of course I have performed to Elvis many a time including even Elvis-ograms at one time. Hey, I'm a single dad, we'll do almost anything that pays!Ha!

  Another year at Collingwood I had a group of no less than 100 Japanese tourists who wanted a group shot with me, and then afterwards whenever I tried to leave another would want an individual pic with me! Ha!! My only regret was not getting a copy! It was a challenge to stay in character at all times however, as if you look the part people expect the goods...so "thank-you very much's" became part of my routine as I ventured through the festival. You buy a coffee, thank-you thank-you very much.. a soda..thank-you thank-you very much...you get the drift - people in line behind you and everyone you run into expect Elvis! Ha! At least if you're performing you can hide backstage. I guess the only time I won't be in character come to think of it is amongst my fellow Elvises! Elvii? Whatever.

  Of course I grew up too young for Elvis' peak however I did watch and love his movies as a kid and later on came to appreciate him more - especially as an actor where I feel he could have done more given a chance at serious roles. Elvis also grew up dirt poor and had a heart for others and I saw some parallels to my life in his which has helped inspire me to really try to "become Elvis" for this event, including surrounding myself with Elvis stuff.

  Upon registering for the 2012 Collingwood Elvis Festival I was informed they needed a professional headshot in Elvis garb, and with little time to lose, I went to work by first calling a friend who is schooled in professional make-up who told me what to buy after which I had to apply myself with a little coaching from my giggling daughter who managed,

" This is the most macho thing I've ever seen you do", between breathes, as I struggled to put on eyeliner.

 

    I somehow wangled to get everything in on time with a little help from my daughter Brittany, Linda, as well as makeup aficionado and DJ extraordinaire Hungarian Pepper, although I actually had until June 1st for some info but it's all in now! The last item I needed to decide was a  stage name and went with "Best Of Elvis" as I'd been the Elvis on City TV's long running Speaker's Corner and its 10th anniversary "best of" show, so I figured why not? It's either that or Skinny Elvis and I don't know how they'd take that one! To top it off somehow I was able to snag a small cottage for the duration of my Elvisarama in nearby Wasaga Beach after a brother taking over for another who just died and new to the biz had not yet booked everything during the usually sold out time! It was fate and I look forward to tackling this 'role" with vigour with the expectation of presenting a viable Elvis product in the end.

  I will videoblog the "Making Of An Elvis" right up to and including the Elvis festival in Collingwood July 26-29 so stay tuned and...watch some exciting stuff like me dying my hair and applying mascara for the first time...Thank-you...thank-you very much! very much!

My final head shots..The cool yet semi concerned look. Above the serious look.

Newmarket What's Happening Heritage Art

The Heritage Art Contest sponsored by Newmarket Town Hall is still on display at the Recreation Department on Mulock. Every piece in the contest is for sale. Our (Changing Silently) entry is priced at $350.

Fred Joly and his art contest piece - Changing Silently

Make sure you see TPE Productions hilarious video report on the Newmarket Heritage Art Contest.

Live Entertainment Producer and Actor

Tom Pearson recalls life as an Improv Comedy Producer and Actor

" Gripes" marketable still 12 years later

Never Assume!

    I came across this photo (me, left with fish hat) and a Canadian Improv Showcase ticket stub from when I was a Principal Actor, the show's original Producer and Co-writer ( 2 years TV & live shows), as well as handled the booking including gigs at Second City Theatre and across southern Ontario. I actually Produced and Performed while still in film school and a single Dad a tough juggling act in any circus!



   Just before I came on the scene as Producer, they (Dick Wad and his original "Executive" Producer whom he eventually dumped via creating accusations about missing funds - like there was any! Ha!) were a bit lost and full of improv tv show knowledge but only from watching!  Anyway, I originally came on board as a performer and these Einsteins  had booked the Good Guys in Bad-Times Theatre (or something like that) in Toronto to tape a pilot episode, but they assumed all the tv production students they had asked to be camera operators and sound record technicians etc would have equipment - and they showed up without any! Hellllo!

  It would have died then had I not approached Aurora Cable tv ( I knew then station Manager Steve Mitchell) to come tape at the Factory Theatre lieu of free season of taped shows for their station.So we got a multiple camera shoot complete with live switcher and a production truck, Director, Production Assistants, sound & lighting crew (theatre) and Cam Operators at no cost! Thank-you! And we even charged the live audience to attend so we made money making a pilot too! The "fun" ended for me when the then 20 something, but already rapidly balding "co-founder", turned on me next with similar crap as the Executive predecessor, and when I wouldn't play footsie with his ego and I questioned the turnover of actors seemingly being replaced with high-schoolers and the creative direction the show was taking he made it easy to take a walk. They went no-where. Too bad, great concept - spoofing Canadianisms through Canadian talent.

 
   This is when I first started doing Don Cherry spoofs where the audience would make him an expert on anything from hair dressing to figure skating instead of hockey in character! ha...Justin Renwick (middle in pic) a noted Newmarket musician ( Mumble Ducks) was a phenomenal talent and impersonator though! The other guy was a complete dick.

TP Out!

Canadian Tradition bites the curb in Newmarket

 
  Every now and then you just have to stop and give your head a shake. Like recently our request to once again have our annual youth road hockey event held on Main St in Newmarket, which it was last year for the first time in its 8 soon to be 9 year history, was apparently turned down. Actually, I don't even think it was even raised. Why, I'm not sure, but I do know they managed to okay closing the street for some kind of Bollywood celebration as well as a multicultural or international festival, but seems to me the very Canadian tradition of road hockey was not considered important enough.


  So instead the youths of Newmarket, Bradford, Aurora and wherever else they come from this year will have to play on substandard areas too small really for quality play. The location they will now be forced to use is too narrow for passing and too close to the next playing area unless we come up with a last minute solution. Of course the outdoor stage of the new " Riverwalk Commons" for comedy play-by-play and performers will be nice and we can facet a play area for younger non-tourney players there, but really nearby stones throw Main St is where it's at for road hockey.

  We'll pull this off, but I'm extremely disappointed that the downtown association apparently doesn't deem this event, with the potential to grow ginormous, important enough or worthy enough. It's not enough I guess that the longest running annual road hockey tourney in Ontario allows kids to participate for free, feeds all tourney players and also gives out a $1,000 education award  to one worthy youth. Heck, last year we even reimbursed the Main St restaurants $5 each for feeding kids and put free entertainment in their cafes.They loved us. So what happened? Hmmmm..( picture me thinking here)

Members of the 1st winning team

  Given the attention and support all the other events seem to get like Hoe Downs - which by the way Aurora was never a country music town - and the "multicultural festival" start-ups, this one should have been a no - brainer years ago to get behind, yet here we are today with a sub-standard solution to a very worthy and marketable event, and a few people calling the shots about its location.

  All the businesses I've spoken with were/are happy to have it on their street and were surprised it was even an issue as it brought some business on a winter Saturday and was a good community event - they welcomed it in fact - yet it wasn't even raised alongside these upstart events that garnered support  - such as the " Car Show Thursdays" and this "Bollywood" festival idea. Listen I have nothing against Bollywood , but really what connection does it have to Newmarket? What history? Road Hockey has plenty and is a Canadian youth tradition! And you'd be surprised how many "multicultural" kids come play!

Tradition got to Main St in 2011 sadly left out in  2012 so far

   Too bad, it's one Canadian tradition I hoped this town would be a leader in embracing - such as the page 3 column written by Toronto Sun Columnist Warmington last year commending the town for embracing road hockey while Toronto try to ban it. I thought then they could see the value - not only as good thing for youths - but to grow into an attraction on a day in the middle of winter attracting business downtown. I guess they spoke too soon. Hopefully someone comes to their senses by March 17. Or perhaps try the Bollywood festival outside in March and see how many people it draws!

  Thank goodness for our returning sponsors, some of who are right on Main St where we should be playing and who are still supporting through entry level sponsorships helping keep this worthy event alive, even though it is not actually right on Main now. And a big welcome to Newmarket Mitsubishi who know about community responsibility, as well as a good thing when they see it and without whose sponsorship this year we could not have had an event, especially with a last minute pull out of a cosponsor of the Mike Thornhill Memorial Education Award given to a youth player deemed a leader in the community... and having to explain to sponsors about the move. Game on!
Register here!

Rockin Deli Night Sat Feb 25

     Building towards two events at once can be a bit of a juggling act, especially if you are by nature a bit of a perfectionist. Right now among some projects, we are a little behind in launching our "screener" for a documentary for which I hate missing deadlines, even if they are my own self imposed ones. I'm behind because I put off firming up the host band for our "Open Stage" portion of Rockin' Deli Night which concludes with a DJ and the latest in dance. But I'd had some discussions with Newmarket 's THE JAMSPOT owner and operator Max -  and wanting to keep things local as I know there is a ton of talent here - had confidence Max would turn me on to the right hosts given time. Gulp..but I was running out!

    Max is a consummate pro too, not wanting to recommend just anyone, and taking the time to understand what I was looking for. But I think he also realizes that we can work together here and create a cooperative  atmosphere with enough rooms for everyone to play in whether they are jamming or putting on live shows. THE JAMSPOT can also hold smaller shows as well and is ideal for CD Release parties too, but THE JAMSPOT's  big feature is the custom built sound proofing built in. Bands love it for good reason. And they are going to love playing at Deli house Caterings Rockin' Deli Night location at 1220 Stellar Dr in Newmarket as well, as it renowned for its good sound as it's original build use was for a concert hall for big name acts way back in the 50's and 60's. Later on it was also a succession of night clubs including " Club Spotlight" which featured the latest in lights and booming city-like sound for the time. Rockin' Deli Night takes a walk back into that era and even offers prime rib as dinner - optional of course!

   Funny story. I was writing a column, " At The Clubs", for CoverStory Newspaper in York Region back in the day and one night while covering a band at none other than the Rockin' Deli located on Yonge St in Newmarket, I was attacked by about 4 or 5 guys outside. They jumped me in the parking lot for, as far as I could tell, wearing leather pants! That's just a theory mind you as I was new to living here then having spent the previous 10 years or so living in cities, so pleated leather pants may not have resonated with some locals - a fact that was pointed out to me by none other than a local! ha! I'd never have thunk it. I still have the pants somewhere, scrapes and all! Ha! Anyway these guys were so drunk they couldn't sustain any damage, as whenever they went to kick me I'd roll their friend who was now lying on the ground with me (from tackling me) in front of the kick! Ha..I got hit a few times though and the doorman watched the whole thing from inside not bothering to do or say anything. Afterwards they let me in to recoup and several years later I dated the bartender who had been working that night as she remembered the incident when I relayed it to her...I should have known better when she did nothing as these guys attacked me that night, that she'd be, er ah ...interesting. She went on to have a Glass Tiger member's kid..oh well..that one's another story for another day. Ha! Now who I should have gone after was my flaxen haired co-worker Mcgurksky or something like that who had showed sympathy for me and who also was a single parent at the time like me. Her and two other girls were like the Charlies Angels sales force on the CoverStory YR team, and likely sold the jaw-dropping men ads before uttering a word. Mgoo was beautiful and hard working, but one of those women who leave you tongue tied whenever you tried to say anything to her, let alone make a play. Man, what an idiot I was. Why did I pick her to be the "nice guy" to! Ha!

  At any rate Max came through with some outstanding musicians to host the first Rockin' Deli Night on Sat Feb 25 called Sean Bourke Band! The trio's members have played with a number of bands over the years - some having played alongside The Good brothers or The Goods as once known - ironically through a time period when I interviewed the band for a TV show I produced and Co-hosted called "Out and About" - and Teenage Head to name a couple so the array of tunes they can play will be phenomenal, and any vocalists or accompanying "Jammers" can get in on the action! Everyone knows I like a good show and this one is a shaping up!

  Speaking of shaping up, the 8th Annual Friendly Neighbourhood Youth Road Hockey Challenge is shaping up with the new addition of Newmarket Mitsubishi as tournament sponsor! The now longest running street hockey tournament in Ontario features live entertainment, music, comedy play-by-play with TP's own "Gripes" as featured in the poster campaign.

This year's TP imposed theme slogan for the road hockey event is

WE WANT YOU! BACK ON THE STREETS!

And uses a Don Cherryesque character dressed in Canadian red and white stripes and mirrors the US army recruitment poster for "Uncle Sam".

    The 2012 event will be held again in the downtown Newmarket area including spots around the Newmarket Community Centre and the new Riverwalk Commons. With public skating already an attraction there we expect the road hockey activities to take off in a big way for 2012 and plan to utilize the outdoor stage for live entertainment for a "halftime show' and for the end of the event shows, including a variety of talent. We may maintain an open stage during the event combined with our canned music, but either way it'll be a fun event!
   This year youths can sign up for the free event online as well in advance @ www.tpeproductions.com

Pick up games and an Opening Face-off Party for us Oldtimers too T.B.A.! 

Car!

Deli House Catering and Wedding Hall

Inside Deli House Catering's banquet and events facility with natural lighting

  Promotion and branding of course go hand in hand and sometimes you can add sales to that mix when all three merge at times such as the case when I attended a 'Bridal Show" recently representing Deli House Catering's interests. I like to think I know a little about branding having worked on projects as an Associate Producer with a Co-Executive Producer named Lou Pearlman (Supercross The Movie, Timothy Dolan's scripted Red Riding Hood musical version) who wrote " Bands, Brands and Billions and is considered the inventor of "Boy Bands". Of course that was all before he was jailed for tax evasion or something!

Deli House Catering's Rockin Deli Nights starts Feb 25! See link provided for details!
  The Timpano formals run wedding show was held at the beautiful Roman Palace banquet hall in Newmarket and featured the usual gamut of caterers, decorators, cake makers, photographers and the like but this one also had a couple questionable booths such as an exercise machine booth??? It seems insurance companies have also managed to squeeze into the mix somehow. The only other experience I've had at wedding shows really - other than perhaps when I got married (& later divorced) so many years ago it seems...sigh..was putting together a same sex wedding show which is a whole blog in itself!

  Anyway my bridal show partner Nick and I managed to get set up in anticipation of the rush that never really materialized and ended up instead chatting a fair bit with the other neighbouring businesses mostly and giving out free food samples to anyone who did happen our way.

Deli House's Nick at Timpano's Bridal show at the Roman Palace in Newmarket

  I mozied on down at one point to see what the "other Nick" had going on food-wise, as in Nick Co-owner Chef of the Roman Palace banquet hall as many moons ago I used to do gigs for his father and Nick Sabino was the DJ...now he's the Chef and I must admit his pasta dish was pretty good. Zesty sauce..noodles el dente. the old man must have taught him a few secrets before he was so cruelly taken away from this life by a drunk driver some years back.I hadn't seen Nick or his sister in a few years so it was good to see them again.Salute.

  I also ran into lovely Rita a long time Newmarket area resident and business owner and friends with a buddy of mine who isn't speaking with me right now.. for why I know not ha..but Rita's a Decorator and Events Planner with Abovo and we happened to need one for a Deli House event so we connected at least and maybe they can each help each other out.I also connected with Russo Photography for some possible video work..but where were the brides!? So a tad networking went on.

  In the interim I got into a bit of a "discussion" with the lady from Wayne Jones DJ services, as I told her I thought that Jack & Jills were something that women invented to eliminate the stag (they also specialized in Jack & Jill packages). I told her stags originally were money makers for the couple not Jack & Jills as there was no such thing, while she insisted that stags were only for "strippers etc. I repeated that they outdated the creation of Jack & Jills and were always as money makers for the man... then pulled out quietly and left. Ha!

  Anyway the show itself as a marketing tool was a disappointment as the turnout was low, although the fashion show was well done it seemed. At one point I heard this song with lyrics like, " I'm sexy,  whose sexy, I'm sexy etc and turned around expecting women - but it was the guys! Ha! Egads!

  After we did our thing and handled the half dozen perhaps real prospects that came our way, the candy lady behind me from Old Time Confections ( they provided mints and candies located in Georgian Mall Barrie) mentioned perhaps I should ask about a list of all the attendees which is standard procedure I'm told at most of these, and so I did, but was told they didn't do that for their shows. He went on to explain that they would be sending all attendees an email on our behalf etc and I stopped him and said,

  'You know I did a google search of this show and it didn't even come up, but Barrie's Timpano show did."

He said it would take awhile that they  had not been in Newmarket for some time but would again catch on in time...blah blah blah...

  In time? Whose money is he spending whilst he waits? Get an SEO on it buddy so the show comes up immediately! It doesn't take time it takes a little effort, and yes spending a few bucks! That's why all these people paid for booths for your show!

As We used to say in grade school...Duh!!!

Tom out!

Same Sex Wedding Show Originators To Make Doc

Tom Pearson asks people on the streets of Toronto what they think of same sex marriage for the doc Thin Pink Line

 Sometimes during the course of producing a live show you begin to feel as if you should be documenting it and to that end, after being hired to produce " The Same Sex Show", I found the elements were very powerful and knew that this being a time in history that will be examined and an issue with a long shelf life - same sex marriage that is - that this was worth capturing and I did, putting together a documentary crew from graduating film students resulting in 22 powerful hours of goods sitting on my shelf unedited as yet!!

 During the height of the same sex marriage controversy, as it made it's way through the courtrooms to finally be made officially legal nationally, TP was there on several fronts....firstly in 2005  

TPE produced the worlds 1st ever international Same Sex & Wedding Show - the 1st of its kind anywhere in the world at Canada's largest Metro Convention Centre!

During the process of putting the consumer show together, TPE recognized the controversy involved, indeed including some in the wedding industry as well as the media and thus rounded up a documentary crew to capture as much as possible. As a result TP has recorded 22hours of raw documentary footage from the period including protests at queens park, religious protesters, and people on the street as well as interviewed members of the gay community and wedding/same sex industry people dying to get made into a feature and held a show with that featured entertainment and speakers from the who's who of gay, lesbian, and cross gender communities. Hear more in our short pitch video.

Rocker Carol Pope 'blesses" Ian Taylor & George Olds' wedding certificate for the Same Sex  Wedding Show

 Timing for this documentary movie to be produced is fantastic now since the HARPER  government has recently tried to have same sex weddings from those from other countries called not legal - meaning the contest we ran that brought couples to Canada from other countries to marry at our show....MAY NOT BE LEGAL!? Wow...only adds to the value of our future film but can we be held liable for these couples' distress should the feds' position prevail? And what of those couples? How must they feel perhaps being gyped of their marriages? Meantime TPE Prodcutions.com will be releasing a Short - Thin Pink Line - a 10 minutes snapshot of the 22 hours of footage we have.... coming up in Feb for a Valentines Day release! Stay tuned!

This is a project that begs to be completed and help show Harper he's got a tough road to hoe!

Stellar Hall in Newmarket now has banquet facilities and s.s. wedding packages

In Other related News ... You can get involved in the Producing of A Thin Pink Line's feature film through INDIEGOGO!

Watch for the short, Thin Pink Line, to show in York Region Ontario for the YR Media Playrs festival in 2015.

Later..Tom