[NEohioPAL]In Search of Elvis in Akron

[reynolds,victoria]

Dear NEOHIOPAL Subscribers ~=20

Elvis-wannabes who want a big fat chance to impersonate The King better
loosen their belts - or tighten them, depending on whether they intend
to imitate the Pompadour Pride of Tupelo or the Caped King of Vegas.

Marking the 27th anniversary of Elvis Presley's crossing into Rock
Heaven, an Elvis Impersonator Contest will be staged between 3 p.m. and
4 p.m. on Saturday, June 19 at the Greased Lightning Festival at Lock 3
Live! park, located on Main Street in downtown Akron, next to Akron
Civic Theatre.=20

Contestant registration is at 2:30 p.m. and will continue until all time
slots are filled.=20

Preferably, contestants will come clad as their favorite Elvis. The
choices are many:  Hound Dog Elvis, Jailhouse Rock Elvis,  Blue Suede
Shoes Elvis, Aloha Elvis, G.I. Elvis, Fat Vegas Elvis singing bad Neil
Diamond, and so on. Whichever Elvis a contestant plans to impersonate,
he or she should come prepared to sing their best Elvis song on the
FirstEnergy Stage. For musical accompaniment, contestants should bring
an instrumental compact disc or cassette tape of the song they will
sing.

The competition will begin at 3 p.m., and will be emceed by Elvis
impersonator Jim Barone. Winners will be chosen based on audience
applause, and prizes will be awarded (TBA). After the contest, Barone
will perform his own rendition of "Elvis Lives!"=20

The Greased Lightning Fest runs from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June
19 at Lock 3 Live! park and FirstEnergy Stage on Main Street in downtown
Akron, located next to the Akron Civic Theatre. A $10 admission charge
to the festival includes all concerts and entertainment associated with
this event, with the exclusion of inflatable rides for children, where
tokens will be sold. Admission to the festival is free for children
under 48 inches. If you bring a canned food item to Lock 3 park to
benefit the Akron/Canton Food Bank, you can buy one ticket at full price
and get the second ticket for half price.=20

Cash-only tickets are sold at the Lock 3 Live! gates 30 minutes before
show time.  For advance tickets, call the Akron Civic Theatre Box Office
at 330.253.2488 between 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday.
Tickets are also available at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall Ticket
Office at 330.972.7570, or through Ticketmaster Centers or
Charge-By-Phone at 330.945.9400.=20

NOTE: Due to popular demand, WKSU's Homegrown Saturday Mornin' at Lock 3
Live! has been expanded this season. Homegrown provides the perfect
outdoor setting in which to shop, experience and enjoy, every Saturday
(except July 3) between 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. When the Homegrown vendors
close shop at 2 p.m., folks can stick around town or come back later for
the festival.

Free parking is available in the O'Neil's Deck (entrance off State
Street), Cascade Parking Deck (enter from Quaker Street) and Landmark
Deck (entrance off Bowery Street). Paid parking is available in the
Summit County Parking Deck (entrance off High Street).

For more information about the festivals at Lock 3 Live! and FirstEnergy
Stage, contact development director Seth Keyes at (330) 535-3179, or
staff writer Victoria Reynolds at (330) 972-2724. For event information
and updates, visit www.lock3live.com, or call the Civic Theatre Info
Line at 330.535.3178.


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Lock 3 Live! was founded by the City of Akron and Akron Civic Theatre.
Major sponsors include FirstEnergy and KeyBank, with special thanks to
media sponsor Akron Beacon Journal, and supporters including Akron
Canton Food Bank, CocaCola, Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association,
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Montrose Ford, Montrose Toyota, and WKSU
89.7.