by VICTORIA ELIZABETH
Performed select evenings at the quaint, charming, hidden gem of the Great Smoky Mountains, Steven Best’s Great Smoky Mountain Theater (located just off the bustling Pigeon Forge Parkway in Tennessee), “Cash and the King” stars renowned tribute artist Josh Rush, who brings to life not just one, but two, legendary artists all in one dynamic show: Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.
Rush, whom has garnered praise by critics and audiences alike from across the United States for his specialty performances at a plethora of live events, ranging from fairs and festivals to specialty shows , continues to wow audiences of all ages and walks of life at his residency. It features a dazzling catalogue of chart topping classics and obscure songs alike from two of the music industry’s most iconic and influential stars.
I was elated to return to this nearly two-hour music extravaganza for an updated spotlight feature on all the exciting music numbers, little known factoids, and stylish costume changes you can expect to see on your upcoming visit.
Rush — personable, amicable, and brimming with onstage charisma — opens “Cash and the King” with a rousing rendition of the Cash classic, “Folsom Prison Blues,” leading to a performance of arguably one of “The Man in Black’s” most famous songs “Ring Of Fire.”
The show takes a lighthearted and decidedly unserious turn with a laugh out loud performance of “The Chicken in Black,” a quirky and bizarre ballad, with an absurd plot that sees Cash getting a brain transplant and becoming a bank robber, while his brain is given to a chicken who becomes a musical act. Despite deliberately writing the “intentionally atrocious” song to sabotage his relationship (in which he felt neglected) with Columbia Records, “The Chicken in Black”, intended as a flop, reached #45 on the US Billboard country chart.
Additional standard numbers in this action packed, one-of-a-kind tribute show include a toe tapping rendition of “Get Rhythm,” the biting, sarcastic, and rowdy “A Boy Named Sue,” and “I Walk the Line.”
A well-curated video package plays between costume changes, showcasing both the playful and mutually respectful relationship between the two iconic entertainers that inspired Cash and the King and their meteoric rises to superstardom.
Once the video package has concluded, Rush takes the stage as “The King,” stylishly clad in a bedazzled turquoise colored “Nudie Suit” (originally designed by storied designer to the stars, Ukrainian-American designer Nudie Cohn), and begins the second, headlining portion of the show. This half features a plethora of Presley’s extensive chart topping hits.
The Elvis portion of the evening kicks off with a bang, featuring the high-octane, high-energy, “That’s All Right,” the song recorded at Sun Records that launched Elvis’s career.
Rush takes the opportunity to interact with the intimate, yet lively crowd during “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear”, and delivers a poignant, powerful rendition of “In The Ghetto,” which he performed with pathos and a bold vibrato. Additional stand out numbers include the moody and bluesy “Fever” as well as the relentlessly upbeat “Let Me Be There.”
Cash and the King builds to a climactic finale featuring all of Elvis’s most internationally renowned and recognized hits including “Hound Dog” and the 1969 smash success “Suspicious Minds.”
Presley, who served his country in the United States Army, was unapologetically patriotic and never shied away with professing his love for both God and Country through his rhetoric and his lyricism. Rush honors the veterans in the audience before delivering a riveting rendition of “America the Beautiful.”
Following the show, the gracious and personable headliner meets with the crowd for photo opportunities and a meet and greet, making memories which will last long after each vacation has concluded.
Special thanks to Cathy, Junior, Steven Best, Josh Rush, and the rest of the Smoky Mountain Theater Team for facilitating our visit for this spotlight feature.
WEBSITE: https://pigeonforgeelvisshow.com
PHONE: 865-856-1117
