Elvis, Frankie and Ed Sullivan make comebacks during the Community Center's adult and senior talent show.
By TERRI D. REEVES
Published March 26, 2004
LARGO - Elvis is alive and well.
He has lost the paunch, shaved off the pork chop sideburns, and his hair is short and gray.
Gone also is the white '70s jumpsuit with a standup collar.
In 2004, Elvis wears a metallic silver suit with gold sequins and flamboyant silver shoes.
"This is the 21st century Elvis on Medicare," said impersonator Terry Gregg of Tarpon Springs.
Gregg, 55, was one of dozens of age 50 and older performers who came to have their talents showcased at the Largo Community Center's adult and senior talent show Thursday afternoon.
As they waited to go on stage, the performers were playful and relaxed, many of them seasoned from other area talent shows and community events.
Backstage, Arlene Sheffler, 70, said her special talent was singing like Frank Sinatra.
"People call me Arletta, Arlene or Frank," she said. "My voice is very low."
And Nellie's Dancers, a group of a dozen women who practice together twice a week, waited to perform a combination of jazz, tap and line dancing. "Just compare us to the Rockettes," said Jeanne Langevin, 71, of Largo.
Maggie Berrill of St. Petersburg wore a black-feathered boa as she belted out the country song, Every Man I Love Is Either Married, Gay or Dead. The 68-year-old widow sang that she couldn't find a single man to share her double bed.
"My sentiments exactly," joked the master of ceremonies, J.C. Cameron, who peppered the show with his impressions of Jimmy Durante, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, John Wayne and country music singer George Strait.
At one point, Cameron impersonated Ed Sullivan, telling the audience he spotted Dolly Parton in the audience. "Never mind, it's just two bald men sitting close together," he cracked.
Victor Alesi performed with his dummy named Willie Nelson, a hand-puppet he fashioned himself with graying braids, a headband, and sunglasses.
The ventriloquist sang a duet: To All the Girls I've Loved Before.
Don Taylor, a crooner who started singing in nightclubs and bars at the tender age of 8, still has a powerful voice at 63.
The audience loved his version of Lionel Richie's Still.
"These people are excellent," said Joan Lightfoot of Clearwater, an audience member who laughed, clapped and sang along with some of the songs. "I've never been to one of these senior talent shows before, but this is a treat."
Pat Pennachio proved 82-year-olds can be just as sharp as their younger counterparts. The standup comic spewed out a flawless 10-minute monologue without the aid of a cue card.
Afterwards, she said she didn't plan the routine beforehand, and instead relies on a library of jokes stored in her head.
