Impressionist art

Monday, Nov. 28, 2005 | 8:51 a.m.

* Who: Steve Connolly's "Spirit of the King"

* When: 7 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays

* Where: Fitzgerald's Cabaret Theatre

* Tickets: $19.95

* Information: 388-2400

Steve Connolly is an artist.

Onstage, he's a tribute artist paying homage to Elvis Presley.

When he isn't performing, he most often can be found with a paint brush in front of an easel.

"As a kid I was painting at a very high level," Connolly said. "Today I can paint a picture that looks like a Rembrandt -- from a technical standpoint, I'm a master craftsman."

Music didn't come quite so easily.

"It was a challenge," he said.

Eventually, he excelled at both.

"I used to make most of my money from painting," said Connolly, who describes his work as realism and naturalism. "I graduated from art school and went to work as a painter, restoring paintings in churches."

He can't choose one art form over the other.

"In music there is instant gratification from the fans," he said. "Painting is a process. The gratification comes at the end."

Artistically, he doesn't see a major distinction.

"When I pick up a guitar, I feel the same way as when I pick up a paint brush," Connolly said. "Both are forms of expression, just different mediums."

He says his interest in the two art forms is not unusual.

"Michelangelo was a musician," he said. "Da Vinci was a musician. There's a long list of artists who are musicians."

When he isn't painting, or drawing in the sketchbook that is always close at hand, Connolly performs at Fitzgerald's, where he is so popular the showroom has been remodeled to better accommodate him and his fans.

For one thing, the sound system has been upgraded. For another, the stage has been enlarged, allowing for a seven-piece band, which replaces canned music.

"Besides redoing the room, we've changed the whole production," Connolly said. "I'm making a presentation with a theme -- there's a beginning, a middle and an end."

He says people have forgotten how controversial Elvis was in the early days of rock 'n' roll, which some thought was the devil's music.

"Basically, what I'm trying to do is tie in some basic historical things," Connolly explained.

He performs "Spirit of the King" in the newly named Fitzgerald's Cabaret Theatre, formerly known as the Events Center.

There is a new price tag for admission. Instead of a drink, tickets for Connolly's show start at $20.

"There is more production value and more depth," Connolly said. "It's more polished than before. The humor is more tailored to the theme."

But the heart of the show, he says, is the musical integrity.

"It's accurate and it's intense," he said. "I'm a real musician, first and foremost, and my musical background is something I have a chance to showcase."

The Boston native doesn't see himself as an impersonator.

"I'm a tribute artist who paints a picture with a limited palette -- Elvis being that palette," he said.

Connolly's engagement at the downtown venue gives him time for other gigs, such as one scheduled for Jan. 6 at Mechanic's Hall in Boston.

"It's kind of like Carnegie Hall," Connolly said. "I've sold out concerts there four times."

The following day, on Jan. 7, he will perform at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston.

"I go back every year to Boston and play at bigger and bigger venues," he said. "This is my third time at Berklee."

Connolly didn't start out to become one of the top Elvis tribute artists in the country.

"When I was younger I had a heavy metal band," he said. "I would do some of Elvis' songs, such as 'Jail House Rock' and 'Blue Suede Shoes.'

"A producer saw me perform once and said I did Elvis so well that I should be doing it professionally."

After the band broke up, Connolly decided to take the producer's advice, and he's been a sought-after Elvis ever since.

He was at the MGM Grand's theme park for three years, performing four 30-minute shows a day.

MGM led to Bally's, where he performed for six months. Then he worked in a short-lived show called "Tease" at the Aladdin's Blue Note.

"I was Vinnie the busboy," Connolly said.

"Vinnie" sang while the set was changed between scenes.

After a show with Rip Taylor at the Riviera, he was invited by Fitzgerald's entertainment director, Gene Sagas, to move downtown a couple of years ago, where he has been ever since.

"I like the family environment at Fitzgerald's," he said.

Jerry Fink can be reached at 259-4058 or at jerry@lasvegassun.com.