Beginning on June 27, DAYS’s Eric Martsolf (Brady) will host Legends In Concert for three weeks at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino. “The three weeks are exactly when we’re off at DAYS, so it was strategically planned,” shares Martsolf, who was floored by the invitation to host the popular Las Vegas attraction. “I asked, ‘Why me?’ They explained the lovely marriage between the fact that they were the longest-running production show in Vegas, and I happen to be on one of the longest-running shows in television history. They also caught some YouTube videos of me performing Elvis tunes at one point in my funny little career. I essentially could not say no to an offer like that. It’s definitely one of those ‘bucket list’ items, to do a show in Vegas that you simply have to fulfill before you leave the planet.”
Prior to beginning his Vegas gig, Martsolf appeared in a photo shoot with Stacey Whitton Summers, who appears as Marilyn Monroe. “She was just a riot,” he praises. “She’s so pleasant and so charming. I also got a chance to see the show a couple of weeks ago. She has the audience in the palm of her hand. I was really impressed. She has the same charisma as Marilyn, literally looks like her. It’s pretty amazing how well they pull these impersonations off.”
Levi Walker
While watching Legends In Concert, Martsolf was struck by how seamlessly the cast evoked the performers they appear as onstage. “I saw a Janis Joplin that knocked me on my face,” he marvels. “She was unbelievably realistic. I think that’s where the magic in the show lies. It’s in the work ethic of these performers, and how close they come to actually personifying these legendary characters.”
The show left Martsolf in awe — and also a little nervous. “I was looking at the audience, the lighting, the stage, the costumes, soaking everything in and wondering, ‘How am I going to fit into this obviously very tight-knit family of performers and musicians that have this show down?’ ” he admits. “It’s very similar to soaps in the sense that when you walk into the soap opera environment as an outsider, you’re very aware that it is a well-oiled machine. That’s the impression I got with this show. It’s a bit intimidating coming into a show like this as an outsider when they already have their act fully together. But I met all of them and they’re anxious to have me for the summer. I am excited, as well.”
As part of Martsolf’s hosting tasks, he will also belt out a few tunes. “I’m going to be doing more of a tribute,” he clarifies. “I’m not an impersonator. I’m definitely not going to try and pass myself off as one, but what I’ll be doing is definitely a tribute scenario. It’s more of an introduction for the actual Elvis impersonator who knocks it out of the park every night. I’m just happy to be up there in any context.”
The actor is looking forward to some of his DAYS co-stars making the jaunt to catch him in action. “Christopher Sean [Paul] has plans to come out and see me,” he says. “Bryan Dattilo [Lucas] usually never turns down a Vegas opportunity. When I think about it, doing a show in Vegas gives a lot of my friends the perfect excuse to come out for a few days and have some fun.”
(For information about the show, visit www.legendsinconcert.com/las-vegas.)
