Orlando Fringe 2024 review: ‘Nick & Elvis’s Love Story’

A cocaine-snorting King of Rock & Roll and his soft-spoken boyfriend debate coming out of the closet in “Nick & Elvis’s Love Story,” a bizarrely anachronistic playlet by writer/director Julie Henry. With a press preview running time under 15 minutes (less than half the advertised length; apparently some pages got skipped) I’ve already spent more time writing this review than watching the play, but I’m unclear if what little material I witnessed was intended earnestly, or an attempt at deadpan parody.

The “based on true events” script — which completely scrambles the chronology of Elvis’ musical career, military service, and courtship of Priscilla — sounds like it could have been generated by an early-model ChatGPT bot programmed prompted to write ’50s slash fanfic, and the actors (whom I’m not naming for their own protection) do nothing to elevate the writing. The lead makes zero effort to look or sound anything whatsoever like Elvis, and the brief appearance by Col. Tom Parker makes Tom Hanks’ interpretation seem subtle in comparison.

Elvis Presley’s alleged homosexual proclivities have been argued about for decades, but this bite-sized fantasia doesn’t add much to the debate in the way of either dramatic impact or historical accuracy. If you’re a Presley lover looking to honor his memory, I suggest bypassing this heartbreak hotel, because Elvis has left the building.

Nick & Elvis’s Love Story