Fred Willard channels Elvis Presley -- jumpsuit and all

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When I posted about the Peter Boyle memorial laugh-fest yesterday, I hadn’t been able to get my hands on a proper photo of the opening act -- comedian Fred Willard in full Elvis Presley regalia.

His act at the myeloma fundraiser reimagined the King as if he’d chosen to go into stand-up comedy instead of music, complete with Willard’s classic style of oddball observational humor like: ‘My doctor’s name is Dr. Nick, that’s short for Nickopoulos. Now that’s a funny name.’ And my personal favorite: ‘I was at a bulimia convention in Vegas and a cake popped out of a girl.’

Willard, a self-professed Presley fan has served up his version of the King at least as far back as a 1978 episode of ‘Saturday Night Live’ and as recently as last month, when he portrayed an Elvis impersonator in ‘Elvis and Juliet,’ a play written by his wife Mary Willard and staged at the Grove Theatre in Upland. In fact, the fantastic white jumpsuit with red embroidery he wore last weekend looks like the same one he wore for that production.

Then again, I can imagine Willard having that suit in his closet, ready to don at a moment’s notice for comic effect.

-- Adam Tschorn

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