ROCHELLE —  The Vince Carney Community Theater will welcome Hugo's Elvis Tribute Show to the Lincoln Arts Center at 108 S. Main St. in Rochelle on Friday, July 19 at 7 p.m. Limited tickets are still available and can be purchased online at http://www.vcctrochelle.org/. 

The one-night show will feature Chicago-based Elvis performer Hugo Colin, who pays tribute to everyone’s favorite entertainer for the enjoyment of life-long Elvis admirers and to introduce the music legend to a brand new generation of fans. VCCT Board Member Dianne Jenner saw Colin perform in the area recently and worked to bring him to Rochelle. 

“Attendees can expect great singing,” Colin said in an interview with the News-Leader. “That's what I'm most proud of in my act. I'm 23 and I've listened to Elvis my whole life, probably 10s of thousands of times. I took years of voice lessons. I can bring that authentic Elvis performance from each of his different eras in the 50s, 60s and 70s. My stagewear is all handmade by myself. I've been making my own for about six years. People can expect great costumes and it will take the audience through the years of Elvis' career. I'll do a 50s set, a 60s set and a 70s set.”

After being exposed to the music of Elvis by his parents and performers, Colin started performing his tribute to Elvis when he was in kindergarten at his elementary school’s talent show, with a jumpsuit and dancing to Viva Las Vegas. He would continue his Elvis performances at that show each year until he entered high school.

In high school, Hugo volunteered to perform at many Chicagoland nonprofits such as retirement homes and the Ronald McDonald House. He still performs at many of them each year free of charge to thank them for booking him in his youth.

Since 2015, Colin has performed at many venues and events and has participated in various competitions for Elvis Tribute artists. He recently returned from a tour in Canada and will be going to Graceland to perform in August. He’s performed in Las Vegas and at Graceland in the past. He shared live streams around the world and performed sidewalk concerts during the COVID-19 pandemic when typical concerts weren’t possible.

“I enjoy performing because of the positivity in the air when I do it,” Colin said. “It's always been fun for me and for the audience. We strive to make the audience feel happy, present, and in the moment. These songs are from so long ago, so hearing them live again puts you in the moment while reliving the past. It's a cool feeling to make audiences happy.”

Colin called his performances “personal” for him because of Elvis’ music being the first that he heard at a young age. He liked the music before he even knew the legend of Elvis the music icon. Now, he gets to pass the way he feels about Elvis’ music on to audiences.

Colin will also be performing for residents at Hawthorne Inn Senior Living earlier in the day when he’s in Rochelle.

“Those volunteer appearances come from my heart,” Colin said. “Our goal is never to be exclusive. We want to serve our community. I want to be a role model for kids and someone that can make adults and seniors happy. For a lot of the seniors I perform for, Elvis was a part of their lives. Bringing back those memories for them is important to me. It's an honor to sing for Elvis fans and it's easy to find them at senior living facilities. I'll be happy to be performing in Rochelle and I'm looking forward to it.”