An Elvis Christmas Special came to Vankleek Hill on Friday, December 12. The two-hour show played to a sold-out 375-seat audience in the Cafetorium at Vankleek Hill Collegiate Institute (VCI). What made this show special was that Pete Paquette presented his polished version of Elvis for the first time in his hometown as part of the touring show presented by Paquette Productions. A professional band and back-up singers gave a special show to the hometown crowd. Pete’s sister Melissa and his niece joined Pete onstage for a few numbers. Pete shared the history of his band members and singers, some of whom have been with him for 15 years.
Pete acknowledged the presence of many friends and family in the audience, including his former high school music teacher, Kathleen Fraser-Collins and some teachers from École St-Grégoire. The concert was a fundraiser for the Higginson Tower Committee, which has been at work to organize the concert since early this year. Show sponsors Scotiabank Vankleek Hill, Theoret-Martel Insurance, Vera Page and Hawkesbury Toyota, as well as an anonymous sponsor, helped with the up-front costs of presenting the show.
The Elvis Christmas Special, starring Pete Paquette giving voice to Elvis, immersed the audience in the good will and holiday spirit of Christmas. But the show was not complete until Elvis offered his scarf to the front-row audience members, that he had earlier joked were seated in the *sweat section*. There was such a scramble for his white scarf that Elvis sent helpers backstage to grab a few more to share with his fans.
