American Superstars

Entertainer royalty

By Caroline Fontein

Who says you can’t find Michael Jackson performing on the Las Vegas Strip? Well, maybe not the real one, but what you can find is an outstanding performance from a highly talented impersonator. Damian Brantley who performs as Jackson, is just one of the iconic entertainers that appears in American Superstars at the Stratosphere. From “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” to the “King of Pop” this show has it all.

The show’s set cast also includes Elvis, Tim McGraw, Rod Stewart, Christina Aguilera and Carrie Underwood played by Darren Lee, Chad Givens, John Anthony, Lorena Peril and Felice Garcia.

American Superstars opens with “Viva Las Vegas” and Lee appears with several dancers wearing traditional showgirl costumes. Lee’s electric hips paired with the familiar tune get everyone in the audience clapping their hands and singing along.

Lee is an acclaimed tribute artist who has performed his Elvis impressions around the world. In 1997 he was the first Canadian to win the “Images of Elvis” competition in Memphis, Tenn., making him one of the top Elvis impersonators in the world at the time.

He performs other familiar Elvis tunes including “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Burning Love.” After wowing the audience with his voice and knockout dance moves, Lee departs the stage.

Aside from the main acts, six statuesque dancers are a big part of the show. They perform with the entertainers and on their own in between acts. The dancers tantalize the audience with a racy routine performed under black lights before Tim McGraw, played by Givens, appears on stage.

Givens enters wearing McGraw’s signature black ensemble and cowboy hat singing “Real Good Man.” Women in the audience swoon as Givens walks across the stage and greets the crowd.

Next, he sings the ever popular “I Like It, I Love It.” The spacious yet intimate showroom gives everyone a good view of the stage and Givens as he makes his way through the audience. He stops and lets guests sing along in his microphone to the familiar chorus.

Anthony kicks off his set as Rod Stewart with “Infatuation.” The dancers join him on stage for “Hot Legs” and add to the song's already suggestive lyrics. During his performance of “Maggie May” he kicks blow up soccer balls into the audience just like the real Stewart, who is also a former soccer player.

Peril has the right combination of sass and sophistication for her portrayal of Cristina Aguilera. She starts her set with an explosive performance of “Ain’t No Other Man" accompanied by the dancers. “Beautiful” and “Lady Marmalade” follow, demonstrating Peril’s ability to emulate both Aguilera’s powerful voice and sexy dance moves.

American Superstars saves the best performer for last with Brantley as Michael Jackson for the final act. Brantley looks, sounds and dances just like the real “King of Pop.” In fact, this show might be one of the only places where you can see everything you loved about Jackson still being performed as part of a full production show.

The well known introduction of “Beat It” resounds throughout the showroom and Brantley appears in black pants, a shiny jacket and the signature glove. He sings and glides across the stage with his flawless moon walk. In some cases he seems to outdo the real Jackson in his ability to dance and move all over the stage yet look like he is not actually moving his feet in a forward motion.

Brantley takes the audience back to some old school Jackson with “Rock with You” and other classic hits. It looks like there is more than just one king still reining in Vegas.