03.04.11 | Live Review: Love Letter To Levi Kreis
By: Diana Prano: FIVE stars

I have been to the church of Levi Kreis and the gospel is simple. Love yourself! The last stop of his SideXSide Tour at Joe’s Pub in NYC was electrifying and amazing! Levi is astonishing. Listen, you can sit there and say, ‘great show,’ but that’s simply not enough. I am here to testify that this talent comes along once in a lifetime! If you are ever lucky enough to see him live, you’ll know what I mean. Some of us had tears streaming down our faces almost the entire show. I kept asking myself why I was crying. I’m still trying to process what was happening to me. I was embarrassed, but when I looked around it seemed I wasn’t alone.

Let me state his obvious talents. He is marquee idol beautiful, his voice is one of the most freely expressive voices I’ve ever heard; his singing appears effortless. He is sincere, warm, gracious, connected and grateful to his audience. His life story and journey are inspiring and honest. He has transformed the shame, pain and confusion of being a gay man into becoming a soul that is bright, illuminated and proud. We can only thank this universe for giving him the gifts, talents and strength that transformed him and that he shares with us. He preaches and lives self-love from a deep and knowing place. He will inspire you, lift you up!

Levi has won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his current role as Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet on Broadway. He’s leaving the show within two weeks and heading to California to record his next album. The show at Joe’s Pub also featured Eric Himan, a romping, cool guitar player/singer. Jason Anton opened the whole show with his big, soulful voice. He seemed a little nervous but I would love to see him sing when he’s chilled. I can’t thank Levi enough for that show! From the bottom of my heart...

11.02.10 | Live Review: Chicago Tribune
"Million Dollar Kreis Bangs Out A Playful Set:
Chicago Tribune:
Review by Andy Downing: "Five Stars"
Near the close of his sold-out concert at the Apollo Theater on Monday, Levi Kreis, who won a 2010 Tony Award for his depiction of Jerry Lee Lewis in "Million Dollar Quartet," briefly channeled the Louisiana wild man, kicking back his piano stool as he wrapped up an abbreviated "Great Balls of Fire."

But although Kreis portrayed Lewis in the Chicago production of the musical for 15 months and continues to do so on Broadway, the song still had to be coaxed from him. "I've backed myself into a corner," he said sheepishly after teasing the audience with its fiery intro. The singer-songwriter dedicated much of the remainder of his 70-minute set to his solo output - deeply personal tunes that swung between heartfelt ballads and rollicking ragtime spirituals - despite his concerns that "Quartet" fans might not want to see the "weird guy who contorts at a piano," as he put it.

Kreis, seated at a piano, surrounded by electric candles and a bushel of rose petals, joked that the set looked like an episode of " VH1 Storytellers." And he took full advantage the surroundings to muse on his upbringing in Oliver Springs, Tenn. Stories touched on coming to terms with his own sexuality (Kreis is openly gay), the six years he spent attending reorientation therapy prior to college and a 2004 split with Atlantic Records that left him with $200 in his pocket and countless questions about his career choices.

That said, Kreis, dressed simply in a plaid shirt and with his short hair artfully tousled, maintained a playful, optimistic demeanor throughout — a personality trait that frequently bled into his music. "Sky ain't fallin'," he sang on a swinging "Ain't Nobody." "At least not today." Elsewhere, the singer appeared to age ten years as he delivered a devastating take on Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me," flirted with gospel on a version of "Not Afraid" that had the crowd swaying like a rapturous church congregation, and captured the tingle of first love on "Just This Good," his fingers fluttering over the piano keys to match the butterflies rising in his gut. Miles removed from the glitz and gloss of Broadway, the casual show was the equivalent of catching Kreis in his own living room, his guard down and inner-workings defiantly on display.

11.02.10 | Live Review: TalkingBroadway & GoPride.Com
An Intimate Evening With Levi Kreis: Apollo Theatre
By John Olson for TalkingBroadway & GoPride.com

Someday, I suspect, some Chicagoans will kick themselves for not having seen Levi Kreis during the 18 months he played here in Million Dollar Quartet before taking the role to Broadway and winning a Tony Award; while others will brag that they saw him before he made it big. (Of course, many will be in both groups.) Kreis has all the right ingredients to become a very big star – the looks, the voice, a unique and personal presence, and catchy and accessible songs of his own writing that could appeal to a wide audience. Above all, he has stage presence and charisma to spare. The concert billed as "an intimate evening" felt like it, and while the sellout crowd of some 300 seemed to know him (and vice versa), I suspect he projects the same sort of love for his audiences wherever he goes.

The crowd at his first appearance back in Chicago, at the stage where he played Jerry Lee Lewis in , included a whole group that literally served as back-up singers on some of his gospel and R&B inflected solos. They went wild when late in the two-set concert he sneakily broke into "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" from the show, which he followed that up with an extended snippet from "Great Balls of Fire." These excerpts were a reminder of the zany energy he brought to his character and linked the Levi as Lewis we saw in MDQ with the multi-faceted singer-songwriter that headlined this concert.

Decked out in a tight plaid short-sleeve plaid cotton shirt and jeans, Kreis shares Lewis's virtuosity at the piano and his natural sense of showmanship. The way he contorts while singing and playing – with his head and body twisting to get closer to the crowd while his hands are tethered to the keyboard - you sometimes sense he'd like to break himself in two people so one could be in two places at once. His repertoire, recorded on three albums between 2005 and 2009, is a highly melodic and soulful blend of gospel, country, R&B and Christian contemporary styles, though with secular lyrics. His compositions are mostly love songs and heavy on break-up laments, but even those have a sense of hope that permeates his writing. He opened his first set (which followed a twenty minute opening set by Eric Himan, who co-headlines his "SidexSide Tour") with "Gonna Be Alright," an upbeat breakup song that is the first cut on his most recent CD, Where I Belong. His next number, a soulful cover of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me," was not so optimistic, but he followed it with "Ain't Nobody," a fast-paced. jazzy R&B-styled song of encouragement to a girlfriend.

Though Kreis is openly gay, his lyrics frequently are written as if to be sung to a woman. Others are gender-neutral, like the ¾-time, gospel-styled "Nothing at All" that topped the charts of the gay-oriented Logo cable TV channel for 17 weeks, or "Just This Good," an sensual love song he sang as following a recounting of his coming-out story. He emotionally told the audience how as a teen suffering from shame at his orientation he enrolled in a conversion therapy program without telling his parents. Years later, while attending a fundamentalist college, he came to accept his orientation and came out to shocked friends and school officials. After taking an audience request for a breakup ballad ("Lonely Sunday Morning") off his first album - One of the Ones - he followed his coming out story with "We're Okay," a song about his eventual reconciliation with his mother following her difficulty in accepting his coming out.

The second half of the concert opened with singer-pianist Jason Antone performing two songs, including a balladic cover the of the 1980s hit "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." Kreis finished up with a short set that included "Nothing at All," the numbers from Million Dollar Quartet and closed with the uplifting love song "I'm Not Afraid." As he sang the refrain "Let it rain, let it pour, this is what I came here for" I'd bet the audience was happy to take it as a love letter to them.

The "SidexSide Tour" was performed at Chicago's Apollo Theatre on November 1, 2010. Additional tour dates are scheduled through January 3, 2011. For more information on the tour visit www.levikreis.com/html/itinerary.php.

11.01.10 | Southern Soul With A Touch Of Sexy
The Monitor: Montreal: By Toula Foscolos
When Levi Kreis’ publicist emailed me urging me to take a listen to his third album Where I Belong, she described him as “Paolo Nutini meets James Morrison.”
The thing is, I’m a huge fan of both those singers. I’ve seen them both perform live – incredibly well, I may add. So, while I was intrigued, I was also highly skeptical.
But Kreis’ smooth as silk voice managed to seduce me within minutes. It’s adult contemporary to be sure, but there’s a sultriness and strength to his vocals that begs you to pay attention. While songs like Gonna Be Alright have clear pop sensibilities, Stained Glass Window has a Southern Baptist Hallelujah feel to it, clearly revealing this boy’s undeniable Gospel roots. Born and raised in Tennessee, this Harry Connick Jr. doppelganger is right in his element in Nothing At All.

Where I Belong is a solid album, an effort that made Heidi Weiss of The Chicago Sun-Times write:”Such galvanic talent that you know he will not be denied.” Lou Brutus of XM Radio said that “to watch Levi play the piano is like watching somebody speaking in tongues.”
In addition to his singing/songwriting career, Kreis also won a 2010 Tony Award for his portrayal of Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet.
The great thing about his upcoming appearance at Le Piano Rouge in Old Montreal on November 15 is that local audiences will have an opportunity to see him perform in a very intimate setting. The venue is ideally suited for intimate performances, ultimately showcasing a singer’s voice.
Aside from his abundant talent, something else I appreciate and admire about Kreis is how true he is to himself. He’s such a stunningly good looking man, it would be easy for him to be vague about his sexuality and capitalize on all the female attention, but unlike many other ambiguously gay artists, he’s been candid and honest. In the May 2010 edition of The Rage Monthly, a San Diego gay lifestyle magazine, Kreis answered questions from author Bill Biss about coming out.
"I think it was the first of many moves toward me dispelling what I call the illusion of limitation. To think that opportunities become limited because of anything such as sexuality, age, race, etc, is to not have faith in the absolute support the universe has in our creative expression. “
Levi Kreis performs at Le Piano Rouge Lounge (22 St. Paul E.) on November 15.

11.01.10 | Levi Kreis: Accepting Broadway Success with Grace & Ease
By: Duane Wells
In more charismatic churches down South, there is a thing called the Holy Ghost that is anything but benign. To the true believers in these churches, the Holy Ghost does not sit quietly on the sidelines and demurely acknowledge the penitent prayers of those that kneel before it. It is instead a rousing, electrifying life force that often brings with it soul shouting, wailing, animated dancing and speaking in tongues, among other similarly emotive acts. Tennessee-born actor/singer/songwriter Levi Kreis grew up in and around this fiery spirit from the time he was a little boy, sitting in the pews of his home church, in the tiny town of Oliver Springs.

Today, listening to his Southern-fried, gospel-tinged vocals as his agile fingers dance at lightning speed across the keys of a piano on Broadway in the Tony-nominated musical Million Dollar Quartet, it is apparent that Kreis remains infected by the spirit of the Holy Ghost he witnessed as a child. In the musical, Kreis portrays music icon Jerry Lee Lewis, a role he injects with enough frenetic energy, humor and holy-roller showmanship to literally steal the show in what has become one of Broadway’s surprise hits of 2010. For his outsized efforts over the course of the last year, Kreis has earned both universal raves from critics and the 2010 Tony Award for “Best Featured Actor In A Musical,” highlighting what has been something of a turnaround for the boyishly handsome star who admits that 2009 was a year he was quite glad to see the back of.

“Last year was a devastating year for me,” Kreis recently revealed over coffee in the lounge of his New York City apartment building. “It was probably the hardest year of my life and it involves so many things that I can’t even begin to articulate yet, but for me, it was the bottom. Professionally things were going great, but personally the rug was just pulled out from under me on all levels.”

Despite having a new album, Where I Belong, which debuted in May 2009 and enjoying a hit pre-Broadway run with Million Dollar Quartet in Chicago, Kreis struggled privately. Though he had been out for years and had sacrificed over a half-dozen lucrative record deals because he refused to live his life in the closet, personal demons centered around his own coming out and self-acceptance issues continued to plague him.

“A lot of what I uncovered about everything that sort of came my way in 2009 was that it was all reflective of the shame I still had of me,” the showman says staring pensively into his massive coffee mug. “It was about the guilt I still carried as a gay man and the inability to know how to love myself and to make life-enhancing choices for myself.”

Kreis chose to answer his private turmoil with a renewed personal commitment to his own daily spiritual “excavation” in much the same way he had devoted himself to daily prayer as a teenager. “I stopped pursuing everything with a spirit of need,” he explains. “I realized that I wanted to just love me, so before 2010 took over, I got down to ‘I just want to love me.’”

And what a powerful choice that clearly turned out to be, as 2010 revealed itself to be a watershed year in Kreis‘ career. Still, as the accolades for Million Dollar Quartet rolled in and he ultimately brought home this year’s Tony for his performance in the show, Broadway’s freshly minted new star remained tentative about all the attention and success.

“When I came home with the Tony Award, I put it in the back of my closet and shut the door because it paralyzed me with fear,” Kreis says of his shining achievement. “I was thinking … I haven’t had the confidence to even admit that I’m an actor, let alone a Tony Award-winning actor, and now that I know people all over the country just saw what happened and are now going to want to see this Tony Award-winning actor in this Tony Award-nominated musical, it scared me.”

As with most of his personal battles, however, Levi confronted his newfound fear by returning to his spiritual roots. Jokingly he tells me about how he and a girlfriend in Chicago with whom he prays every morning, chant the mantra “grace and ease” when dealing with difficult or trying situations on a daily basis. Clearly he’s had to call upon that mantra often in recent months, which have proven to be revelatory for him.

“I’m out of the closet with the Tony!” Kreis says with a laugh as he reflects on coming to terms with his fears. “I’ve learned from struggle, I’ve learned from being poor, I’ve learned from rejection, I’ve learned from the experience of having success evade me, and I know that … and I’ve gotten better from that. I think it’s just now time for me to learn the lessons that present themselves in the experience of success, in that they challenge me to confront my own limiting beliefs about myself.”

One by one, Kreis is daily challenging those ‘limiting’ beliefs—first by wowing sold out Million Dollar Quartet audiences nightly on Broadway, and secondly by pressing forward with projects near and dear to his heart, like his new SideXSide tour with Eric Himan and Jason Antone and developing his own solo “Intimate Evening with Levi Kreis” tour, which he debuted to rave reviews in Chicago last month and now hopes to launch in between Quartet performances in 2011.

Looking back on 2010, Kreis says he’s grown more self-assured, “The experience of this past year has provided me the confidence to look beyond this moment and begin to envision other things that are interesting me.”

So now that Tony has already come calling for the multi-hyphenated entertainer, could Oscar, Emmy and Grammy be next? Possibly.

Kreis is currently mulling over his next moves carefully, but one thing is certain—he is now more open than ever to new directions. With possibility at an all-time high for him, the future looks like a veritable jukebox of opportunity for Levi Kreis. And that could mean a whole lot of spirited entertainment for all of us. Now that he’s got the “grace and ease” gig down, I suspect that could be a very good thing indeed.

10.29.10 | Chicago Sun Times: Speaking with Levi Kreis
By Miriam Di Nunzio

You can take the boy out of Chicago ... and then he’ll win a Tony Award. It wasn’t quite that trite of a story, but actor-singer Levi Kreis, who starred as legendary rocker Jerry Lee Lewis in “Million Dollar Quartet” — first at the Goodman Theatre, then at the show’s current home at the Apollo Theater and later on Broadway — did just that.

Kreis, who has been singing, recording and touring behind his own music for years, will join the Chicago cast of “MDQ” for Sunday night’s encore. He’ll then present “Where I Belong: An Intimate Evening with Levi Kreis” on Monday night at the theater.

We talked to Kreis from his home in New York:

Question: How cool is it to be coming back to Chicago and the show that changed your life?
Levi Kreis: I love, love, love Chicago. I honestly don’t like New York. It’s a little too loud, a little too big and a little too fast.

Q: Kinda like Jerry Lee Lewis?

LK: [Laughing] I never thought of it that way.

Q: How did you land the role of Jerry Lee Lewis?

LK: I was between albums and I had literally toured over 350 cities with my music, and I felt the part was a good fit for me. In my mind, it was just a lovely job to supplement my recording career. I had no idea where it would lead.

Q: What did it feel like the first time you stepped out on a Broadway stage?

LK: I’ve always felt comfortable in my own skin as a singer, so being onstage as me with my music was never an issue. But stepping onto a stage in a major role for the first time was serious anxiety. There were nights when I almost couldn’t go out there in Chicago or New York. But now it’s as natural as singing and recording.

Q: What did you do to make the role your own?

LK: It’s a just a lovely opportunity to play him at such a young age. He’s just 20 when the show takes place, so for me it was the opportunity to bring out the joy and youthful cockiness in him instead of the dark side that we so often see portrayed. It’s great to see him as we all are, just a kid full of dreams.

Q: You finally got to meet Jerry Lee Lewis and record “Money” for his new album. What was he like?

LK: I was told he had a reputation, but I know him to be absolutely generous, complimentary, embracing and down to earth.

Q: Where did you learn to rock out on a piano the way you do in the show?

LK: [Laughing] I came home from kindergarten graduation and sat down at my parents’ piano and played “Pomp and Circumstance” by ear. That’s how it all started.

10.28.10 | Talkin' Broadway: Million Dollar Quartet's Tony Winner Levi Kreis
by John Olson

I don't know if singer-songwriter Levi Kreis ever pictured himself winning a major creative award, but if he did, it's a safe bet he was thinking it would be a Grammy rather than a Tony. As he tells the story, he's said to have been singing since he was a baby in a crib, using a crayon as his mock microphone. He had two solo albums released before joining the cast of the musical that eventually took him to Broadway. Still, on June 13 of this year, he found himself accepting a Tony Award for his performance as Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet, a role he played in Chicago for 18 months before moving to Broadway this past spring. He'll be back in Chicago for a couple of days, making a cameo appearance in Million Dollar Quartet Sunday night at the Apollo and then headlining the "SidexSide" concert at the Apollo the next night. I caught him on his cell phone late one weekday afternoon to ask how he got to this amazing place in his life and career. His journey seems to have been a result of equal parts determination and destiny.

"I remember discovering the piano at age six, coming home from kindergarten graduation. I picked out "Pomp and Circumstance" on the keyboard by ear, with my brother working the pedals because my legs weren't long enough. Instantly, my parents said 'we need to get you into piano lessons.' From that moment on, they were the most nurturing parents in developing my musicality." The first outlet for this budding performer was his church. "Growing up in east Tennessee, church was the only place we knew where to learn music. I did my first performances in church at the age of eight and by the time I was 12, I was performing in a different church every weekend. By 15, I had my own gospel album and was touring all over the south." I asked him if gospel and country were his "first language" of music. "Gospel? Absolutely. And of course you can't shake those southern Americana roots. I do pop music, but I borrow from what's most precious to me, cutting my teeth on gospel music and listening to country radio in the background."

As a teen, he says, "my parents were carting me off to songwriting workshops in Nashville and enrolling me in a pre-college program at Vanderbilt University studying classical piano and music theory. I was earning college credit while a sophomore, junior and senior in high school. The instinctual aspect was there from the get-go, but the great thing is that my parents recognized great instincts can be broadened if you're given an education."

He didn't pursue acting until he moved out to Los Angeles after college, and that was an impulse decision on his first day in town. He spotted a notice in Backstage West for a Rent cattle call. "What is this thing, Rent? Yeah, I'd never heard of it before ... don't have a headshot, don't have a resume, but what the hell? ... I was 169th in line at the cattle call and six callbacks later I got the part of Roger in the West Coast tour." He's quick to say, "I was only in it for two months because frankly, I wasn't that great in it and they got rid of me. I couldn't really sing it. Roger's an unusually high tenor and I'm a baritone-tenor."

Some other acting gigs came along soon enough. He got parts in small but impressive independent films, playing Matthew McConaughey's brother in 2001's Frailty directed by Bill Paxton; and had a major role in 2002's Don't Let Go with Katharine Ross. "One thing sort of led to another and I can't say there was any particular time in my life, until now, where I said 'I see myself as an actor ... I understand now this is part of my gift and I want to nurture it and hone it and make it a part of my life. Really, only now ... getting to Broadway and winning a Tony Award for my acting ... it was jarring to me at first ... it seemed as though I had really good instincts in creating characters, but I just never thought of myself as an actor. It took Million Dollar Quartet for me to say ... okay this is a part of me, I have to honor it and nurture it and make it a part of the equation."

He says learned dramatic interpretation of song not as part of his formal musical training, but in church. "In church, you learn very quickly, people sing out of conviction. They're singing to let you know that you are loved, forgiven, you can be healed." Church music influenced his songwriting as well. "Coming from gospel music, songwriting became like journal writing for me. My own diary. When I sang a song, it was not only very personal to me, something I had experienced and chose to share with you, vulnerably read you my diary, but it was colored with that rich gospel history that was the only thing that I knew growing up"

"We're Okay," from his second album, The Gospel According to Levi is one of those songs. The openly gay Kreis wrote it for his mother to reconcile the rift between them that emerged after his coming out to her. In telling me about it, Levi begins to speak increasingly thoughtfully and deliberately. He explains that not only was his mother disappointed to learn her son would have a different life from the one she had envisioned for him, but also that his professed orientation was in conflict with her fundamental Baptist beliefs. Levi, while acknowledging the influence of that religious background on him, says his own beliefs have evolved away from hers, and that has added another dimension to their differences. "I believe in a very all-inclusive God, expressing itself through you and through me just as we are. That's not necessarily a fundamental Baptist view. She has I think, a more literal interpretation of the Bible and I have a much broader one."

She refused to listen to "We're Okay" for a very long time and only heard it when she saw its music video, in which Kreis plays a young man coming out to his mother. "She called me and said, 'hey, I never allowed myself to just listen to these words, but I want to thank you for deciding to love despite the differences we have.' He says they've now decided "it doesn't matter if we have the same 'map to love' as long as we are having the experience of love." His relationship with his partner has also been a positive influence, he thinks. "It makes the LGBT lifestyle appear to her not as some crazy, strange monster thing, but just "people who want to love who they love."

On the professional side of his life, Levi says coming out publicly has been positive for his career, contrary to the expectations and advice of others. "I was warned by friends that my career would not happen if I were to come out. How funny is it that I've found the opposite to be true. Does it have its downsides? No, I don't think so. I think that on the onset, after going through eight major record labels ... that perhaps the reason these labels never knew what to do with me was that I wasn't being authentic with who I was. I was hiding from them. I was hiding my life, I was hiding songs from them, telling them I was one person and they wanted me to be the next teen heartthrob. I felt so deceiving and inauthentic trying to be what they wanted me to be."

"It wasn't until I let that go and said, 'alright, it hasn't worked out, I'm leaving this label, my eighth one, what am I gonna do?' I took $200 dollars that I had in my pocket and I begged this guy at a recording studio to let me record some of my songs that the label didn't own so I could create my first album. I knew I wanted it to be an 'out' album. Turns out, it was my very first album, One of the Ones, that has songs that were used on The Apprentice, Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless. It got radio airplay nationwide, my first appearances on national television, and I took off on this incredible tour. It was literally $200 in my pocket that turned into the courage to come out and the surprise of success."

One of the Ones was released in 2006 and followed quickly by The Gospel According to Levi in 2007. But just as Levi's music career was taking off, Million Dollar Quartet beckoned. Some of its creative team knew Levi from his work on One Red Flower, Paris Barclay's musical based on the book Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam, and had heard he could play piano. They had no idea he'd grown up listening to the music of Jerry Lee Lewis. He joined the cast for the show's second production, at Seattle's Village Theatre, before moving with it to Chicago in fall of 2008. He and the other quartet members stayed in Chicago for 18 months until they were all cast in the Broadway production, which opened in April of this year, so it's been an extended break from his music career.

"I think what I'm learning right now is how to be able to juggle both acting and a music career. Here I am doing eight shows a week and going out every other Monday touring Where I Belong, my current album, to give this album a chance to be on the road and reach the fans who haven't seen me for the two years I've been with Million Dollar Quartet, so it's a lot."

"[Doing Million Dollar Quartet on Broadway] has been a wonderful opportunity for me to keep doing what I'm doing and hone my (acting) skills. I've been able to work with a lovely lady who's been helping me to find who I am as an actor, know my strengths, know the kinds of roles that are tailor-made for me and really learn my craft. I'm taking this as an opportunity to give myself some very deep roots that when I'm done here in New York City, it feels just as comfortable to go in and audition for a TV thing as it would be for me to sit down and sing a song."

Comfortable or not, it seems unlikely he'll have to wait for 168 guys before him in line at the next audition.

10.05.10 | "Gonna Be Alright" Added to 45 AC Stations Nationwide
A huge thanks to iheartradio.com for adding Levi's new single "Gonna Be Alright" to their "New!Discover & Uncover" Radio Channel. iheartradio.com is Clear Channel operated and is servicing 750+ stations. 45 AC stations now have access to "Gonna Be Alright, and soon we will be telling you how you can be a part of The LK Team and help us target five or six primary markets.

For now, we invite you to enjoy iheartradio.com. The link below will take you there. Select the New!Discover & Uncover Channel. If you here "Gonna Be Alright", rate it! (preferable with 5 stars, please) We've been listening to the channel here in the office and we're discovering some refreshing new artists we haven't heard of before.

Thanks for hoppin on board and helping us. Any success we've ever had we've done it with YOU!

Much Love. The LK Team (me)

09.09.10 | Rock ’n’ Roll’s Killer Meets Broadway’s
By DAVE ITZKOFF for The New York Times
Published: September 9, 2010
FRESH off a matinee performance of “Million Dollar Quartet,” Levi Kreis ran a nervous hand through his pompadour as he stood in the living room of a hotel suite high above Times Square on Wednesday. Mr. Kreis, the actor and musician who plays Jerry Lee Lewis in that Broadway musical, seemed unsure of how to comport himself when the suite’s primary occupant arrived. First he propped himself between two chairs, like a sprinter waiting for a starting pistol. Then, half-reverently and half-jokingly, he got down on one knee, which was the position he was found in when the real-life Mr. Lewis entered the room.

This is how the two performers were introduced, and Mr. Kreis had to laugh at the circumstances. “I’m bowing before you, sir,” he said.

Mr. Lewis replied in a voice that rumbled like dry gravel. “How you doing?” he said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Sure, it was public relations that brought them together on this afternoon. Mr. Lewis, who turns 75 on Sept. 29, has just released a new album of duets called “Mean Old Man” and is busily working the television talk-show circuit before he takes the stage of the Nederlander Theater on Friday night to play with the cast of “Million Dollar Quartet.”

Mr. Kreis, meanwhile, won a Tony Award in June for his spirited, piano-pounding performance in that show and sings a cover of “Money (That’s What I Want)” with Mr. Lewis on a special version of “Mean Old Man” to be sold at the theater, though their contributions were recorded separately.

While their first face-to-face encounter may have been a promotional stunt, it was one made poignant by Mr. Lewis’s unmistakable frailty. Dressed in a rockabilly shirt, black slacks and slippers, Mr. Lewis made his way around the room gingerly while a team of managers and handlers watched him. He had difficulty hearing, and his arms and hands shook as he sat and spoke with Mr. Kreis.

But beneath his delicate exterior and the swooping white hair he tames with a hot pink comb, Mr. Lewis remains a rare living link to the birth of rock ’n’ roll, as well as a talent who continues to inspire devotion and fascination from younger admirers like Mr. Kreis.

Mr. Lewis’s work was “the fabric of my upbringing,” Mr. Kreis said before their introduction, “and to have him here in person, it’s like I’m meeting my most fantastical childhood figure.”

Their conversation began with Mr. Lewis giving his blessing to Mr. Kreis’s portrayal of him, which he had not yet seen live but had watched on the Tony Awards telecast. “You do a splendid job, I tell you,” Mr. Lewis said.

(For the record, this is not a distinction that Mr. Lewis hands out arbitrarily. Describing the 1989 film “Great Balls of Fire!,” in which he was played by Dennis Quaid, Mr. Lewis said: “I was kind of leery of that movie. I didn’t really think it was up to par.”)

Mr. Kreis remained eager to prove his bona fides. He noted that he, like Mr. Lewis, who came from Ferriday, La., and now lives in Nesbit, Miss., was a Southerner, from Oliver Springs, Tenn.; that he had also shown a childhood aptitude for the piano; that he shared an appreciation for the gospel music of Mr. Lewis’s cousin Jimmy Swaggart; and that he was presently enrolled in a ministerial school, as Mr. Lewis once was.

Mr. Kreis also wanted Mr. Lewis to know he’d had reconstructive surgery on both knees as a result of “Million Dollar Quartet,” which he has been performing in since the show’s first workshops in Los Angeles. (“I’ve given my limbs to play you,” Mr. Kreis said. “Well, I appreciate it,” Mr. Lewis replied.) And Mr. Kreis emphasized that he and his Broadway cast mates were good friends and that there was “no jealousy” among them.

Asked if he shared a similar rapport with his musical peers, Mr. Lewis chuckled.

“No, we didn’t get along so well,” he said.

In “Million Dollar Quartet,” the Jerry Lee Lewis character is depicted as an immensely talented, unapologetically cocky newcomer, unafraid to share a recording booth with the established stars Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley and certain he is destined for greatness, even though his breakthrough singles, like “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” are months away at the time the show is set.

“He was trying to show he belonged in that room with them,” Colin Escott, a music journalist who wrote the book of “Million Dollar Quartet” with Floyd Mutrux, said in a telephone interview. “Within the year, I daresay, he proved he was right.”

That assessment is pretty much consistent with Mr. Lewis’s recollection of the legendary Dec. 4, 1956, recording session that provides the musical with its source material, and which Mr. Lewis said was initiated when Sam Phillips, the Sun Records producer, invited him to his Memphis studio because Presley wanted to meet him.

In Mr. Lewis’s account of the events, Presley was especially eager to hear his cover of Hank Williams’s “You Win Again.” “He just kept begging me, ‘Do that again,’ ” Mr. Lewis said. “I said, ‘How ’bout you do it?’ He just twisted his leg around. I said, ‘Is that it?’ ”

Jerry Lee Lewis, foreground, signed a passage in a Bible owned by Levi Kreis, who portrays him in “Million Dollar Quartet.”

When Perkins and Cash also turned up at the studio, Mr. Lewis said, “we got to singing, messing around.”

“Next thing I know, Sam was recording it,” he said.

Mr. Lewis’s commercial ascent came soon after, followed by a swift and scandalous decline when he married his 13-year-old second cousin, Myra, in 1957. By now his decades-long rap sheet — drunkenness, car wrecks, the brandishing of a gun outside Graceland — tempered by the tragic losses of wives and children in various accidents, is as familiar to his fans as the chord progressions to “Great Balls of Fire.”

Despite Mr. Lewis’s complicated past, Mr. Kreis did not find it hard to look up to him — and, indeed, pretend to be him for eight shows a week — even if he found it somewhat uncomfortable to articulate the reasons.

“As we all grow older, we all become perhaps susceptible to certain levels of — certain stuff that just darkens things up a little bit,” Mr. Kreis said in a separate telephone interview before the meeting. The joy of playing Mr. Lewis at a more innocent age, he said, is being able to do so with “a youthfulness and an abandon and a just-not-knowing-any-better type of energy.”

Surrounded in the hotel room by Mr. Lewis’s publicist, road manager, assistant and daughter Phoebe (who is also Mr. Lewis’s manager), Mr. Kreis did not find it as easy to talk to Mr. Lewis about some of these ideas with any candor.

But Mr. Kreis summoned the courage to ask Mr. Lewis to sign a page in a leather-bound Bible he has owned for many years, and in a trembling cursive script Mr. Lewis complied.

The passage he had asked Mr. Lewis to sign, Mr. Kreis explained, was one from Ecclesiastes that reminded him of Mr. Lewis’s music. It read: “Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works.”

“It’s like the Lord saying it’s all right to be proud of what we do,” Mr. Kreis said.

Mr. Lewis seemed to appreciate the significance of the selection. “As long as you don’t take it too far,” he said.

“I try to walk a straight line when I can,” Mr. Kreis replied.

08.27.10 | Someone Sign This Guy Please:By Sheena for EatSleepBreatheMusic.com
Levi Kreis is amazing. What kind of unsigned independent artist debuts #42 on the iTunes Top Pop Album Charts alongside Pink & Kelly Clarkson, has a #1 video on MTVMusic.com, and has the spare time to win a Tony!? Levi Kreis does.

His latest album Where I Belong takes his down home southern soul to new heights by giving it pop wings. “Gonna Be Alright” is a standout on the album and a well-chosen first single. Throughout the album, Levi’s voice is brimming with intensity, filling each melodic line with a genuineness that is heart-warming. There is a definitive Gospel influence that makes its way onto the album as well, but it doesn’t feel out of place or forced. It is a gentle accompaniment to an album that shows the expanses of Levi’s talent.

Definitely check this one out. You might even find that you’re already familiar with some of the songs due to the placements that they have already received

06.14.10 | Rocker-Turned-Broadway Star Levi Kreis Wins Tony for Million Dollar Quartet
By: Broadway.com
Levi Kreis, the rocker who made his Broadway debut playing Jerry Lee Lewis in the musical revue Million Dollar Quartet, took home a 2010 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

“I have the most talented, supportive cast and crew I’ve ever had the privilege of working with,” he said from the podium.

“Mom and dad,” he yelled up to the rafters. “Thanks for coming tonight!”

04.16.10 | Kreis' B'way debut Garners Consistent Praise from Critics:
We've compiled them all for you here. Enjoy!
Variety Magazine: April 12th, 2010
By Steven Suskin “… it is Kreis who dominates the evening as Jerry Lee Lewis, not only as an actor but as a pianist intruding on everyone else's guitar solos. Kreis electrifies the stage, even when the others are doing the performing. At the press preview attended, you could make out band-aids on all 10 fingers, some tinged with tell-tale red midway through the keyboard pounding.”



Associated Press, April 11th, 2010
Michael Kuchwara: AP Drama Writer: April 12, 2010

“If there is a scene-stealer in "Million Dollar Quartet," it's Levi Kreis as the more than ebullient Lewis, whose confidence — and his piano-playing — can't be contained.”



The Washington Post: April 12th, 2010
By Peter Marks

“…the energetic Kreis makes the deepest impression. It's the case of a showman playing a showman, and at the angle at which his piano is perched on Derek McLane's realistic recording-studio set, spectators on the left side of the auditorium are getting the prime view of his fingers stampeding up and down the ivories.”



Backstage
By David Sheward: April 11th, 2010

“The biggest charge is provided by Levi Kreis, who not only sets off seismographic seizures as he re-creates Lewis’ combination of rockabilly and boogie-woogie vocalizing and piano playing on “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” but also gives the book scenes a much-needed jolt. He supplies the only lively nonmusical moments though Lewis’ uninhibited country-fried humor.



”The Today Show April 8th, 2010
Kathy Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb

“Kreis is unbelievable: he deserves a Tony Nomination!”



New York Times: April 12th,2010
By Charles Isherwood

“Mr. Kreis’s Lewis has a brash goofball charm, …and his thrashing keyboard style is an impressive approximation of Mr. Lewis’s febrile dexterity.”



Bloomberg.com, April 11th, 2010
By John Simon

“But Kreis is special. A pianistic wiz even sitting atop the piano with his back to the keyboard, he is also a hugely compelling actor, delightfully exuberant and drolly combative, as persuasive histrionically as musically.”



The Faster Times, April 13th, 2010
By Jonathan Mandell

“Levi Kreis, a recording artist in his own right and a mean man on the piano, plays the niggling, twitchy, sophomoric, sexy Jerry Lee Lewis so convincingly that he, like his character, seems headed for stardom.”



Time Out New York, April 14th, 2010
By Adam Feldman

“But the night belongs to Levi Kreis, who gives a killer performance as the florid piano showman Jerry Lee Lewis: With the pounding he gives them, it’s a wonder the keys stay on the board.”

04.06.10 | Chicago Made Music Video Hits MTV's #1 Spot
By Ruth L. Ratny
Levi Kreis’ song moves to the top of the line.
Recording artist Levi Kreis and Sundance filmmaker Davidson Cole combined talents to produce a music video that achieved the #1 Most Viewed rank on MTVmusic.com last week. Kreis’ “Nothing at All” even surpassed the music videos of superstars like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber.

The video was shot at Resolution Digital Studios under Cole’s Traveller Jones Productions banner.

“Nothing at All” is a single from Kreis’s “Where I Belong” album, an auspicious title given the work’s high iTunes debut rank last year among the likes of Pink and Kelly Clarkson.

Working on a tight budget, Kreis and director Cole address the give-and-take dynamic of social media in their creative approach for the video. They chronicle the growth and demise of a relationship through moments captured and shared on a Flip camera video blog.

“We were inspired by Levi’s video blogging with fans on his web site, a practice that sparked online discussion on how social media can bridge distance in relationships or steal away time and attention from people who live under the same roof,” said Cole.

“Levi is savvy in social media yet he often questions if artists jeopardize their mystique as they wade into the social media pool. We brought that energy and debate to the video and the response has been terrific.”

The “Nothing at All” music video was produced by Mary Kay Cook; Pete Biagi was DP and visual effects artist Tim Zwica worked with Cole throughout post-production to create an original 3D effect as the Flip video moments swirl around Kreis’s fiery single-take performance.

A Tennessee native, Kreis’ critically acclaimed portrayal of Jerry Lee Lewis in the rock-and-roll hit musical “Million Dollar Quartet” at the Apollo Theatre earned him a 2009 Jeff Award nomination and a 2008 Chicago Tribune “Best Theatre Moments” nod. Kreis is now playing the role in the Broadway production.

The artist released his debut album, “One of the Ones” in 2005 following an appearance on NBC’s hit reality show “The Apprentice” with Donald Trump.

The founder of Chicago-based Traveller Jones Productions, Cole is the award-winning writer and director of indie pic “Design,” an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival and Jury Prize winner in Atlanta.

Cole also produced and directed “The 95th” The Iron Men of Metz” docu, which aired on PBS and is now available on DVD and download at www.the95thmovie.com.

See the video at www.mtvmusic.com/artist/kreis__levi/videos/475126/nothing_at_all.

For Cole and Traveller Jones, see www.travellerjones.com. —Ruth L Ratny

04.02.10 | "Nothing At All" #1 on MTVMusic Top 100
“Nothing At All" music video claimed the #1 spot this week on MTV Music Top 100 charts. The video is also airing on Vh1.com, HBO Zone, The Logo Channel, Macy's department stores nationwide, Z100.com, (NYC), Star98.7.com & KIISFM.com, (L.A). Y100.com (Miami), and growing. Help us nurture the momentum with this new single by visiting MTVMusic.com and spinning the record from your computer.

The Link is here below. Click "Related Link". Thanks guys!

_TheLKTeam

04.01.10 | Chicago Sun Times: "Take A Bow"
By Bill Zwecker

• Sundance filmmaker and Chicagoan Davidson Cole -- who is partner with local screenwriter and film industry booster John Digles -- has scored a ''David vs. Goliath'' win on MTV's music video rankings. Cole directed the ''Nothing at All'' video for unsigned artist Levi Kreis -- now ranked No. 1 on MTV music.com's "Top 100'' videos -- beating out such huge stars as Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift!

03.31.10 | Congrats To Levi Kreis On Knocking Taylor Swift Off The Top Spot On The MTV Music Online Charts
Queeried.Co.UK

If you’re one of our gorgeous friends who visit Queeried regularly then you’ll know that we have something of a soft spot of Levi Kreis here at Queeried (and why wouldn’t we – this is one seriously talented recording artist!), and it seems this soft spot thing is catching because our gorgeous singing man has just knocked Taylor Swift off the top of the MTV Music Online chart!

Grabbing the number one slot for his Davidson Cole directed video single “Nothing At All“, the video sees Kreis singing against a backdrop of memory clips from a once happy relationship that can’t help but get you thinking and reminiscing about past relationships of your own.

Capturing the number one slot is obviously proof of Kreis talent but also of his fans and how committed they are to helping him achieve his dreams, and Levi is all too aware of this and has sent his own words of thanks:

“I have to express my sincerest of appreciation for every one person who took a level of ownership in this promotion. It is nothing but the support of YOU GUYS I have to thank. No suits, no labels, no excessive budget, just the voice of people like you taking 3 minutes of your time to help spread the word. You have no way of knowing the difference your support makes for an independent artist. Thank you!”

The last 12 months have definitely been good to Levi with his video Hardly A Hero named the #1 Video Of The Year on LOGO, Q’s In The Biz Radio (Qnation FM) naming him Artist Of The Year, Qbliss awarding him the Creating Change Community Award for Outstanding Song Of The Year for No Apologies and OUTmusic honouring hm with an award for his song Stained Glass Window at Webster Hall in NYC.

And Mr Kreis isn’t done yet. Currently in previews on Broadway, Levi is playing Jerry Lee Lewis in the Million Dollar Quartet. Million Dollar Quartet which opens at the Nederlander Theatre (208 West 41st Street) on Sunday, April 11th with tickets available from the Million Dollar Quartet Live website.

Read more: http://www.queeried.co.uk/levi-kreis-mtv-music-online-chart/#ixzz0k3Lw1nK9

03.31.10 | Levi Kreis Goes To MTV #1
DNA: Australia

We love Levi Kreis! The independent artist took the #1 spot on MTV Music Online in the last 24 hours. The singer, who won raves on Broadway appearing as Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet, unleashes his glorious voice in Nothing At All, a gorgeous ballad with rich gospel riffs. Levi isn't just a great singer-songwriter; he's hot, as the simple, striking video clip reveals.

Levi, who has appeared in DNA several times (including #86 and #113) managed to push Taylor Swift to #2 on MTV Online.

By the way, who do you think Levi resembles?

03.30.10 | Pink Magazine: "Manhattan Marquis-ed"
by Jason P Freeman

This time last year, in April ’09, indie artist-turned Tony-award hopeful Levi Kreis was sitting in a Windy City Starbucks, sipping herbal tea in Lincoln Park. As he discussed the then second extended Chicago run of Million Dollar Quartet—the musical production in which Kreis originated the role of Jerry Lee Lewis jamming with Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash—he lamented over his longstanding lover and wished to walk his dog, pining for the L.A. homestead that MDQ would keep him from for well over a year. “I hope my dog remembers me,” he said.

However, “…life on the road,” Kreis recently reminisced, “…[and] the months away from home adds up to the point where it can really take a toll on a relationship.” The toll in Kreis’s question was likely charged by the promotional touring of his most-recent CD, Where I Belong, trumping Taylor Swift’s March 2010 number-one spot on MTVMusic.com for his video “Nothing at All,” and portraying Lewis at Chicago’s Apollo Theater from October 2008 until being cast in MDQ’s Broadway production, reprising his role as the fervent pianist and rock ‘n roll-er, and relocating to New York in January 2010. “After years of [being on the road] then jumping straight into this musical,” he adds, “I regret to announce that I am divorced now. We parted ways [last year].”

Yet 300 city promo tours, new musicals in New York and parting partners aren’t enough to keep this thespian on the outs. As a handsome star of stage and an award-winning musician, Kreis is clearly a catch, and he didn’t stay single for long. “I do have someone I’ve been seeing for eight months now,” he says, and calls the relocation to NYC a “welcomed change.”

Of becoming a lead player in one of the world’s most cultured and comprehensive theatrical societies, Kreis contends, “I’m learning that the Broadway community is so very giving to our gay community, and to be in the company of such excellence is truly inspiring on a day to day basis.”

www.milliondollarquartetlive.com www.levikreis.com

02.26.10 | Recording Artist Levi Kreis Heads to Broadway
By Pop Culture Madness

The Broadway cast for the musical Million Dollar Quartet has officially been announced. Originating one of the starring roles is none other than Recording Artist Levi Kreis. Kreis heads to New York City this spring to play Jerry Lee Lewis and show the Broadway audience what they have been missing the last two years.

New York Times proclaims “Mr. Kreis just about pounds a hole in the stage floor with his Converse high tops when he starts flailing away on the keyboard.” Million Dollar Quartet is a new musical that captures the music and spirit of a legendary jam session featuring Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley. MDQ opens at the Nederlander Theatre (208 West 41st Street) on Sunday, April 11with previews beginning Saturday, March 13. The cast also features Eddie Clendening, Lance Guest, Rob Lyons and joining them will be Elizabeth Stanley (Cry-Baby) and Tony Award nominee Hunter Foster (Little Shop Of Horrors, Urinetown).


For this well known singer-songwriter, being cast in the Broadway production is just the icing on the cake after what has been an incredible year. Releasing his third studio album ‘Where I Belong’ in 2009, Levi quickly became the name about town with everything falling into place. Levi’s video “Hardly A Hero” was named the #1 Video Of The Year on LOGO. Q’s In The Biz Radio (Qnation FM) named Levi the Artist Of The Year. Qbliss awarded Levi with the Creating Change Community Award for Outstanding Song Of The Year for “No Apologies”. Levi won an OUTmusic Award for his song “Stained Glass Window” at Webster Hall in NYC. Levi was also named among the Best of 2009 in California’s “We The People News”, This Way Out Radio’s Audiofile Program, Outradio.com and a feature of 2009 on Larry Flick’s “The Morning Jolt” on Sirius / XM Radio.

During the promotion of the new album, Levi was also blowing the roof off of the Apollo Theatre in the Chicago production of Million Dollar Quartet. Levi was nominated for a Jeff Award – Best Supporting Actor, which celebrates excellence in Chicago Theater for his portrayal as Jerry Lee Lewis. The Chicago Tribune named Levi’s performance as one of the Best Theater Moments Of The Year. Chicago Sun Times raved “…such galvanic talent that you know he (Kreis) will not be denied.”

Levi Kreis is ready to bring his dream to an entirely new level in 2010. Keep your eyes and ears out for Levi’s new video single “Nothing At All” which will be followed up by “Gonna Be Alright” featuring remixes for the dance clubs.

01.12.10 | Thanks to You for a Record Breaking 2009!
#1 Video of the Year (Logo Channel), Artist of the Year & Single of the Year (Q's In The Biz), OMA Award for Best Contemporary Spiritual Song of the Year, voted "Best of 2009 (w/ Outradio, Audiofile, & CA.'s We The People News), nominated for "Best Supporting Actor (Chicago's Jeff Awards) for his portrayal of Jerry Lee Lewis in the Broadway bound "Million Dollar Quartet". What an exciting year 2009 turned out to be. And while recording, releasing, and promoting a new album while maintaining a successful stage show is a daunting task, our Levi seemed to manage it beautifully this year, but not without the incredible support you guys offered us. So, Levi and all of us a RJO Artists and LeviKreis.com want to thank YOU for choosing to be a powerful part of our team! 2009 would never have happened like it did if it wasn't for the loving loyal support our fan base gives. Nuff said. Onward and Forward. Blessings to you and yours for the new year!

-the LK team

01.11.10 | Some of the Great Tracks Released in 2009 Deserve Special Recognition
By: Robert Lawrence

WHITE BOY SOUL - LEVI KREIS: Forget John Mayer and Jason Mraz folks, Levi Kreis reached way deep into his inner guts to crank out this folk/soul project simply titled "Where I Belong," that says it all. This is his third release and I believe he has found his niche. Going back to the basic sounds of his debut, "One of the Ones," that same simple performance has been enhanced with what I can only explain as a higher power. The disc carries a definite blues feel, but with a robust spirit that guides him through every track making it so sincere. Taping into his former religious career, Levi Kreis has come full circle with this release. No need to single out any one track, the entire collection is a splendor.

12.04.09 | "The Piano Man Has Found His Sound And We’re Loving It" -- Queeried.com
Where I Belong is the latest studio album from Levi Kreis, and it’s obvious right from the first moment that Levi’s fingers touches the piano to introduce the album this isn’t just another release from another singer / songwriter that you’re going to forget about once Levi sings his last note.

A follow up to the acclaimed The Gospel According To Levi, which dealt with the struggles Levi faced growing up surrounded by religious fundamentalism, and One Of The Ones, an album that was bought to the world thanks to an appearance on The Apprentice USA, and has seen tracks featured on Days of Out Lives and Young and Restless, Where I Belong is a real treat to the ears, being filled with uplifting track after uplifting track that are testament to both Kreis’ songwriting talents and piano skills.

Giving off a sense that Levi has, at least for the time being, found a sound that he is truly happy with, Where I Belong is a soulful, gospel inspired album that is filled with a positive sound not only comes from some of the most addictive melodies you’ll have heard in a long time, but also from his vocals which are filled with a real passion and joy for the songs he’s singing.

Choosing Gonna Be Alright as the lead in track for Where I Belong has been a brilliant decision by Kreis as it’s definitely one of the most engaging tracks of the whole album, and is guaranteed to grab you not just because of it’s stunning musical hooks, but the equally powerful lyrics that take you on a journey from that point of loss and despair to knowing that even though things are bad, that there is a light at the end of the tune.

Other stand out tracks on an album that realistically is full of them, is Nothing At All, a chilled out blues style track that all too powerfully speaks of the vulnerability of our hearts when we fall in love, and This Girl, an autobiographical track that is sure to surprise many with it’s lyrics that sees Kreis sings about the addictive qualities of a woman, but also have you well and truly addicted thanks to an infectious sound that ensures the track is going to keep on playing in your head long after it’s finished.

And for all you long time Levi Kreis fans there’s also a real treat in store on the playlist of Where I Belong – the inclusion of Stained Glass Windows. Gorgeously soulful, this is another autobiographical track, inspired by Del Shores’ Southern Baptist Sisses play, which has long been a favourite with fans when Levi has sung it at live concerts, but has until now remained unreleased.

Usually when we’re sent music to listen to at Queeried we have to admit it’s a one spin listen, however Levi Kreis has definitely worked his magic on us as it’s quickly become one of the most played tracks at Queeried Towers, and whilst it’s not hard to see why many have compared Levis Kreis to artists like Harry Connick Jr, it will only take you one listen to Where I Belong for you to realise that Levi Kreis doesn’t need such comparisons, because this is a piano man that is able to make a huge impact all by himself.

Where I Belong is available to buy now from iTunes and Amazon.

10.15.09 | Music Connection Magazine: Album Review: Where I Belong: Levi Kreis
By: Dan Kimpel

(8 out of 10 stars)

Producers: Travis Howard, Eric Fraley, Rob Ruccia, Levi Kreis
Top Cuts: "Prayer For The Surrender", "No Apologies"
Summary: You can take the boy out of the church, but you can't take the church out of the boy: witness "Prayer For The Surrender", Levi Kreis's impassioned prayer to the Almighty. "Stained Glass Window", the theme song from Del Shores' hit play Southern Baptist Sissies, is a canny observation on what draws us all together. Producer Travis Howard's red dirt dobro drives deep into Dixie on "No Apologies", underscoring Kreis' proclamation, "But I got my roots, I got my pride, and I got no apologies." Amen to that.

09.19.09 | The Advocate: Levi Kreis Finds Where He Belongs By Duane Wells
Levi Kreis isn’t merely a run-of-the-mill hit-chasing troubadour -- he's s a pop-soul evangelist whose pulpit is the stage and whose songs are his sermons. Whether he’s crooning about the end of a love affair, lamenting a sexy backroom encounter, or lifting his voice in praise to the high heavens, Levi Kreis doesn’t just sing a song... he embodies it.

It stands to reason then that Levi’s junior album, Where I Belong, is as much a joyously, soulful collection of contemporary standards that traverse the musical spectrum as it is the heartfelt testimony of a boy from a small town in Tennessee who grew up preaching the gospel in fundamentalist Baptist churches across the South and then spent years in "reparative" therapy attempting to pray away the fact that he's gay. Ultimately, he found himself abandoned, denied, and betrayed by elements of the very Christian community he had once so desperately fought to be accepted by.

As it was with his previous albums, One of the Ones and The Gospel According to Levi, each of the tracks on Kreis’s latest release help to bring more vividly into focus the autobiographical portrait of a singer who refused to be "repaired" by the Christian community that raised him to think he was broken or bullied into playing it “straight” by the mainstream community of major music labels that courted him along the way. Just like the words of his new single from Where I Belong suggest, Levi Kreis clearly wants “everything or nothing at all.” And with a busy career that currently combines touring with a new album and a critically acclaimed starring turn as Jerry Lee Lewis in the hit musical Million Dollar Quartet, it seems as though Levi is getting exactly what he asked for.

As he celebrates the exclusive debut of the video for his new single “Nothing at All” here at Advocate.com, I sat down with Levi for a conversation about the very personal spiritual journey that inspired his new album, what it means to reconcile faith with sexuality, and how the last few years have brought little change for gay and lesbian Americans from less urbanized parts of the country who still struggle to simply be accepted as the “God-created” human beings they know themselves to be.

Advocate.com: With your third album, Where I Belong, it genuinely seems that you’ve finally found your voice and that you’re actually presenting Levi Kreis’s naked, unbridled truth in song. Would you say that’s an accurate assessment?

Levi Kreis: I’m glad you feel that way, Duane, because I absolutely feel that. I feel like it took me being on the road for over 300 dates and doing two studio albums to sort of be able to very specifically define the truest representation of who I am musically. And it’s no surprise that brought me back to the church and my gospel roots with a little bit of a Southern flair [added] to it.
[This album] just feels more accurate and honest from a musical standpoint. I’ve always been pretty open and willing to be vulnerable... but it feels nice to have both the musical aspect and the lyrical aspect come together in a way that I feel is really a true reflection of who I am.

The Advocate: It’s interesting that you describe this new album as a more honest example of who you are, because I get the sense that you’re having much more fun with this record than you did on your debut album, One of the Ones, which was, dare I say, a much more somber, heart-wrenching affair.

LK[Laughs] Yeah, [One of the Ones] was not necessarily what you’d play on a hot summer day if you wanted to feel good about life. [Laughs]

Writing is my therapy. It’s how I deal with wherever I am in life. At the period of time in my life [when I was recording] The Gospel According to Levi, I was dealing with wanting to articulate what my past was… come to terms with it and let it go. And [the album] accomplished that for me. I have been able to let that go and it feels really freeing.

The Advocate: Now Where I Belong represents yet another new direction for you in much the same way that your sophomore effort, The Gospel According to Levi, represented a significant departure from One of the Ones. But would it be fair to say that this new album symbolizes not a compromise but a meeting point for you between the two musical extremes you previously explored?

LK: I like the way you put that because if it feels like Where I Belong strikes a balance it’s because I finally feel balanced. I never want to take away that old desire I had as a kid to be a music minister and I’m always going to want to make music that is positive, inspirational, and healing. But there’s just no brooding in my life right now.

I think that acceptance and coming to terms with what my past has been has put me in a place of such gratitude for all the stuff that you and I both know that we’ve gone through -- for my roots and [for] that installation of faith -- that is still instilled in us and a part of who we are.

[It’s about] putting all of the misconceptions aside and saying that I’m really OK to sit here in balance and harmony with the absolute protection of the whole journey.

The Advocate: Did something specific happen to bring about your newfound balance? In other words, was there a catalyst for this change in your life and your outlook, or has it just come as a result of surviving the journey?

LK: Wow, that’s a really good question. First of all, I think that there was a bounce-back effect that happened with me internally after doing a year of press for The Gospel According to Levi. Laying my story out over and over and over -- and having a passion about pushing diversity and seeing the commonalities between all of us -- the bounce-back effect of all of that was that I didn’t realize that for years I needed to get that off my chest. I really did need to surrender myself to a very specific message like that album. [On The Gospel According to Levi] I said my peace…and that message was out there. With Where I Belong… it was an expression of a weight that had been lifted off my shoulders.

Another answer to that question is that I have, after becoming more regular in my church in Los Angeles, begun to put a lot of emphasis on forgiveness. I actually put a journal together where I [acknowledge] that we all do what we know based on our limited knowledge and experience -- that no one has per se done this to me -- that we are all a complicated mess and [that] our history makes us all who we are [in a given] moment.

Therefore I can visualize that person in my past and say, "I realize that you do what you do based on your limited knowledge and experience, that it’s not about me and I understand that we are on a journey and I choose to see the God expressing himself through you, [so] I choose to forgive and let go."

I filled that journal up with probably 200–300 pages because when you really start to do that homework, you begin to realize all these little things that have been picking at the back of your brain that you probably haven’t even thought of before. It is the most releasing experience. So I think that probably correlated with the experience of The Gospel According to Levi to maximize this whole freedom that I felt by the end of that campaign.

The Advocate: You know, Levi, I hear a joy in your voice now that wasn’t there when we last spoke and it really shines through in the music.

LK: [Laughs] Absolutely…absolutely. That’s good. I feel it.
You know, whereas I might have felt before that the purpose of my voice was to confront, now I feel that there is a broader, more all encompassing purpose that I have adopted for my voice. Acceptance is a huge part of why my voice…does sound different. It feels different for me completely.

The Advocate: On the subject of acceptance, you have finally recorded “Stained Glass Window,” which you originally wrote for the Del Shores play Southern Baptist Sissies. That song and that play were both very personal for you, weren’t they?

LK: Yeah. Del Shores put [Southern Baptist Sissies] up in 2001 in Los Angeles… and it kind of developed its own life. “Stained Glass Window” was a song I wrote based on the play because that play happened to be a very defiant moment for me in that I was able to put aside my internal conflicts.

I had just showed up in L.A. fresh off the bus [when] someone dragged me into this play called Southern Baptist Sissies, and by halftime -- I like to call intermission halftime -- I was in my chair in the fetal position bawling my eyes out. I had no idea that so many other people had gone through what I had gone through. I didn’t realize that my story was the story of other people. I was floored.

Del Shores happened to have been sitting behind me at the time and he leaned over and asked me if I was going to be OK. I said, "I don’t know who wrote this play, but it’s just tearing me apart!" [Laughs] And then he said, "I wrote it. Hi. I’m Del Shores." We got to talking about my six years of "reparative" therapy and growing up in the church and [Del] extended his hand and said, "You can come back and see this play as many times as it takes you to put your past behind you." So I think I went to see the play 36 times. [Laughs]

Somewhere along the way, one of the monologues from the play called “All the Colors” is what inspired the writing of [“Stained Glass Window”]. A lot of Del Shores fans and some fans of my own have wanted that song to be recorded for a very long time, so it brings me much joy to finally have a copy of that song on an album.

The Advocate: That song is a testimony, so I’m sure your fans appreciate the fact that you’ve recorded it. Speaking of which, you once told me that fans often come up to you after your shows to share their personal stories and how much they relate to your own personal odyssey. Is that still the case?

LK: Yes. And I am still amazed at the amount of [stories]. I never fail to be amazed at the [gay] youth who are still struggling, because it is a reflection of the communities that they are from and how [those communities] have not advanced in their thinking.

Now that I’ve been sort of urbanized, I sort of don’t realize as much as I used to that there are areas of the country that are still very much the same as they were when we were growing up. It’s always a little bit of a shock when a 16-year-old comes up to me after a show and says, "My dad just kicked me out and I don’t know what to do" or "I don’t know how to come out to my mom or to my friends" -- just to hear that they’re still dealing with very personal conflicts, with their religion and who they are as God-created human beings, still amazes me.

I keep thinking that our consciousness in this country is a little bit further along than sometimes I find that it is when I hear some of these stories.

The Advocate: Listening to you talk about your spirituality and your beliefs, it’s clear that you’ve genuinely struck a balance between your faith and your sexuality for yourself. But for many in the gay and lesbian community what you believe is quite simply not their reality because organized religion has put them down and served as their primary foe for so long. What do you say to those folks about God?

LK: I would say that if you have known love that is true, then you have known God because God is love.

We don’t have to beat ourselves into believing any sort of doctrine…and we don’t have to try to wrap our brains around any concept that may be highbrow, high-minded, or might be coming from elders that we grew up with…or even our moms and dads, which is the common place that sort of thinking comes from.

The fact of the matter is that all we have to do is to choose to see and we will see God. Look for that divine intelligence that is in back of all that is brilliantly alive and you will see it.

06.26.09 | Chicago Tribune: Closets Can No Longer Hold "Million Dollar Quartet" Star Levi Kreis:
By Chris Jones:

At Levi Kreis’ kindergarten graduation in Oliver Springs, Tenn., they played “Pomp and Circumstance.” When the 6-year-old got home, he sat down at the piano and played the melody by ear.

That was enough to alert his parents that they had a musical prodigy on their hands, even if they surely would not have anticipated that their kid would end up starring as Jerry Lee Lewis in a Chicago—and, soon, a London—musical called “Million Dollar Quartet.” If you’ve seen Kreis jump all over the stage in this show, at the Apollo Theater through the end of August (and perhaps beyond), you won’t be surprised to hear about his prodigious talent.

But his back story is a bit more complicated than you might think.

“I was raised as a devout, fundamentalist Baptist,” the 29-year-old Kreis said over lunch this week. “We thought the Southern Baptists were liberal.”

And thus Kreis threw himself into the gospel music scene. By the time he was 12, he was an accomplished public performer. He recorded his first gospel album at 15. As a high schooler, he studied classical piano at Vanderbilt University. But he ended up in college at Belmont University in Nashville, a school then more in sync with his family’s fundamentalist beliefs.

In his freshman year at Belmont, even as he continued to build his singing-songwriting career on Christian record labels, Kreis began to wrestle with his sexuality. “I had always had this calling to use my music to uplift people,” he said, “so I was inclined to renounce this thorn in my side.”

Kreis began to attend the meetings of Exodus, a Christian organization that claims to “cure” gay people. It didn’t work. Kreis left Belmont, where he’d been a fixture in many of the university’s Christian music groups. And he was dropped by his record label. “Everything I’d built up from being a kid sort of crumbled,” he said.

He headed to Los Angeles and forced his way into secular labels, only to find, he says, a different kind of closet.

“They wanted me to be this kind of young, pop heartthrob who would be attractive to women” he said.

He didn’t like having to hide, and thus he ended up with only $200 in his pocket, working as a caterer to stay afloat.

But in the fall of 2005, a personal contact led to the TV appearance that changed his life.

It was an episode of “The Apprentice,” wherein the trainee managers were charged with taking an unsigned artist (Kreis) and packaging his career for XM Satellite Radio. By the end of the episode, XM would “buy” the finished song. Most important for Kreis, he got to sing for seven minutes. And all of a sudden, his albums were selling. “I felt,” he said, “like the universe was rewarding me for getting real with myself.” Kreis recently had decided to eschew all closets—be they owned by the church or the entertainment industry—and be himself.

“If you don’t have your story,” he said. “as an artist, you really have nothing.” He had also become involved with “Million Dollar Quartet,” a show about the night at Sun Studios when Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Lewis, jammed together in the same studio. The show premiered in Seattle in 2006. It did reasonably well.

Thereafter, Kreis returned to his solo touring career, even opening for Cyndi Lauper at Wrigley Field during the Gay Games in Chicago in 2006. Last fall, with the Chicago producer Gigi Pritzker now attached, “Million Dollar Quartet” was remounted in Chicago.

Both the show and Kreis have been substantial Chicago hits. Gov. Pat Quinn has been to see the show twice. London producers have attended. And on Tonys night, Kreis and his fellow performers flew to New York to provide the entertainment in the Radio City Musical Hall during the telecast’s commercial breaks. “Liza Minnelli,” Kreis said, “was looking at my fingers.”

The show hasn’t been without its bumps for Kreis—whose exuberance ignites the production but comes with some personal risk. During the Seattle run, he jumped over his piano and injured his knee on the landing. This spring at the Apollo, he tried a flashy, pose-in-the-air move during the commercial break and injured the other knee. He was out of the show for six weeks.

But he’s back now—in fact, the original Chicago cast is back together for the summer. Pritzker speaks admirably about her Jerry Lee Lewis, calling Kreis “an incredible talent.” London seems the most likely next stop for the show—probably during the 2009-2010 West End season, with New York also very much in the cards. Meanwhile, Kreis is promoting his new solo album, which he describes as “Americana pop” and the most definitive statement yet of who he has turned out to be.

He also said he is enjoying burrowing deeper and deeper into the soul of his character. Lewis went through similar struggles. He was, after all, the cousin of the evangelist Jimmy Swaggart.

“Jerry Lee believed passionately that his music was the music of the devil,” Kreis said. “But rock ’n’ roll was all he knew how to do.”

‘Million Dollar Quartet’

When: Open run

Where: Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave.

Tickets: $49.50-$69.50 at 773-935-6100

05.25.09 | POPFIX EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Levi Kreis is Right Where He Belongs
By Erin Darling

Actor, performer and singer/songwriter Levi Kreis is taking a break from his extremely busy schedule. Not for a well-deserved vacation to a sunny island, a weekend bed and breakfast getaway, or a trip to a family reunion. Instead, Kreis is recovering from surgery. He tore his ACL while executing a maneuver during an encore performance of “Million Dollar Quartet” that could best be described as half gymnast, half superhero. “It gets very physical,” says Kreis, “I was vaulting myself over a piano. I jumped really high and said, ‘this must look cool,’ came down and ended up on the floor.”

This is the second time he has injured himself while performing a similar gold-medal worthy jump over a piano. But instead of feeling upset or down-trodden over this physical setback, Kreis feels blessed. “I’m recovering beautifully. I’m feeling blessed that I can walk around my apartment.”

Last June Kreis finished a tour of his own music spanning over 300 cities, arrived in Chicago in August and has been on tour playing the part of Jerry Lee Lewis in the musical “Million Dollar Quartet” ever since. Somehow he was also able to squeeze in time to work on his newest solo album, “Where I Belong.” With a successful career as busy as his is, this 28-year-old doesn’t seem to get many breaks now, but it took him many years and experiences to come into his own skin.

Kreis was born in the small town of Oliver Springs, Tennessee and says that he practically exited the womb performing music. His family recognized and nurtured his musical talent and by the age of eight, Kreis was performing in church. His parents, Fundamental Baptists, were dedicated to teaching their son about Christianity.

“I whole-heartedly embraced Christianity. It’s always been fascinating to me how sincere as a little boy I was,” said Kreis. He knew then that he wanted to use music to minister to others, and he took this calling seriously throughout his adolescence. Yet, while discovering his love for God and music, Kreis also discovered what would be his biggest spiritual challenge.

“As I discovered my gift for music, I can’t tell my story without saying as an eight-year-old boy, I was having feelings for people of the same sex,” explains Kreis, who was faced with a difficult internal struggle. “I was taught that was an abomination to God. I took that in as truth and began to do everything within my power to fight my homosexuality.” This fight included making a pact with God to spend three hours a day in prayer, asking Him to remove this thorn in his side. Kreis did this for six years, and began attending a new church that offered an Exodus International program for the “healing of the homosexual.”

Since its inception in 1976, Exodus International has been a nonprofit Christian organization that claims to offer a path toward freedom from homosexuality. They organize conferences, speaking engagements, events and have grown to more than 230 ministries in North America. According to statements released on its official website, Exodus International views homosexual tendencies as a disorder, “Choosing to resolve these tendencies through homosexual behavior, taking on a homosexual identity, and involvement in the homosexual lifestyle is considered destructive, as it distorts God’s intent for the individual and is thus sinful.”

The Exodus International program Kreis attended provided Christian counseling to help people struggling with homosexual thoughts better understand themselves. Kreis devoutly delved into weekly programs, support groups and text books that promised to help him “leave” his homosexuality. But his efforts were to no avail, Kreis did not find that he was healed by this program and he began to form his own philosophies reconciling his spirituality with his sexuality.

“It was probably the first year of college where I began to think for myself, which is important for anyone when they begin building a relationship with God,” said Kreis.

At age 18, Kreis did some theological detective work. After searching through three translations of biblical scripture relating to homosexuality, he chose to adopt new meanings in the verses that addressed these issues. “Bottom line is that I decided that God would bless love and he would bless my love expressed to a same sex partner or opposite sex partner,” explains Kreis.

Kreis’ personal philosophy was influenced by the healing power of Christ as demonstrated in the Bible and through his own experiences. However, he began to see that there was a consistent outcome with his colleagues in Exodus International, “They would have a successful repression of feelings, but not a healing. They weren’t walking away from these programs with a desire to be with a woman, they were suppressing themselves,” said Kreis. “If the power of Christ’s name can heal than I expect to be healed and if my pursuit of this truth had been committed to that healing, then perhaps there is no healing to be had. I had not seen this healing be complete in these situations.”

Although still a devout Christian, Kreis is aware that most would categorize his views as liberal, “I know that in the Christian community there are people who don’t agree with my conclusion and there are people that are set free by it.” Either way, Kreis has no desire to push an agenda or indoctrinate people with messages inundated with his own personal beliefs about religion and sexuality, he’s just happy to be comfortable in his own skin.

This comfort has led him to grow as an artist, allowing him to bring a freedom to his music. The title of his newest album “Where I Belong,” is a statement of confidence that he’s been able to find personally and spiritually.

“I think all the things I have been talking about are of finding a place of acceptance, peace and forgiveness,” Kreis explains. In his opinion, “Where I Belong” is a great departure from his previous album, “The Gospel According to Levi,” which was more confrontational in nature, inspired by challenges he faced in the past. It reminded him that he needed an exercise in forgiveness.

“I started a new journal for forgiveness and walked myself through my life by the understanding that we all do what we know through our limited knowledge and experience. There’s a freedom with that.”

It’s evident that Kreis has found a place in his life where he finally feels at home, personally, professionally and spiritually. When asked what advice he has to give to people on a search to find a place where they belong, Kreis paused and said. “I would encourage anyone to know that they are a unique expression of God and that their divine uniqueness is so essential if the world is to see a complete picture of who God is. That’s what I live by.”

05.24.09 | Soulful singer Levi Kreis comes into his own with new album
By: Daniel F. Kent for NowHereThis.com

NHT!: Before we get into talking about the new album, I’d like to talk about its roots in your previous release “The Gospel According to Levi”. How did the gravity of that work affect the direction of the new album?

Levi Kreis: I felt that I really needed to say all of that stuff with “The Gospel According to Levi”. I took a deep breath after that album and it was like a great relief for me because I was able to get that off my chest. Now it’s time to forgive. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy but I knew I had to go that direction too. I sat down and I started to journal. I took—one by one—every person I could think of from the bullies in elementary school to the preachers who made me convinced that I was an abomination to God to record labels who had given me the runaround to lovers who had not treated me right. Every single thing that I could possibly think of that I had not resolved in my life filled that journal up.

These were all situations that I felt like were preoccupying my energies in ways that were unhealthy. One by one these situations were written in the journal and after I wrote them down I would close the book and picture them in my mind’s eye. I would say to myself for each one “Every person does what they know based on their limited knowledge and experience. Now, I am going to choose to believe that no one has done anything to me because we are all complex beings who are products of our history.” Then, I chose to let that go and forgive and bless their spiritual journey. It was like a revelation to me that everything that had gone into creating “Gospel” was a real clue for me that there was a lot of forgiveness and resolve that I needed to do.

I really needed to look at people and realize that they were on the journey that they needed to take in this life to learn the lessons they needed to learn and that I am not God so I don’t need to understand that. But I can bless that journey and allow that to be between them and God. There was a certain freedom that came from that which suddenly began to translate into my music. I was so happy to be able to let go of the past in a way that I had never been able to do before. “Gospel” helped me to get it off my chest and let it go, but it was the forgiveness after the fact that helped to make it a non-issue finally.

NHT!: As someone who comes from a strong gospel background, do you feel that the more you try and mainstream yourself the more your roots in Gospel music tends to insist upon its presence?

LK: In a lot of ways, yes. I feel like I have finally made that leap from being a songwriter to really being an artist. As a songwriter it is really easy for me to approach my work in a way that is really more contextually driven like with “Gospel” where I found myself having to make choices as a songwriter that would help to digest that material. This took me down a different avenue that wasn’t necessarily reflective of my history. It was very guitar driven and at times sounds like it might be something from a Kelly Clarkson album which is not where I am from or who I am.

But, I felt that to conjure the similarity of that type of sound might help the medicine to go down a little easier. But this time it became about my influences musically and discovering for myself as an artist the specific style of how I play the piano and the specific style of how I sing and how I craft that in a way that doesn’t overproduce myself and doesn’t get in my own way and is also reminiscent of that gospel, soulful, southern flavor that I know best. I think finally I have discovered a consistent musical style that I personally think is a perfect fit. I think it is really honest and I feel like I have finally come home musically. It took me over three hundred cities of touring that music to realize that when I started singing something that felt soulful or gospel driven something happened to me and my live performance. Everything went up a notch. That was a huge clue for me that was where I needed to stay.

NHT!: After all of that processing and forgiveness, how did the direction of “Where I Belong” begin to unfold for you?

LK: I really came to a point in my life not only where I wanted to stop carrying around all of this weight that we accumulate through the years that tends to drag us down, but I was also ready to just have some fun for a change. “One of the Ones” was very internalized and “Gospel” was very vulnerable. It’s just where I was in life. I found myself in a very happy place in my life so I decided that I really needed to celebrate that by having fun with thus album. I needed to uplift and feel in a way that is infectious and up tempo and feels the ay that I feel about life right now. I also went back to “One of the Ones” and thought to myself “If I am going to do this album then I can’t lose what is truly me. So, in the process of recording the new album we began with only a piano, drums and a bass. Everything was recorded in bare bones trying to capture that same heartfelt honesty that “One of the Ones” was.

NHT!: Many people may not be aware that you are currently starring as iconic rock & roll pianist Jerry Lee Lewis in a new musical called “Million Dollar Quartet”. What drew you to the role initially?

LK: I really think this role is tailor made for me and I am amazed because it just kind of fell into my lap. When the company got the first version of the show they knew from a previous show I had done that I was southern, could play the piano, and could act so they asked me to come in and just read the part so that the executive producers could hear what they had. We did that and then I didn’t hear anything for another year. Then we did it again and again several times since 2001 until finally I had been workshopping this role for several years until I finally took the role completely in 2007.

It really provided me with an outlet I had never had before because I play the piano in my own style but I don’t get to be as technically involved and show off the way I do in this role. This role is such a perfect fit for me because I grew up playing Jerry Lee Lewis’ work. Doing this role really reminded me of my roots in a way that I couldn’t deny because I was doing eight shows a week. Coming back to those old influences even down to the influence of Jerry’s cousin Jimmy Swaggart, who I used to listen to reminded me of all those things I felt like I was starting to veer away from a bit.

NHT!: So, with all of this going on in your life, where exactly does Levi Kreis belong?

LK: Acceptance, release and surrender are where I belong right now. Learning service has been a big lesson for me in the past year. At the end of the day none of this matters. What are we doing to give service to the world around us on a day to day basis? I really seem to be learning to take the scope off of me and my pain and my discomfort. We all have things we are going through and we all have a story. The moment we can release that and let go and move forward we will learn there is a certain freedom in embracing who we are and what we have to offer the world.

05.17.09 | Exactly What He Should Be/Singer/Songwriter Levi Kreis Still Singing Out Loud!
by JC Alvarez

He’s come a long way since he first revealed to us his gospel, now
singer/songwriter Levi Kreis is about to share with his ever faithful fan-base his
recipe for his own success, and he assures us that everything is gonna be alright.

I’m inclined to believe Levi Kreis -- even if it’s just because I want to hold on to a
little bit of hope, especially in what seems like these most trying times.

With his latest album release Where I Belong, Kreis has managed to put his heart
on his sleeve like very few artist have dared to allow themselves to do before
in their music. Be aware that shying away from startling revelations is not
something Kreis is known for. Levi has always approached his singing and
songwriting in a very honest and revealing way -- one could say he’s arbitrarily
made it his mission to be courageous with his music and lyrics and to push
buttons, hence the provocative work he released in 2006 the album The Gospel
According to Levi. That project had a very clear message and direct purpose,
which lead Levi to 2009 and Where I Belong. “It’s hard to talk about this album without talking about Gospel...which was such a relief to do! I got so much off of
my chest about religion versus sexuality...there was a confrontational nature to
that album. I was trying to communicate I’m a proponent for religions diversity --
I believe everyone’s path is divine.”

It’s been that search for the divine that has been most signatory about his lyrics and influential in his songwriting. He’s been controversial and pensive, with
songs that take direct challenge to organized religion and expressions of faith, to
lengths where Kreis has asked that we look into ourselves for that sense of higher
power and solidarity. And these were not calculated choices made to incite
skepticism or sell records. Levi was expressing himself from his own experiences
and misgivings about faith and love, and especially what they all mean to him
personally. He’s never been one to compromise his word for the sake of his art,
but Levi Kreis is changing...perhaps he’s more comfortable in his skin. He’s
evolving as an artist, and so accordingly this is reflected in his music and how he
performs. His approach is much more redefined, Levi admits, “Where I Belong is
probably the truest (album) to who I am.” And fortunately for us, it brings us closer to his musical soul.

Where I Belong begins with Levi Kreis “the performer”; the songs capitalize on his
gift to still deliver radio-friendly hits, that resonate with brilliance and
sustenance. “I wanted the whole thing to be a journey...all the songs are
autobiographical. Even “This Girl” is autobiographical (the song teasingly
alluding to a tryst with the opposite sex) -- sexuality is a lot more complex than
fitting into one of three categories.” The track “Stained Glass Window”
introduces the listener to Act 2 -- a more soulful, intimate-room atmosphere
permeates through songs like the woeful ‘’I Surrender All”, and still breathe the
joyfulness of the first arc with the beautifully rich “Not Afraid”. Levi agrees, “it
takes a more ‘inward’ tone (after ‘Stained Glass Window’). I wanted it to start in
an engaging way...and I think that “Gonna Be Alright” does that...and then
eventually end in a place where I can say: we’ve all had our good fun, but
seriously now...I want to leave you with this.”

Perhaps drawing inspiration from the acting and performing he’s been doing
most recently, Levi has infused his latest release with the true grit of a seasoned
showman, but not at the expense of his Blues and R&B Gospel roots -- this is all still
Levi Kreis, but he’s different and in the best place -- and that’s coming across
clearly. “Gonna Be Alright” is the first single and album opener. The track
resounds with the hope and prosperity that we are all hoping is leading to better
days, especially in the wake of all the darkness and confusion that the nation has
been living in. But with Levi tackling at the ivories of his piano, you can feel it --
the man has an undeniable insight! Kreis has found the precise balance in his life
and now it’s making him write and perform songs that are deeply relevant to his
journey as an artist.

While recuperating in his LA home from an injury he currently sustained while
performing in his hit show “The Million Dollar Quartet” (Kreis re-images the role of
legendary rock ‘n’ roll bad boy, the icon: Jerry Lee Lewis), Levi shared with me his
enthusiasm for this album project, the success of “Quartet”, and why he thinks
everything is going to be more than alright. “This is the most I’ve been home in the 7 months...here I have this new home and I’ve been here a total of 3
months!” He’s been so involved with the show since 2001 (where he began
workshopping the role of Jerry Lee Lewis). At the time, he was working on
another show, another musical when, ”the same theater got the script for ‘Million
Dollar Quartet’ and all they really knew at the time was: the kid can act, he’s
Southern, and he says he plays the piano.” The stars were seemingly aligned!

The producers asked to see Levi perform, but “little did they know that I grew up
playing Jerry Lee Lewis’ music, that I had never had an outlet before, to play
(frankly) as well as I can play...and I went in there, and it all just made since!” He
never had to audition for the role. But that’s not a surprise.

I dare say that there’s been a little Jerry Lee in Levi waiting to come out since his
very humbled youth growing up in the south. He and Jerry Lee share a rebellious
spirit. In that rebellion Kreis found a way to come to terms and accept himself as
a gay man, and especially after wrestling with the divine interpretation of his
relationship with Jesus, God, or a Higher Power. “It’s a rebellious concept
(religion is)...seriously! There’s very little support there in the scriptures for our
choices...it does require you to approach God, and to redefine God and the
word of God, and your spirituality. I had to wipe clean the slate and pretend that
I had never been taught anything, and I’m gonna start from the beginning and
redefine it for myself.” However he has chosen to define that relationship, it’s a
concept that has shaped him into a better and more expressive individual.

“It wasn’t until I was revisiting my past that I learned there was a very specific
way that I played. There was a very specific part of my instincts that I had sort of
pushed aside.” He may have felt that he had compromised some of his art in
order to make his previous works, that of songs that appeared on Gospel, for
example, sound more “pop” in order to convey his message, which Kreis admits
were themes that were very heavy -- he felt he needed to do this to make the
material easy to digest for the masses, but he knew that he was compromising.

“What I’ve discovered now is a beautiful thing called: forgiveness,” he laughs. Listening to the album, you get that
Kreis has arrived at a very significant
point in his life; in his development as
an artist, which he credits to his role
in “The Million Dollar Quartet”.
“Although the show is tearing my
body apart, it’s reminding me what
my roots are as a musician. Growing
up in Tennessee with gospel, soulful
music and learning how to play
listening to Jerry Lee Lewis -- it’s
brought me back to a lot of
influences that I’ve rediscovered.
I feel like I’ve gone from songwriter,
to really becoming an artist.”
Seemingly, his acting has worked to
inform his music and allowed him to
creatively focus in a way he hadn’t
approached his creative process
before. “It’s brought me back home
to what I know best!” And what
Levi Kreis knows best is how to
entertain.

Catch Levi Kreis’ new album Where I Belong as a digital download on iTunes and
Amazon Mp3, and visit Levi at his homepage for additional show and upcoming
tour dates at www.levikries.com

04.28.09 | Prolific Singer-songwriter Levi Kreis Celebrates Defining Chapter in His Journey and Brings It Home with Brand New Release 'Where I Belong'
New York, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Centaur Records) - Inspiration, healing, acceptance and confidence are four words that fit perfectly when discussing LEVI KREIS. On Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 these words come full circle with this singer-songwriter as he celebrates his incredible journey and so called 'cleansing' with the release of his third studio album 'Where I Belong.' This new collection of recordings is the most positive, uplifting offering witnessed from this piano man. Highlights include the first single/lead off track 'Gonna Be Alright', the vulnerable 'Nothing At All', live fan favorite 'Stained Glass Windows' which finally finds its place on a studio album, and 'This Girl' which will cause core fans to go 'hmmm.' The result more than satisfies fans with Levi's own pop sensibilities and contagious hooks, but this time they simmer with southern soul that rings truer than any other previous project. Levi is not afraid and he is standing tall.

"This truly represents (Kreis) as an artist...coming home to the gospel roots." – Music Connection Magazine

With this release, it is the perfect time for Levi to celebrate his incredible journey and accomplishments, led by his current role as Jerry Lee Lewis in 'The Million Dollar Quartet.' This casting took Levi off the road in 2007 after performing nearly 300 solo shows that previous year.
A role so naturally perfect as this has lead to praises in the New York Times, The Seattle Times and recently being named 'One of the Best Theatre Moments Of 2008' by The Chicago Tribune. The show has already celebrated record-breaking sales in both Seattle and Chicago.

Previous releases marked Levi's place in the music industry, proving he can do it on his own terms. The 2006 release 'The Gospel According To Levi' took us through the complicated and painful past of a young gay man growing up under the grip of religious fundamentalism, which any listener who had ever felt like an outsider or oppressed related to. At this time, Levi released music video 'We're Okay' which held the number 1 position for nine weeks on MTV Networks Logo Channel and was also featured on HBO Zone, Planet Out and more. Debut album 'One Of The Ones' in 2005 had music placements on The Apprentice with Donald Trump (following Levi's own appearance on the show), Days Of Our Lives and The Young And The Restless.

Other highlights in Levi's career include being cast as Roger in the National Tour of 'RENT'and acting opposite of Matthew McConaughey in Bill Paxton's 'Frailty.' Levi has also been heard of XM, Sirius and many other radio outlets and he has shared the stage with such greats as Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Pharrel, Collective Soul and opened for Cyndi Lauper at Wrigley Field. In the works for 2010 is a lead role for Levi in an already award winning indie film called 'Vega, TX.'

New album 'Where I Belong' proves that Levi has come into his own with a sound nostalgic for his gospel roots and southern soul, and promises to be the most defined chapter in this young prolific singer/songwriters promising career.

Levi's website is www.levikreis.com. Levi is currently available for bookings and media interviews. Pre-mastered advanced copies are currently available.
For more information, contact Rich Overton at RJO Artist Relations & Management, LLC at richoverton@rjoartists.com / 917-539-1819 / www.rjoartists.com

04.24.09 | Levi Kreis Knows Where He Belongs!
Instinct Magazine: May 2009

BY JEFF KATZ
Levi Kreis is in a happy place, and he wants the world to know about it. The confidence and upbeat attitude found throughout the 12 tracks on Levi’s new album, Where I Belong, are a stark turn from the emotional honesty and heavy nature of his last CD, The Gospel According To Levi, which largely explored his personal struggles between religion and sexuality. “While it was a huge help to a lot of kids who came up to me and said they now had the strength to come out or didn’t want to commit suicide, it was a very important album for me to do. But it’s so nice to have gotten that off my chest, let all the pain go, erased all the chips on my shoulder and come to a place of celebration with myself.”
And he certainly has plenty to celebrate nowadays. Aside from his newest collection of songs out this month, Levi has been splitting his time between L.A. and Chicago, where he has been turning out a critically lauded performance as Jerry Lee Lewis in the stage show The Million Dollar Quartet.
It’s a long ways from his Southern Baptist upbringing in Tennessee as a self-described “little kid evangelist.” While Levi may have the church to thank for teaching him how to sing gospel and belt with soul, it was also the church that caused years of self-loathing. After going so far as to enroll himself in a church ex-gay program, Levi eventually leapt out of the church closet of Nashville into the entertainment closet of L.A.
“I was immediately getting response from major labels...yet somehow it was made clear to me that [being gay] could not be a part of the equation. In their executive minds, it just doesn’t work for the heartthrob to be gay, because how could the high school girls want to buy you?” says Levi. “But I wasn’t going through that again. I’ve gone through it so many different ways, courted by eight different major labels. Why can’t I just say these things the way I want to say it and take them to my community?”
And so he did. Creating his debut album solely on his own, Levi managed not only to write and produce 10 beautiful tracks, but also land himself airplay and licensing opportunities.
Two albums and a lot of musical therapy later, Levi finds himself in a much different musical environment, one he sees as more accepting of GLBT artists and one in which said artists can have more control over their art.
“At the end of the day, our stories are stories. We all share the same hurt, the same pain, the same life experience,” he says. “I think that’s a huge feat when gay artists decide to make music that appeals to a mainstream audience. Can you speak to them and us? Many gay artists are [doing so] now, and I’ve learned I can, too.”

Where I Belong is available May 5. Visit levikreis.com

04.23.09 | Levi Kreis: Where He Belongs
MGW Magazine: May 2009

BY MATTHEW BURLINGAME:

Being an openly gay musician in 2009, do you still find yourself pigeon-holed into being labeled a "gay artist" and if so, does that bother you?

I certainly wouldn't mind that label, and have worn it proudly in the past, but it seems to be fading a bit. I'm seeing a shift towards being called an "inspirational" artist. I like that. My goal has always been, even from the time I was a traveling kid evangelist at 12 years old, to make music that spoke for everyone and whose purpose was to heal. Either label is great, but I hope that at the end of my career I'm known for making music that heals.


You've been compared to Jerry Lee Lewis and Harry Connick, Jr. among others. Would you agree with that?

You just named two of my favorite artists whose scope of influence I doubt I even recognize. Playing the role of Jerry Lee Lewis for the last year in the new rock and rock musical "Million Dollar Quartet" has impacted my own endeavors in ways I would not have expected. Beginning the writing process for my new album "Where I Belong", I found myself so easily drawn back to my roots. Southern soul, gospel, and piano players like Jerry Lee were there for me to cut my teeth on from the start. I like to think that there are traces of that on this new album. I'm very excited about this new release by the way, and feel like I have finally defined myself stylistically more than ever before.


How would you define your "style".

I'm getting the terms "Americana Pop", and "Southern Soul". I'm well aware that while my history in gospel music is rich, my sensibilities as a songwriter are that of a pop song formula. I was telling my husband last night that I do believe that somewhere between my album "The Gospel According To Levi" and this new album I made the shift from songwriter to artist. I say that because after 3 years on the road, I've learned what my specific style of piano playing sounds like, what my specific vocal interpretation is, and how to surround myself and my piano with simple, supportive sounds that don't distract from the core of who I am. It was my personal revelation as an artist producing this album. It really taught me a lot about where my stylistic strengths are and how to capitalize on them from an aural standpoint. For the first time I can say that this album is undeniably who I really am at this point in time.


In your own thoughts: Who is Levi?

Levi is a mess of contradictions. LOL! Levi is a double scorpio who is stubborn, relentless, and maybe the most ambitious man you'll ever meet. I will NOT take no for an answer. At the same time, I think Levi has only wanted to know one thing, how to see common truths running throughout all of our diverse life experiences. I also think Levi is someone who should not talk about himself in the third person. LOL.
I am a very sexual being. I am fiercely loyal. I am slow to trust, but will pour everything into you once I've opened my heart to you. Most of all, my hope is to master the following. In life, there is always negative or positive to see. Both are always available to us in abundance. I hope I continue to become the person that can always see every situation as something to celebrate.


Tell us about the show you're in? How long is it running?

Lord. Too long. LOL! No, I love this musical and it has afforded me so many wonderful opportunities to broaden my audience. I was there from the beginning, workshopping the piece and helping to create what the role of Jerry Lee Lewis was to become. It feels like a baby of mine. Chicago was the official national launch, and while I can't confirm nor deny, there is very serious talk about London being our next destination. If readers want to get an exciting, colorful idea about what the experience of "Million Dollar Quartet" is all about,www.milliondollarquartetlive.com is a really great site.


What drew you to this production?

I love this question. My favorite thing about friends of mine that see me in this production is the first thing that comes out of their mouth after the show. "Levi, I had NO idea you could play the piano like that!". I love having an outlet to tear the keyboard up. I think that is one reason why my first album "One of The Ones", while still the most popular album of mine providing me with consistent sales worldwide, bored me. It didn't let me go crazy. It was beautiful, heartfelt, and from the thousands of emails I've received spoke well of the listeners life experiences, but sometimes you just wanna frackin' rock out. (Yes, I did say Frackin', and I will miss Battlestar Galactica very much.) Ya know, this musical is an endearing, uninvolved book full of intriguing information about the interrelationships between Elvis, Jerry Lee, Cash, and Carl Perkins, but at the end of the day, it's simple: it's a rockin' good time. And that, my friends, is a nice escape for someone who can sometimes be rife with import. LOL.


Are you anxious to get on the road to promote the new CD?

I wish I was going to tour more exhaustively with this new release, but I will continue doing both "Million Dollar Quartet" through August while peppering some Pride appearances here and there. My team and I are forced to focus more on media exposure than live this time around since I'm committed to the show in Chicago, and to be honest with you, it could be another 2 years before I brave another 300 city tour. In the meantime, 8 shows a week plus 30 hours a week on my own music is enough for anyone to keep up with. I am certainly not complaining. I'm sure the ridiculous pace keeps me out of trouble. No, seriously, I feel so blessed during a time that is undeniably hard for everyone of us.




What are you up to after the show finishes?

I would like to say that I will take one week vacation and hit the road for a year, but I bet I'm going to have to recoup for a little while. However, this is great as it is giving me time to gel with a new band that I absolutely love. The more prides we do, the more we grab a rehearsal together, the more of a musical family we become. By the time I'm ready to tour again, I have no doubt we will be a well oiled machine ready to present a show that represents the best moments of all my album releases, and in a fresh, unique way. I can't wait for fans to get to know each one of them by name, and anticipate seeing them at my live shows. By the way, if you want to get the first look at them, go to my website and check out the performance video clip.


What's the scoop on the Southern Baptist Sissies Movie (if there is one)?

As you may know, Del Shores has been very busy with Sordid Lives and is gearing up for a second season. "Southern Baptist Sissies" the movie is still on the table, but finding the time to do is has been the issue. This is why Del and I agreed to finally make the theme song we wrote, "Stained Glass Window" available on my new CD. So many people have asked for that song, and we are really excited to finally have it recorded. I think it really enhances the experience of the CD.


Tell us about this CD?

I can't really answer this question without stepping back to "The Gospel According To Levi". "The Gospel..." was such a load off my chest; confronting my history in the ex-gay ministry, rejection from the church, etc. And while I intended to promote religious diversity through the lyrics of this body of work, there was still a confrontational nature to the album. Since then I've had the chance to meticulously comb through my past and exercise forgiveness to a degree I hadn't before. I feel freer than ever because of that. I also feel so unapologetically me that the past does not matter anymore. This is why I wanted to create a body of work that carried my own personal sense of freedom, forgiveness, and exuberance. Surrendering what we don't understand, and seeing the positive angle to life.




Is there one song that stands out above the rest on this CD? If so, Why?

Absolutely. The first song. "Gonna Be Alright". I still listen to this song to remind myself of the darkest times in my life and how they seem to pan out somehow. Resolve may not come how we want it. It may not be in the time frame we want it, but things always unfold, I believe, in a way that is for our highest and best good. And I believe that is the nature of God, to give us only what is for our highest and best good. Being able to see that sometimes is a difficult task, but I'm finding the older I get, it's always there to behold.


What separates this CD from your previous works?

Forgiveness, Freedom, and unshakable faith. I believe that each of us are a unique expression of God, and the world needs our unique contribution if they are to see the full picture of God. So let your God-light shine! And my sincerest of thanks to MGW and it's readers for always being so lovingly supportive of my endeavors. Peace and Blessings!

04.09.09 | Lincoln Park Lullaby
BY JASON P. FREEMAN

Foregoing singing/songwriting, stage, screen and soap-opera score success, Levi Kreis spent 10 years drilling divinity into the Bible Belt. As a closeted, pre-teen Tennessean turned gospel-preaching evangelical, he promoted piety through puberty and secretly employed the ex-gay ministry while faith-healing fundamentalists and sermonizing for sanctimonious southerners-—but he never blessed them. ("That's very Catholic," Kreis explains. "I was Pentecostal.") Instead, he laid his hands on them, a religious remedy that the ex-worship worker still feels practical.

"I find a lot of parallels now with laying on hands and a lot of metaphysical schools of thought." Kreis believes, "It's just a transfer of healing energy. Whether you say a prayer to Jesus Christ or [beseech] a metaphysical [curative], the same deal's happening."

Resigning pious professions and gay aversion-ism, a proudly queer, then 22-year-old Kreis ventured to New York, and later L.A., to pursue singing and acting. Subsequently, Kreis was featured as a break-out musician in an episode of The Apprentice, but his supporting role in 2001's Frailty was mostly edited-out. He jokingly dedicated his 2005 debut album, One of the Ones, to "all the boys I dated that I thought were the one," but ironically became a hit with heartland housewives when his music scored play on daytime soaps.

He performed songs from his then-upcoming second CD, The Gospel According to Levi, at Wrigley Field during the 2006 Gay Games, and returned to Chicago two years later, trading L.A. for Lincoln Park after getting a lead in "Million Dollar Quartet." Currently in its second extended run at the Apollo Theater, the musical opened last September. Kreis's spotlight-stealing performance—-playing a just-signed, 1956 Jerry Lee Lewis in a live jam session with Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley--has been collecting critics' acclaim ever since. The Chicago Tribune called his portrayal, "One of the best theater moments of 2008."

But pshaw-ing the praise, Kreis modestly attests, "I'm lucky. It's like this part was just tailored to suit me," considering Lewis' similar southern roots, choral backgrounds and mutually aggressive piano playing.

Kreis's "MDQ" contract expires in August. Before returning to L.A., he plans to spend his remaining Chicago run cruising scantily-clad collegians in summer attire and plotting to meet Oprah. Yet having been away from home for nearly a year, he anxiously frets, "I hope my dog remembers me."

Kreis's third album, Where I Belong, drops May 5.

11.01.08 | New York Times Review of "Million Dollar Quartet"!
Rockin’ Out to a Golden-Hued Piece of Music History

By CHARLES ISHERWOOD
Published: November 1, 2008
CHICAGO — “I ain’t never gonna play that Vegas again,” swears the baby-faced boy with the sweeping sideburns. Who could blame him for complaining? The year is 1956, and this budding rock ’n’ roller has just endured the humiliation of opening for the borscht-beltish Shecky Greene.

Jam session, 1956: A scene from “Million Dollar Quartet.”
The roar of laughter that greets this seemingly heartfelt avowal in the musical “Million Dollar Quartet” can be explained simply enough. The boy with the baby face is Elvis Presley, still in the middle innings of his recording and film career, at least a decade away from the peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich bulges and the rhinestone-encrusted white jumpsuits. Never say ain’t never, Elvis.

This pouting youngster is not the only bright-eyed guitar strummer with career problems in this lively little jukebox musical, which boasts a set of gold-plated platters that puts most of the rest of the karaoke competition in the shade.

“Million Dollar Quartet” is set in the studio of Sun Records in Memphis during the very hours in which its celebrated stature was cemented. On Dec. 4, 1956, Sam Phillips, the record producer who founded Sun and has been called the father of rock ’n’ roll, hosted a jam session and impromptu recording with Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins. It was the only occasion on which all shared a studio, and has entered music history as one of those golden-hued, fantastical hours in which a whole pantheon of gods frolicked together.

This slick, fictionalized re-creation of that hallowed night, previously seen in Florida and Washington State (and rumored to be Broadway bound), is what you might call a no-brainer baby boomer money-spinner. It packed audiences into the Goodman Theater’s smaller stage for several weeks this fall (I saw the last performance at the Goodman on Sunday), and began performances on Friday night for a run through Jan. 4 at the Apollo Theater here.

As the actors playing the rock luminaries gradually assemble onstage, each bearing a modest resemblance to the fabled performer he is portraying, a faint air of the animatronic threatens to settle over the proceedings. You fear the show will be sort of a Disneyland Rock ’n’ Roll Icons Jamboree.

But the performers — some actors who can play guitar, others musicians trying the acting thing — are genial, winning and persuasive without lapsing into hackneyed or overripe impersonation. The songs, a stack of early rock hip-shakers, including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lot-ta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” are performed with a vibrant commitment that keeps the sea of gray heads in the audience bobbing, bobbing, bobbing throughout the show’s fleet 90-minute running time.

The book, by the rock historian Colin Escott and the movie writer-director Floyd Mutrux (“American Hot Wax”), has plenty of forced transitions and mechanically inserted bits of trivia. At one point a luscious blonde strides into the studio and, with little preamble, grabs a microphone and starts crooning “Fever.” Her presence remains unexplained until the song is over. Turns out she’s Elvis’s girl, although Elvis himself has not yet arrived. Go figure.

The chief generator of suspense is the financial peril faced by Phillips (the amiable Brian McCaskill), who steps in and out of the show, annotating the proceedings with lore and background as it goes along, in the process reminding us a little too frequently that he discovered all these boys, “taught them to believe in themselves and made them stars.” About a year before this fateful night Phillips had to sell Elvis’s contract to RCA to keep his record company alive. (He received just $40,000 for it — ouch! — but, as he informs us, wink-wink, he did invest some of the money in a little outfit called Holiday Inn.)

Now the contract of his current chart-topper, Johnny Cash, is about to expire. Phillips has a new one on hand, and plans to spring it on Johnny when the whiskey’s flowing and the boys are trading guitar licks and reminiscing about the desperate days when they were touring the South in the back of a flatbed truck.

The characterizations are economical but adequate. The hot-headed, loud-mouthed Jerry Lee Lewis (Levi Kreis) is new to the label and wants to prove his mettle. Mr. Kreis just about pounds a hole in the stage floor with his Converse high tops when he starts flailing away on the keyboard. Jerry Lee’s cockiness antagonizes Carl Perkins (a charismatic Rob Lyons), who is also sore because his records aren’t selling and because Phillips had allowed Elvis to sing Perkins’s hit song “Blue Suede Shoes” on television.

Johnny, gracefully played by Lance Guest, is the courtly country gentleman, pained at having to break bad news to the man who jump-started his career. Eddie Clendening, who plays Elvis, is obviously not a trained actor, but he gives a gentle, likable performance. His honey-coated vibrato is perfectly suited to the songs.

While the book and the songs are not particularly well integrated — after a little banter and maybe a flashback to the rough old days, somebody will just step up to the mike and break into a familiar tune — the directors, Mr. Mutrux and Eric Schaeffer, don’t ease up on the gas pedal long enough for you to complain. And Mr. Mutrux and Mr. Escott have come up with a few sharp zingers to warm things up between numbers. Johnny, unhappy about Phillips’s shambolic organization, grouses about his latest record sales, “If they really want to stop the spread of Communism, they ought to let Sun distribute it.”

10.09.08 | "Levi Kreis Steps Back In Time" by Amy Wooten for Windy City Times
Award-winning, independent musician and actor Levi Kreis will be spending some time in the Windy City, helping Chicagoans relive a legendary moment in rock ‘n' roll history.
The openly gay singer-songwriter, who just finished a tour promoting his last two albums ( One of the Ones and The Gospel According to Levi ) , is starring in the Chicago production of the new musical Million Dollar Quartet. Million Dollar Quartet is about Sam Phillips' 1956 legendary jam session featuring Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley. This spur-of-the-moment recording session embodied the birth of rock ‘n' roll. The musical, inspired by this historical moment, brings the audience back to that December night through memorable ‘50s tunes such as “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Great Balls of Fire.”

Kreis, who starred in the original Seattle production, plays the role of Jerry Lee Lewis in this limited engagement and Midwest debut, which runs through Sunday, Oct. 26, in Goodman's Owen Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn.

Kreis sat down with Windy City Times after a rehearsal to chat about the show, being true to himself and more.

Windy City Times: I can imagine how it's a lot of fun to be involved in this production.

Levi Kreis: Oh, yeah! There are less fun jobs. [ Laughs ]

WCT: What is your favorite song to perform during Million Dollar Quartet?

LK: “Peace in the Valley,” which is a group number. We all perform that together. It's one of those few moments in the play where everyone gets to reflect on their past. The great thing about these four characters is they come from that religious background, so there's a still sacredness that they all know from growing up with this reverence for family who is God-fearing, going to church. It's one of those reflective moments where I think they all had an inner conflict about rock ‘n' roll and what that means, versus [ slips into a thick Southern drawl ] what the Bible says about rock ‘n' roll. It's a really nice, tender moment that happens, where we all can come together and have that moment. Plus, it's my granddaddy's favorite song.

WCT: That, right there, seems like something you can relate to so much, given your background. [ Kreis grew up in Eastern Tennessee and was raised by a deeply religious family. He got his start as a Christian singer-songwriter, and even put himself through six years of reparative therapy before becoming true to himself and moving to Los Angeles ] .

LK: My background is the background of these characters. I was one of a graduating class of five people. I was actually a singing Evangelist by the time I was 12 years old, and touring different churches every weekend and having altar calls—that whole thing. I stayed in that world until evil rock ‘n' roll got a hold of me! [ Laughs ] My parents are fundamentalists, and being back in the country like that, I had a very similar upbringing to these guys.

WCT: Of these four legends, which musician do you think you relate to the most?

LK: Musically, I relate to Jerry Lee more, because I grew up playing him. One of the 45's I remember hearing as a kid was “Great Balls of Fire.” When I was 12 years old, I was already playing that song, so that is very much a part of my story. As far as personally, I guess who I can relate to the most is maybe Johnny Cash, only because he ... had a conviction about going back to gospel music. Coming from the church, and also being a singer-songwriter in my own right, it's very important to me—having cut my teeth on gospel music—to make music that makes a difference and inspires people. I can see a little bit of that, at least in the story line they created.

WCT: Is it hard to relate to Jerry Lee Lewis at times because of his fall from grace? He was a great musician, but his career was really marred by this one thing [ marrying his 13-year-old cousin ] .

LK: There's a lot of enjoyment playing him during this period in time.

WCT: Because it is before all that?

LK: Yes. I don't have to factor that stuff in. He's a new guy, and just playing the piano during this session. He auditioned that day, and all of that blossomed from there. It's fortunate I get to keep him light and cocky, and not too intense.

WCT: Does this show make you miss back home a little bit, because it's touching on your roots?

LK: It does make me miss back home, but my mom and dad come often to see the show. They'll be coming from Tennessee, and it's even closer than Seattle, which was where last year's run was. Yeah, it does, it does. When you get to a certain age, you start to see that your family is growing older and you really should be there more often, but you can't. It is a definite connection to home, and I think it's actually influenced my own music. I spent all last summer working on a new album, which is coming out in January. I found during the last run of the show that all this roots and stuff was finding its way in my own music, which was probably the most important bleed over from doing this role into my own life.

WCT: Where do you find the time to be writing new material and doing this show? It has to be crazy!

LK: Yeah, I sort of feel like I just don't stop! I did actually, for the first time, got to spend some time at home this summer. I got a good three or four months where I got to chill out. I had just finished over 300 cities in 16 months, so I needed a break.

WCT: What made you first consider acting, because I know music is your thing?

LK: I never considered acting. It absolutely just happened. I had a friend in Los Angeles, who happened to be Southern, which is probably why we were friends, because I needed some Southern friends there. She ended being a manager for some actors, and got a great job for this independent film Rockabilly, strangely enough. It was the lead in an independent film, and I randomly auditioned for fun. I ended up getting the role, and the film won some awards. Shortly after, I was like, “Wow, I kind of dig this.” Then, I ended up doing Roger in Rent for a little while. Then I got an agent, and landed a role as Matthew McConaughey's brother in Frailty. It's not like I've really done a lot of acting, but it's something that sort of keeps coming back to me, and I'm grateful for that, because over time, I've fallen very much in love with it.

WCT: Would you say music is still your first love, or have they evened out?

LK: They are sort of getting even. They are getting equal at this point, even though music is what pays my bills and keeps me on the road. The love is pretty equal.

It's been nothing but a positive experience.

WCT: We are an LGBT publication, so we think it's really cool that you are out and open. At this point, do you think it's more difficult to be out and completely yourself in the music scene or in Hollywood?

LK: Undoubtably, acting. This is where I could launch into having lived in Los Angeles for eight or nine years. I've seen, not only casting directors, not only producers of films, but actors, as well, who, when it gets right down to it, there is still that wall. I know of actors who are successful in Hollywood right now, who unfortunately, except for three or four people in their lives, have to have a girl by their side for the paparazzi. But music, it seems, has really opened up a lot. It doesn't surprise me that's the case, because rock ‘n' roll was birthed out of rebellion. So, it just seems like it would make sense to happen earlier in music, whereas movies have always had a reputation to uphold, at least in Hollywood.

WCT: You decided to go independent, which allows you be completely be yourself. What brought you to that decision? Was it your move to Los Angeles?

LK: I had just been released from Atlantic Records in early 2005. I had realized at that point, that the reason I had gone though so many record labels is they really didn't know what to do with me, which is because I wasn't letting them know who they were working with. I was guarding myself and presenting to them what I thought they wanted—and what they said they wanted, which was “Let's make this guy into a new MTV heartthrob singer-songwriter.” In actuality, I wasn't being honest with anybody, so nobody knew what to really do with me. When I left Atlantic Records, I said to myself, “You know, I am never going to get anywhere and own my journey, unless I can say this is important. These experiences are here for a reason. I am who I am, and as an individual expression of God. Who am I to be shameful of that?” That's why I went back to cutting my teeth on gospel music. I had a passion to say something that makes a difference. I couldn't readily to that and pretend to be something else. That's why with $200 in my pocket and a favor from a friend, recording One of the Ones, and just sat down at a piano and played from beginning to end and hoped that it happened. And thousands of CDs later, it did! I think the reason it is because it was such an outburst of honesty from me. That had been bottled up for a while, waiting to come out. To just say, “This is who I am, and I finally embrace it.”

We all want that for ourselves, so I think anyone in life who exhibits that, we are attracted to and inspired to do the same.

WCT: For young LGBT aspiring musicians and actors out there, what is your advice?

LK: If you hide your journey, you have nothing to say. That's number one. And two, it ain't about you. I believe we all have very specific gifts, whether it be music or like my mom, who is an amazing caregiver. That is what we are intended to do—to just serve the world around us. It is our service. When we approach our career from that way, we find that everything that we need begins to just be there and support us in that endeavor. If you really want to know the secret, it's not about us.

See www.levikreis.com . Million Dollar Quartet runs through Sunday, Oct. 26, in Goodman's Owen Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn; call 312-443-3800 or visit www.goodmantheatre.org

10.08.08 | The Chicago Tribune: "New Musical Captures The Thrills of Presley, Cash, Lewis, Perkins" by Chris Jones
By Chris Jones | Chicago Tribune critic
October 7, 2008
Great balls of fire! Here's a hit. A palpable hit. Vegas. London. Maybe even Broadway.

Here's why. The new commercial musical "Million Dollar Quartet" contains virtuosic performances. The kind of jaw-dropping turns that snap your head to the stage and unlock your feet from the floor.

Virtuosic performances aren't the same thing as precise impersonations. This show is based on the actual night in 1956 when Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash showed up at Sam Phillips' Sun Studios in Memphis for a jam session—the show contains some two dozen iconic numbers.

But as the artful director Eric D. Schaeffer clearly understands, fake celebrities are best confined to Branson, Mo.

Instead, this 100-minute musical production skillfully delivers a snapshot essence of Lewis, Perkins, Presley and, above all, Cash. (The remarkable Lance Guest is, for my money, more convincing than Joaquin Phoenix in "Walk the Line.") These actors look and sound reasonably like their guys, even if some of the ages feel a bit off, but they're also thrilling musicians.

This pre-New York show, co-produced by Gigi Pritzker and renting the Goodman's intimate Owen space before an expected move to Chicago's Apollo Theater, works because it operates on two levels. You enjoy the show's re-creation of a night of four-pronged genius with its collective hair down. And you enjoy watching top-drawer artists in their own right.

Levi Kreis kills not because he sounds so close to Lewis, but because he sets his keys on fire. And as the peppery, embittered Perkins, Rob Lyons oozes edge and talent. Even Kelly Lamont, who plays a potentially throwaway character based on Elvis' girlfriend, wails at the microphone.

The "boys," as Phillips would have called 'em, were fired up big-time Sunday night. And they whipped up an initially sedate and dressy opening-night crowd into quite the little frenzy. Jewelry was rattled. Once the real hard-core fans find this show, this will be a big downtown party.

In terms of narrative complexity, you're not expecting "War and Peace," and you don't get it. But the book was co-written by music historian Colin Escott (with Floyd Mutrux), so it's based on solid historical reportage. There's enough conflict to keep things interesting: Flashpoints include Phillips' attempts to nail Cash to a new Sun contract, when he wants to flee for a corporate label with broader reach, as well as Perkins' anger over Presley's stealing "Blue Suede Shoes" and performing it on "Ed Sullivan."

The show weaves in a few flashbacks—mostly the times when each of the boys first showed up at Sun—with unusual subtlety for a revue of this type. The piece is a tribute to the contributions of Phillips (played with compelling verve by Brian McCaskill), and it makes the case that the corporate labels mostly just stole from this independent maestro of the booth. But the show is neither overly sentimental nor a hagiography. Sun had limited resources and distribution. Mostly, the show lays out the inevitable intersection of art and commerce.

And it reminds us that Lewis, Perkins, Presley and Cash came from rural backwaters. They had nothing, until Phillips tuned their pain and rebellion into art for someone else to sell.

The piece could use some cleaning up around what Phillips is (and isn't) recording or controlling. And some will question Eddie Clendening's understated take on Elvis. Indeed, this young performer lacks the charisma and pizazz of his peers. But Schaeffer uses that skillfully: Clendening counterintuitively points up the malleability of the young star, who trusted in the Colonel when he should have stayed with Phillips.

10.08.08 | Chicago Daily Herald: "Catch Million Dollar Quartet While You Can" by Barbara Vitello
Chicago Daily Herald - Chicago,IL,USA
By Barbara Vitello | Daily Herald Columnist

The cast of "Million Dollar Quartet" will have to hold off packing
their
bags for Broadway.

For now.

Any plans Chicago-based Dee Gee Theatricals and John Cossette
Productions had to move the show to New York after its monthlong lease
at the Goodman Theatre runs out, are on hold.

For now.

Within days of this week's official opening, producers announced the
show - an exhilarating fictionalization of the historic 1956 Sun Studio
jam session involving Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry
Lee Lewis - would transfer to the Apollo Theatre where it will likely
continue through the end of the year.

That's great news for anyone who thrills to the sound of chunky guitars
complemented by a rollicking piano and a heavyweight rhythm section that
lands every punch.

A combination concert, history lesson and homage to the musicians and
their visionary producer, Sun Records founder Sam Phillips, "Million
Dollar Quartet" is the most exuberant theatrical event I've
experienced
all year. A jukebox musical in the best and purest sense of the word, it
persuades even those disinclined to the genre (I include myself among
them) that in the right hands, this format has merit.

Co-writers Floyd Mutrux ("American Hot Wax") and music historian
Colin
Escott (author of "Good Rockin' Tonight") have an ideal premise
in the
impromptu jam session in that it doesn't require the imposition of the
kind of artificial narrative from which jukebox shows typically suffer.
That's not to say "Million Dollar Quartet" doesn't have a
story to tell.
In fact, it tells several.

Narrated by Phillips (an astute, dynamic Brian McCaskill), a man who
understands both art and commerce, the show flashes back to how he met
the 'boys' he helped turn into legends. Flashing forward to 1956, it
finds those boys restless and unsettled. Presley (Eddie Clendening, in
an understated performance underscored by remorse), who left Sun for
RCA, returns to the studio with a girlfriend (Kelly Lamont who more than
holds her own) and a whole lotta regret over the man who understood him
and his music unlike anyone else. Cash (Lance Guest, of the taciturn
demeanor and quiet conviction) struggles with how to tell Phillips he's
signed with Columbia. Brash newcomer Lews (the brilliant and charismatic
Levi Kreis who leads with his chest and nearly steals the show) angles
for the break that will make him a star. Last but not least, there's
prickly Perkins (a fiery, defensive Rob Lyons who makes palpable the
guitarist's bitterness and his brilliance), frustrated in his attempt to
follow up his hit "Blue Suede Shoes" and resentful at Presley's
unintended appropriation of the song.

Co-directors Mutrux and Eric Shaeffer have crafted the show wisely: with
minimal dialogue and maximum music. (The 24-song set - er - score
arranged by Chuck Mead, includes the house-rocking "Real Wild Child,"
a
propulsive "Who Do You Love?" and a dizzying "Whole Lotta
Shakin'" among
others). Four terrific musician-actors - with an emphasis on the
'musician' - comprise the powerhouse quartet which is supported by a
rock-solid rhythm section made up of bassist Chuck Zayas and drummer
Billy Shaffer.

There's a poignancy to the show which marks not just the birth of rock
'n' roll, but the end of an era (within a year or two, all but Lewis
had
left Sun for labels offering higher royalties and wider distribution).
There's also a sense of lost innocence that's especially resonant in
light of the personal struggles these men endured and the artistic
compromises some of them were forced to make.

But more than anything, "Million Dollar Quartet" reflects early rock
'n'
rolls unfettered abandon, it's absolute defiance and the pure joy music
can provide. There's nothing like it on stage in Chicago right now, and
that's saying something.

Catch it while you can.

"Million Dollar Quartet"

Four stars (out of four)

Location: Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., Chicago

Times: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays to Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m.
Saturdays; 2 and 6 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 26

Running time: About 100 minutes, no intermission

Tickets: $20-$49

Parking: Paid lots nearby

Box office: (312) 443-2800 or milliondollarquartetlive.com

Rating: For all ages

10.07.08 | "Who Cares About Story? This Quartet Can Rock!" by Hedy Weiss for Chicago Sun Times
THEATER REVIEW | It came from Memphis with mighty roar

October 7, 2008
BY HEDY WEISS Theater Critic/hweiss@suntimes.com

Just call them the Memphis Boys. Though unlike those urban, blue-collar, mostly first-generation East Coast immigrant kids we now think of as the Jersey Boys, they were poor Southern farm kids by birth -- from Mississippi (Elvis Presley), rural Tennessee (Carl Perkins), Arkansas (Johnny Cash) and Louisiana (Jerry Lee Lewis). And for a brief period during the 1950s, what linked them together -- aside from their monumental raw talent and their particular streaks of self-destructiveness -- was that they all got their big career breaks thanks to that visionary rock 'n' roll producer Sam Phillips, who recorded them at his Sun Studio storefront in Memphis.

"Million Dollar Quartet," the musically dazzling, rhythmically propulsive, altogether rollicking 90-minute fantasia inspired by a unique day in the life of these four musical giants and their maverick mentor, opened Sunday as a "rental" in the Goodman's Owen Theatre and already is set for an extension (Oct. 31-Dec. 14) at the Apollo Theatre, 2540 N. Lincoln.

The show comes with a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux (co-director with Eric Schaeffer) that is little more than the standard connect-the-dots, supply-the-back-story string of cliches. But it gets the job done, and who wants to listen to dialogue when the only real story here is the music -- two dozen rock and roots classics performed with rip-roaring virtuosity by sensational performers who (unlike the actors in "Jersey Boys") not only sing but are also ace instrumentalists. (They are so good, in fact -- with knockout musical direction by Chuck Mead --that I double-checked with the show's press reps to see if there was any "enhancement" and was assured there was none.)

The show homes in on an accidental jam session on Dec. 4, 1956, that was captured in a now iconic photograph, and you could easily call it a crossroads moment for all involved. Presley (a softly sullen Eddie Clendening), already caught up in the commercial frustrations that would be his undoing, has just dropped by for a visit, homesick for Philips' artistic respect. Perkins (Rob Lyons, emotionally intense and craggy-looking) is filled with resentment because Elvis soared on HIS song, "Blue Suede Shoes." And the quietly brooding Cash (Lance Guest) can't quite gather the courage to tell Phillips he won't be signing a new contract with him.

So it seems that Phillips' little empire of boy wonders is about to disintegrate, except for that hellion of a newcomer -- the leg-pumping, keyboard-cruising riot of rockabilly, Lewis (Levi Kreis), a firecracker with so much self-confidence, and such galvanic talent that you know he will not be denied. Kreis is so phenomenal he seems to have been cloned.

Brian McCaskill handily plays the role of Phillips. Triggering the essential sexual sparks as Presley's girlfriend is Kelly Lamont, who easily raises the temperature with her takes on "Fever" and "I Hear You Knockin'." Chuck Zayas and Billy Shaffer are the superb backup musicians. And yes, there is a whole lotta rockin' goin' on here.

10.07.08 | Time Out Chicago: "Let The Sun Shine In: The men of quartet can jam!" by Christopher Piatt
Although it constitutes one of the least sexy chapters in the volume, the case of Jukebox Musicals vs. Everything Else in Theater is the American stage’s only significant contribution to the nation’s bifurcated culture wars. The question posed by jukebox musicals’ existence is the same one that hangs everywhere in American life: Are we interested in innovation or in dwelling on a false reminiscence of the past? Sadly, I fear the genre’s unflagging proliferation means the wrong side is winning. That said, it would be unnecessarily stubborn, irresponsible consumer reporting and all-around bad manners not to tell you that the jukebox musical Million Dollar Quartet is as electrifying as holding your finger in a light socket.
Imagining the fabled day in Memphis’s Sun Studio in 1956 when label alum Elvis Presley (Clendening) dropped in on a Carl Perkins (Lyons) recording session, while Johnny Cash (Guest) and a just-signed Jerry Lee Lewis (Kreis) happened to be on hand, this rockabilly Chautauqua is the only musical I’ve ever seen that shows what made rock & roll frightening to postwar, mashed-potato America. To ears trained on the dulcet harmonies of Your Hit Parade, the noise played here makes Sun’s artists sound like the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
Written without much condescending narration—and mostly as a love letter to unsung label founder Sam Phillips, the CEO of cracker soul—Quartet puts its authentic rock music front and center. In this acoustically expert re-creation, the four professional musicians channel their respective forebears with a spiritual medium’s accuracy, especially reckless Kreis’s Jerry Lee Lewis, who’s frankly so dead-on it’s ridiculous

10.03.08 | "Million Dollar Baby: An Interview With Levi Kreis" by Gregg Shapiro
‘Million Dollar’ baby: an interview with Levi Kreis

By Gregg Shapiro
Contributing Writer

Out singer/songwriter Levi Kreis has been writing and recording his own music for a few years. He has also made a name for himself as a touring musician who spends much of his time on the road playing shows in support of his albums “One of the Ones” and “The Gospel According to Levi.” But theatergoers in Chicago are about to see a different side of Kreis. As Jerry Lee Lewis in the stage musical “Million Dollar Quartet,” opening Sept. 27 and running through Oct. 26 at The Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn, Kreis won’t be performing his own songs. Instead, as the embodiment of 50s rock icon Lewis, Kreis will be singing “Great Balls of Fire” and other tunes associated with the legendary musician, while playing the piano Lewis style. I sat down with Kreis shortly before the opening of the show to talk about “Million Dollar Quartet” and his own performing career

Gregg Shapiro: I’d like to begin by asking you to tell me about how you became involved in the musical “Million Dollar Quartet,” which is opening in Sept. at the Goodman Theater in Chicago?

Levi Kreis: I started working with the script with the producers of this show in 2001. Floyd Mutrux had this concept and had been working on the script and some people from the Coronet theater in Los Angeles started working with it and I believe I was their first Jerry Lee (Lewis). I’ve seen so many versions of this script through this thing. It was always something—you pop in for a week or two, do a reading, let the people see where it is, and then I’d forget about it and do something else, and then a few months later they’d call me and ask “Hey, can you do another reading?” It never occurred to me that this thing would have legs because it was just one of those things where it was just fun to step in and do, but slowly the script began to evolve to a place where it really began to stand up on its own and we all began to think “Wow, this is actually going to go somewhere!”

GS: There are many people who know you primarily as a musician. Do you also have an extensive theater background?

LK: Actually, no, Gregg. In 1999 or 2000 I had a really short, brief stint as Roger in “Rent.” I’ve work shopped another musical with Emmy Award winning director Paris Barclay who has directed “The West Wing” and “NYPD Blue”. We actually did another version of that script this summer. So, he keeps bringing me back for this role of George and they kept bringing me back for this role of Jerry Lee Lewis, but beyond that I’ve been all about my touring and my albums (laughs).

GS: You are portraying Jerry Lee Lewis in “Million Dollar Quartet.” What are the challenges of playing a living person?

LK: It’s actually good because the whole point of bringing this story to the stage, we wanted to be careful about not becoming caricatures of the artists, we didn’t want it to be a revue, like a Vegas type of thing. We wanted people who could capture the essence of these legends, but not really try to mimic them. I think that was the safest choice actually, so it’s not hard for me to have that essence, I grew up listening to Jerry Lee Lewis, I was playing “Great Balls of Fire” by the time I was 12 years old at all of my family reunions, and that is what I grew up doing. That is more truly me than probably the last two albums I’ve released.

GS: Have you had the opportunity to meet Jerry Lee Lewis?

LK: I have not. Two of my best friends have been back stage with him, and they have some very interesting stories about him, but I have not had the chance to.

GS: You mentioned that you grew up playing Jerry Lee Lewis songs. As a musician, how would you rank Jerry Lee Lewis’s influence on you?

LK: Very close to the top. For sure, and gospel music being the primary thing, as you know, I’ve cut my teeth on, but then there was Jerry Lee, Brenda Lee, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles. You find that a lot of those influences really did create who I am and I’m actually proud that it finds itself on this new (forthcoming) album.

GS: Do you have an all-time favorite Jerry Lee Lewis song?

LK: I like “Crazy Arms” because it’s got a little bit of that country flair to it. I love doing “Real Wild Child” in this musical.

GS: In Million Dollar Quartet, you are performing alongside Lance Guest, who plays Johnny Cash, who many people will remember from his breakout role in the `80s movie “The Last Starfighter.” What is it like working with Lance?

LK: Fantastic! Lance Guest and Rob Lyons (who portrays Carl Perkins) are like my brothers. I could not have asked for a better situation and I say that in the most sincere way. I am passionate about these two guys. I could be on the road with these guys for years and never have an issue. We’ve never had a conflict, we’ve never had a cross word, we are so supportive and in love with each other, we just love each other.

GS: Speaking of movies, you were in the film “Frailty,” with Matthew McConaughey. You are also slated for the upcoming “Southern Baptist Sissies.” Would you like to do more movies?

LK: Over time I’ve fallen in love with it and it’s something I never pursued. I never wanted to, but it just seems to keep coming to me. Every time it comes to me I’ve fallen in love with it.

GS: As an out performer who received a 2006 OutMusic Award nomination and who has had his music video played on Logo, how do you see your role in that scene?

LK: That’s an interesting question because I’ve reevaluated that recently. It’s been a great place to begin and to support, because it provided me with an environment where I could own my own power, own my own voice, and learn how to sit in that and hold that with integrity. However, there’s one rule that we know; gay men love their divas and their dance music, and I’ve found out that 80 percent of my sales are women, so I’m finding that my whole way of going about this new album is going to be completely different because the women are finding out about me. I have some really passionate gay male supporters, but women are hearing about me probably from the TV and film placement that I’ve had, that’s probably where they’re finding it because I’m sure they don’t buy The Advocate (laughs). So, I’m finding that actually I don’t feel like it’s a comfortable fit. I’ve met with other gay publicists and whatnot, in preparation to take this album, and quite frankly, they look at me and say “Well, you’re going to have to take your shirt off, shave your chest, do this and that.” I’m like “Wait a minute!” The name of this album is “Where I Belong.” You get comfortable with knowing who you are and I am a country boy who knows what I do and do it well now. I know this now, and it doesn’t seem to fit with gay media anymore.

GS: You’ve performed in Chicago a number of times in recent years. Is there anything you want to say to your local fans?

LK: Thank you for making me feel so welcome. I have received a lot of e-mails that have said “I love that you’re going to be in Chicago!” and “Welcome to our town!” and “Do a show of your own while you’re here and we’ll come and support you!”

GS: Finally, after putting a pause in your musical career to do “Million Dollar Quartet,” what are your plans?

LK: The plan is to go on the road for the summer and tour the new release because I planned for this new album to come out in January. Work that for a little while and hit the road. If “Million Dollar Quartet” comes back in the fall, which could be the case, I don’t know, I’ll consider where that might take me.

10.01.08 | "Million Dollar Quartet": October Theatre Review by Alan Bresloff for Steady Style Chicago
Rock 'n Roll is all over town! "All Shook Up" in Lincolnshire, "Jersey Boys" at the LaSalle Bank Theatre, "Buddy Holly" at the Drury Lane Water Tower, and now "Million Dollar Quartet" at The Goodman Theatre. This new musical by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux was inspired by a 1956 recording session that brought together Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley. The entire show takes place at Sun Records, a storefront recording studio in Memphis where each of these performers truly began their careers. Sam Phillips (Brian McCaskill) who was often called the "Father of Rock 'n Roll" discovered all four of these stars. The story brings all four of these men to the studio on this December day, each having a specific reason and what ends up taking place is one of the greatest jam sessions that ever took place. While Sam kept tape rolling during the entire session there was no clean tape to make into a recording to sell. What we get to see is a behind the curtain look at four small town good old boys on their way up to stardom.

Million Dollar QuartetIf one were to imagine looking in on an event such as this one, one would expect no more than what we get. Solid performers bring these legends and their music alive on the stage of the Goodman. Rob Lyons is Carl Perkins, Lance Guest is Johnny Cash (close your eyes and you truly hear his voice), Eddie Clendening handles young Elvis Presley and you will absolutely go nuts over Levi Kreis as Jerry Lee Lewis (he is all over the place and never misses a beat). Kelly Lamont portrays Dyanne, Elvis's "girlfriend" who is a combination of many woman that Elvis dated and sings "Fever" as well as adds a female touch to the production.

The back up musicians Chuck Zayas and Billy Shaffer never leave the stage and while they have no lines are a very important part of the show. All of these performer/actors bring great energy to making this date in history come alive. From "Blue Suede Shoes", "Rock Island Line", "Ballad of A Teen Age Queen", "Sixteen Tons", "Ghost Riders in The Sky" and "Great Balls Of Fire" plus many more, this 1 hour forty minute production will have you tapping your feet, clapping your hands and ready to jump out of your seat and dance.

The Owen at The Goodman is a small and intimate venue which works very well for a production like this. No matter where you sit, you will be able to see and hear and enjoy. If you love the music of this era, you will be in heaven. If you love the other shows mentioned, you will have a great time with this one. If you just want to forget your troubles and have a great musical experience, then by all means see this production. The only problem with this production is that the run will be too short. "Million Dollar Quartet" plays through October 26, 2008 at the Goodman Theatre, located at 170 N. Dearborn. Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 and 6 p.m. Tickets range from $20-$49 and are available by phone at 312-443-3800 or at www.goodmantheatre.org.

06.04.08 | Music Connection Magazine releases 1st national issue featuring Levi Kreis!
Making The Most of This Moment:
by Dan Kimpel

Singer/songwriter Levi Kreis is a joyful independent artist. "I'm a businessman, not just a musician. It's not a responsibility; it's a freedom, because we get to decide how far we go nowadays. The difference in the industry is fantastic. I don't have to sit around and wait for 20 suits to decide my fate anymore."

A series of indie releases has established Kreis as a recording artist while providing a bounty of material for film and television projects. Most recently, he wrote and performed three songs-two penned with co-writer Darci Monet- in the feature film Kiss The Bride, starring Tori Spelling. "I met (music supervisor) David Quan through a group of friends. We were drawn to each other because of our histories," recalls Kreis. "I didn't even consider what he did, but we got a call from him asking to hear some songs for a film. He knows people I worked with in Nashville. I love that we have a common past, not only in a business perspective but also from a personal standpoint. And now here we are in the present and he's got my back. I'm very grateful."

Born in East Tennessee, Kreis broke into the business as a Christian singer/songwriter in Nashville. "I was comfortable with the camaraderie, I felt inspired by the excellence of musicianship they require. But being the product of a very religious background, I felt there were certain things about the church that weren't ringing true. Eventually, the rub inspired me to redefine my views about God and the universe, and although I am thankful for Nashville and its spirit of religion, I wouldn't want to live there again," notes the Los Angeles transplant.
In conversation, Kreis speaks with the fervor that echoes evangelistic cadences. "if I were to say that we were created in the image of God, then I believe that we are every bit of the creator that God is. But the challenge of that for us as artists and singer/songwriters is that when we start out pursuing dreams, it's not an easy task. There are always rejections and obstacles. Over time, we begin to build internal judgments about ourselves, about the world, and about how much success we may or we may not be able to achieve. So the goal is to realize that we should dismiss these internal judgments and let the universe have the last word. And standing right here, connected to the divine, say, 'Why not me? Why can't I have all this? I'm not going to listen to these internal judgments. I am meant to create, to serve what God has blessed me with the ability to do.' Just as he has blessed us all with a very special specific ability that we then have the responsibility to take to somebody else."
Post Music City, Kreis was groomed for a major label signing in New York City. "It was all looking so fantastic, but there was some shady shit that I was too naive to navigate my way through," he confided. Stuck in New York, with no release imminent, Kreis snagged an appearance on the television series The Apprentice on an episode where XM Satellite radio challenged the two teams to find an unsigned artist and deliver a produced song to be heard on XM Cafe. "I had about seven minutes on TV," says Kreis. "I had to make the most of this moment. I had all of these ballads the label didn't want, so I sat down at a piano and made the CD (One of the Ones) for $200. I went to a friend to do graphics, borrowed money to manufacture CDs and set up a website. The show aired and I couldn't keep up with thousands and thousands of requests for this album."
Kreis is now completing a new CD, titled Where I Belong. "This truly represents who I am as an artist. I feel like I'm coming home to the gospel roots that I've grown up with and the country influences, too. I said a lot of heavy things on my last album, so I feel good. I can celebrate the moment in front of me rather than wading through the past."

02.08.08 | The Spirit Of Levi Kreis: By Steven Guy for DavidMixner.com
Growing up in Eastern Tennessee, the only music that Levi Kreis’ parents allowed him to play was by “The Three Lees-- Brenda Lee, Jerry Lee and Elvis Pres-Lee”. There on the floor of his living room, little Levi would spin the sanctioned 45s, listening, singing and dreaming. It wasn’t until he banged out "Pomp and Circumstance" on the piano at the age of 6 did his parents realize that their son's love of music was less a carefree enjoyment and more the exercises of a budding prodigy. 376682_2

Hearing Levi today, it’s easy to spot the musical influence of the Three Lees. Brenda’s unique lyrical styling, Elvis’s tender, yet sexy, soulful voice and if you're blessed enough to catch one of Levi’s lounge performances, you’ll see Jerry Lee’s bad-ass rock-n-roll piano showmanship interwoven with Levi’s own musical identity. The final piece of that identity came as fortuitously as the albums lying on the floor.

As Levi tells it through a southern drawl, and characteristic, endearing tilt of his head, “Granddaddy worked at the post office and one of his best friends was Alice, a beautiful black woman with angel white hair. She would come over with her granddaughter and we’d play together. Once Granddaddy said to Alice, ‘this boy just never stops singing’, …Granddaddy asked if I would like to sing for Alice… I sang for Alice and she said ‘We need to get that boy in church!’”

Taking his living room show to a larger stage, the next weekend Levi was performing at Mount Zion Baptist Church. And from there it began. “I was this toe-headed kid, who took so naturally to the sound of gospel music.” Levi became somewhat of a celebrity while touring, not only performing, but actually preaching as well. His relationship, however, ended with the church when they discovered he was gay.

Nonetheless, Kreis did not allow the religious bigotry to impact his musical journey. Before long he was making serious inroads through a myriad of venues: concerts, cruises, videos and radio. One of those performances was a memorable stage role portraying Jerry Lee Lewis in “Million Dollar Quartet", in Seattle, Washington. Not surprisingly, Levi sent sparks a-flyin' with his critically acclaimed performance. “Playing Jerry Lee is like second nature to me," he claims. "Since I was 12, I was playing, 'Great Balls of Fire'. It was a natural reaction.” The great joy of performing this role was not only in portraying one of his formative “Lees” but also in bringing Levi back to his roots. “Playing Jerry Lee reminded me of where I came from. My roots are squarely back growing up in the church to the R&B soul, with a tinge of country...it's what I do best."

Kreis then arrived in Los Angeles playing Roger in the national tour of the popular musical, "Rent". Being the fresh talent in town, he was courted by 12 major record labels, and that process birthed his exciting new album, "Bygones." The first song on the CD, "Beside You," exemplifies the process. “I was talking to a girl at Columbia Records, who was looking for a theme song for a brand new TV show," Kreis recalls. "My song made it to the final two along with Paula Cole’s "I Don’t Wanna Wait." The show went with Paula Cole, and that was the theme song for "Dawson's Creek.” For Levi, the songs may be a collection of near misses, but for fans it’s a bull's-eye to the heart.

"Bygone's," currently available on I-Tunes, is aptly titled: the collection is soulful and joyful, full of tender longings and sad endings. Think of it as the lingering taste on the lips after a body-tingling kiss. The album showcases a musical signature that lies somewhere nestled between Don Henley and Stevie Wonder. It may be a broad market, but it’s also specifically redolent of the haunted south, with performances longingly beautiful that touch just below the skin. The incredible “Say The Word Goodbye” tells the heartfelt story of a man breaking through to love again, putting pathos and feeling behind the lyrics as only Levi can. Also featured is a personal song of reckoning, “Handcuff My Soul,” about learning how to love honestly.

Catching up with Levi these days is not easy to do. He has, after all, logged over 170 live performances last year. Having corralled him, he will tell you that this album is about closing up the past and moving forward. And what about his sexual orientation? Has being an “out” artist has helped or hurt his career? As if he has never considered the question, finally, he thoughtfully replies, “If it has, it’s done more good for my spirit and that’s all good. There’s no choice. Being 'out' allows me to still do music that touches the soul and spirit. I can only do that when I’m honest."

This lesson has proven to be successful for Levi. The searingly honest lyrics of “I Should Go” tell the story of his falling in love with a straight friend, and became a hit on the soap, “Days of Our Lives." Additionally, Levi’s “Stained Glass Windows” has become the theme song for Del Shores’ “Southern Baptist Sissies" This past year, Levi provided three tracks for the OUTFEST film “Kiss the Bride” starring Tori Spelling.

With this new album Kreis proclaims, “We are about to get a whole hell of a lot of fun!” Fun mixes with fundamentals with this return to the singer's roots. “The church is my strongest influence, and by the church, I mean the sound of gospel in the black church not the Christian rock, like Amy Grant," Levi says. "It always centers around country music and finding that while a lot of my sound is reminiscent, I belong where gospel music became secular like Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, when gospel moved to soul, and from there to R&B."

Levi may indeed be moving to a sound that was born out of the church, because like the allegorical lessons of the Bible, Kreiss' message is one of renewal and love. “I want the new album cover to be me, simply hugging or loving the piano,” Levi says, half jokingly. But the joke becomes deadly serious when it becomes clear that the singer/composer has rediscovered a love affair with something very special.

Ironically, his truth has landed him some of his most successful ventures to date, and there’s so much more to come. Levi’s deeply personal songwriting, coupled with an incredibly beautiful, soulful voice, has clearly made him someone to watch. He has taken all the Lees and produced a distinctive sound all his own. And one day, perhaps another naturally gifted child will be sitting in his or her living room, listening to the 4th famous ”Lee”---- Lee-vi Kreis and discover their own voice.

Because when we all find our own music, we all find a bit of ourselves.

12.10.07 | 15 WEEKS IN THE TOP TEN, 9 WEEKS AT #1, #4 VIDEO OF 2007/NEW WINTER RELEASE GOES DIGITAL
Hey gang, did you happen to catch Levi this weekend on Mtv's Logo Channel? The Click List: Top 10 Music Videos of 2007 premiered last Friday and we are proud to announce that after 15 weeks on the charts, 9 weeks holding the #1 position, we landed the #4 slot for 2007. Big big thank you to our incredible iForce team and everyone who cast a vote to make "We're Okay" such a success.

Levi's new digital release "Bygones" is receiving strong reviews; very exciting considering it is a collection of previously unreleased selections from some of Levi's first studio endeavors upon moving to Los Angeles. Click the link below and go directly to "Bygones" on iTunes if you haven't had the opportunity to sample it yet.

There are a lot of exciting things to tell you guys about the January sessions for Levi's 2008 project. Levi has managed to pull together a superb band along with a few tentative guest appearances which will certainly give us all something to talk about. Once that takes off in 3 weeks, we'll have all kinds of info for you. But for now, we are signing off for the year. Wishing you all a very happy holiday. Thanks for making 2007 such a fantastic year for all of us here at levikreis.com!

11.12.07 | "WE'RE OKAY": #1 MUSIC VIDEO FOR NINE WEEKS ON MTV'S LOGO CHANNEL!/NOVEMBER'S EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL RELEASE
Well, hello beautiful people! We hope you've enjoyed the killer reviews of Levi's performance as Jerry Lee Lewis in "The Million Dollar Quartet", a new rock and roll musical. The show has broken attendance records and racked in over a million dollars in sales; making this project very attractive to a lot of theaters. We're excited to see where it goes next...and if Levi goes with it...

After 15 weeks on MTV/Logo's 'The Click List: Top 10 Videos", Levi's single, "We're Okay", claimed the #1 position for a total of nine weeks. We continue to receive incredible feedback from hundreds of you who found this message to be relevant to your own present circumstances. Sincerest of thanks to all of you for sharing your stories. And a BIG shout-out to our exclusive iForce team!! You guys are exceptional at keeping this video in the public eye. Thanks!

...And as a thank you to his fan base, Levi is releasing a winter compilation of some of his favorite early studio recordings; nine of Levi's first studio endeavors upon moving to L.A. in 1997. The CD, entitled "Bygones", will be released this month for digital distribution only, and just in time for Christmas. Get it now at CdBaby.com. Just click the related link below. "Bygones" will be available on iTunes, Napster, and several other digital distributors by the end of the month.

Levi is finishing out the year in the studio laying down tracks for his junior project slated for spring of '08. Levi will be teaming up with the incredible Slammin' Sammy K, recently featured in the November issue of Modern Drummer Magazine. (www.slamminsammyk.com)
We'll keep you up to date on all the developements.

Enjoy the holiday season!

11.11.07 | The Enterprise Review of "Million Dollar Quartet".
'Million Dollar Quartet' is a winner

By Dale Burrows
For the Enterprise

Who but Village Theatre would dare tackle something like four music legends all out jamming, off the cuff, unrehearsed and entirely uninhibited? It's like staging the Big Bang.

Guess what?

Village dared; and all of Everett Performing Arts Center came to its feet in sheer delirium, myself included. "Million Dollar Quartet" wails.

Why wouldn't it?

Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lewis no more than happened to run across one another at Sun Studios December 4, 1956. Nothing was arranged. Nothing was announced. But the guy who gave them each their start, Sam Phillips, sensed something big was sure to happen and got the local newspaper involved. Phillips was right. The four legends took to one another just being themselves, busted loose showing what they could do, and Phillips -- ever the businessman -- got it all recorded. The newspaper the next day labeled the quartet "The Million Dollar Quartet." In 1956, a million was worth a billion today.

Story material like that explodes with possibilities.

Then there is internationally acclaimed author and Grammy Award-winning producer Colin Escott ("The Complete Hank Williams"). Escott co-wrote the libretto.

And celebrated movie producer Floyd Mutrux ("Scarecrow," "Mulholland Falls") co-wrote the libretto with Escott and co-directed with Matthew Walker.

And Chuck Mead of the multiple Grammy-nominated country band BR549 directed the music.

With back up like that, and a cast that can sing, act and play country rock, no wonder Village's "Quartet" breaks all sound barriers. You can't listen and not hear.

Levi Kreis blasts off. If you know Jerry Lee Lewis, you know he hit country rock like a meteorite. The man rocked the world, shocked England by marrying his 13-year-old second cousin and dropped from the big time because of the disgrace. He was a wild man who could do anything with a piano and even now is still touring.

In "Quartet," Kreis is the untamed essence of country rock on the keyboards, a smart alec in person and an all-around hillbilly hot shot. You like watching him. But you wouldn't invite him home for a family dinner.

Lance Guest's Johnny Cash sings like Johnny Cash. Same deep, resonating voice bespeaking a lifetime of experience lived hard and full.

Dane Stokinger's Elvis "The King" Presley is pretty much what you would expect. All hips and brooding but with a velvety smooth way with a song.

Record-business savvy, an eye for talent and a slick manner with talented people personify Matt Wolfe's Sam Phillips. Wolfe makes the case for promoters who make a difference. Very strong acting.

Rob Lyons as Carl Perkins takes a back seat to the other legends in the beginning but comes on in a big way as things move along.

Jessica Skerritt steams as she teases the girl-crazy hunger out of a panting Jerry Lee Lewis. The whole house loved sweating it out, men for their reasons, women for theirs.

As for the music, it is the real show standout. You know these guys. The favorites that just keep going keep right on coming. "Great Balls of Fire," "Love Me Tender," "The Rock Island Line," they are all there. A show for all ages. Recommended.

Reactions? Comments? E-mail Dale Burrows at grayghost7@comcast.net

11.02.07 | The Herald Business Journal coverage of "The Million Dollar Quartet: A New Rock n Roll Musical".
‘Million Dollar Quartet’
recalls magical recording session

By John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor

Get ready for an entertaining musical evening of rock ’n’ roll with four of the biggest names in music as Village Theatre opens its new fall season at the Everett Performing Arts Center with “Million Dollar Quartet” — starring professional singers in the challenging roles of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash.

Known for the quality of its productions, Village Theatre picked a blockbuster cast to hit the boards for this one. The show already has earned enthusiastic praise from Seattle reviewers for its “Quartet” presentation at the theater’s home venue in Issaquah. Now the show is running Nov. 2 through 18 in Everett.

“The show was received extremely well in Issaquah, and it’s doing very well in ticket sales for Everett, too,” said Josh Roberts, director of marketing for the theatrical organization. Portrayals of the four immortal performers, and renditions of 30 of their immortal songs, are handled superbly by experienced actors who play their own instruments and mimic the singing styles of their stage personas.

The setting for the show is based on a rare 1956 gathering of the four superstars at Sam Phillips’ Sun Records Studio. Although Presley had moved on to RCA records by that time, he was well acquainted with the other three who were still Sun recording artists.

As a musical, of course, the attraction isn’t just the professional performances of the faux singing stars but listening to 30 famous songs of the ’50s and ’60s — including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Great Balls of Fire” and “Shake, Rattle & Roll.” More mellow moments slow to such melodies as the gospel hit “Peace in the Valley.”

Floyd Mutrux, who co-authored “Good Rockin’ Tonight — Sun Records and the Birth of Rock ’N’ Roll” with Colin Escott and directed the birth-of-rock movie “American Hot Wax,” co-directed “Quartet” with Matt Walker for Village Theatre.

In a starring role as Johnny Cash is Lance Guest (whose credits include starring on “St. Elsewhere,” “JAG” and “NYPD Blue,” as well as playing Alex Rogan in the 1984 sci-fi movie “The Last Starfighter”). Rising recording artist and actor Levi Kreis, who just completed a 251-city national tour promoting his two albums, plays Jerry Lee Lewis. Stage and nightclub artist Rob Lyons plays rockabilly legend Carl Perkins, and Dane Stokinger, veteran of the national tour of “Miss Saigon” and the European tour of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” takes on the challenging role of Elvis Presley.

Matt Wolfe, a familiar Village Theatre player in such shows as “Hello, Dolly!” and “The Music Man,” joins the cast of “Quartet” to play Sam Phillips as the “Father of Rock-n-Roll,” and Jessica Skerritt, who has performed at ArtsWest, Civic Light Opera and Harlequin Productions, is Elvis’ showgirl girlfriend, Dyanne.

Village Theatre, with more than 17,000 subscribers and a projected audience of 170,000 annually for its five-play seasons, has launched more than 60 new musical stage productions and promoted youth education programs through Pied Piper and KIDSTAGE, serving more than 53,000 young people, families and schools each year. This season’s sponsors include the Boeing Co., Continental Airlines, Microsoft and Lombardi’s restaurants.

Coming up on the season’s playbill are “The King and I,” “Barefoot in the Park,” “Little Women” and then “AIDA.”

11.01.07 | "The Seattle Times" review "The Million Dollar Quartet".. the second time!
A play with a "whole lot of shakin' goin' on"
By Diane Wright

"Million Dollar Quartet" is one show where the actors play the audience as hard as they play their instruments.

Levi Kreis, who plays Jerry Lee Lewis in the musical, said that during the show, "Couples have been leaving the middle of the row and dropping their bags and dancing with each other. We've had girls come to the front of the aisle and shake during 'Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On.' "

With that rousing finale, "we like to create a safe environment for them to experience theater in a completely different way," said Kreis. "We're all trying to let them know this is a party, and you can let your hair down."

The musical does a "you are there" take on a memorable December day in 1956 when Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis came together for session work at Sun Records, the recording studio that gave all of them their starts. Full of bravado but still vulnerable, these young entertainers put their mark on an era and walked from obscurity into legend.

Village Theatre transfers the production to Everett from Issaquah on Friday, with audience response so good in Issaquah that the Everett run already has been extended a week.

The musical's title comes from a Memphis newspaper headline about that memorable session, organized by Sun Records owner Sam Phillips.

Deferential and polite, "these guys came from the churchgoing South," Kreis said. "They had a sense of moral obligation, whether they chose to battle with it, like Jerry Lee, where rock 'n' roll won out, or incorporated it into concerts, like Johnny Cash."

"The writers did an extraordinary job of penciling in everyone's interrelationships," said Lance Guest, who plays Cash.

Phillips, played by Matt Wolfe, comes off as a showman keeping tight control over his "talent," who became surrogate sons.

"Sam signed these guys and made them what they were," Guest said. "Nowadays, you've got to have a band, it's got to play clubs, you can't just walk in and say, 'Hi, I want to be a rock star.' It was different at that time."

The show's creators, co-directors Matt Walker and Floyd Mutrux, musical arranger and director Chuck Mead, and Colin Escott, who co-authored the show with Mutrux, have used hit after hit, including a lot of covers Cash made famous.

The energy increases with "Blue Suede Shoes," "The Wreck of the Old 97," "Fever," "That's All Right," "Rock Island Line," "Great Balls of Fire" and "Ghost Riders in the Sky."

But there's also an a cappella version of "Peace in the Valley" and quiet tunes performed as though they were new. It probably took the relatively innocent postwar 1950s to engage a whole country with a song like "See You Later, Alligator."

Though "Great Balls of Fire" ends the show, after the bows come four more songs, ending in that roof-raising version of "Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On." As Jerry Lee Lewis, Kreis' chair-kicking, keyboard-banging performance is so wild he has to tape his fingers. If he doesn't, his cuticles split.

Pianist Kreis, classically trained at Vanderbilt University, said "Jerry Lee was one of my main influences as a child." Kreis said he was the family party trick, being asked to play "Great Balls of Fire" when he was 12 years old.

What he sees in common with Lewis is "the ability to lose oneself in the music, to zone out and go where the music takes you and not be afraid."

Dane Stokinger plays a young, deferential Elvis Presley, playing and romancing his girlfriend Dyanne (Jessica Skerritt). Rob Lyons plays guitar legend Carl Perkins, and Corey Kaiser is his bassist brother Jay, with James "Rif" Reif on the drums.

"The play is supposed to approximate a jam session," said Guest, a guitarist for more than 30 years who met the real Johnny Cash in 1989 in Hollywood. "It shouldn't feel like a performance. That's what's exciting about the idea. What would it feel like if you were there?"

Guest said the Sun Records sound was original.

"You can hear it in the records," he said. "There's a soul to it. Bluegrass and country and gospel were done one way for so long, and when they put them all together, it was an explosion."

Diane Wright: 425-745-7815 or dwright@seattletimes.com

10.18.07 | The Seattle Gay Times Reviews "The Million Dollar Quartet"
Million Dollar Quartet: Rockabilly revue features solid performances
by Miryam Gordon - SGN A&E Writer

Million Dollar Quartet
By Colin Escott, Floyd Mutrux and Chuck Mead
Directed by Floyd Mutrux and Matt Walker
Village Theatre
Now through October 28, 2007 Issaquah
November 2 to 18, 2007
Everett

Almost more of a revue than a musical, Million Dollar Quartet features some of the best rockabilly musicians. Four remarkable performances by Lance Guest as Johnny Cash, Levi Kreis as Jerry Lee Lewis, Rob Lyons as Carl Perkins and Dane Stokinger as Elvis Presley, are as good as it gets, as they sing and play all their own instruments on stage. They are backed up by Corey Kaiser on bass and James Reif on drums, creating a seamless musical experience of the earliest days of these great performers.

The date is December 4, 1956, near Christmas, as these former and current Sun Records musicians visit with their mentor, Sam Phillips (Matt Wolfe). It was a real event, and they apparently did record a number of songs together, off the cuff. Not clear is if Elvis' girlfriend, Dyanne, played by the lovely Jessica Skerritt, actually sang with them, as she does in this production. The list of songs covers all of their early hits and gives you a history of what they were doing before Sam Phillips found them and launch their recording careers.

The production values are all solid, with a nice, cluttered set by Scott Fyfe, exciting concert-style lighting by Alex Berry and great musical direction by Chuck Mead. The sound technician had the volume up kind of high at the beginning of the show I saw, but thankfully, it turned down a notch as the show went on.

It's a joy to watch such talented musicians, performing classic hits, but if one could be said to stand out among the standouts, Levi Kreis is an amazing pianoman. His exuberance is unstoppable. He has apparently injured himself, after doing a stunt of jumping over the piano, so he's not performing that stunt anymore. I don't think we really need him to hurt himself for our entertainment! He's just as fun without it.

If the 50s and Presley, Lewis, Cash and Perkins are your kind of music, then don't miss it.

For more information, go to www.villagetheatre.org or call 425-392-2202.

To comment on the review, write sgncritic@gmail.com.

10.12.07 | Review of MDQ from "The Stranger" Magazine; Seattle
One December evening in 1956, Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins played a jam session with, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sun Records' hottest new acquisition. Johnny Cash stopped by to pose for photos because Sam Phillips, Sun's P. T. Barnumesque president, had invited a reporter. The impromptu four-man supergroup would never meet again.

Million Dollar Quartet is a dramatization of that night, and despite some dramatic tarting-up—Elvis's girlfriend (Jessica Skerritt) sings a couple songs and gives a painful speech referring to rock 'n' roll as a "revolution"—it captures the significance of that night. All four men were about to experience the costs of unprecedented fame: Perkins was fading into obscurity after being eclipsed by Elvis, Cash would soon sign a lucrative contract with Columbia Records, Lewis was on the verge of becoming the world's most popular rock star before losing it all by marrying his 13-year-old cousin, and Presley had just made the first of many atrocious movies and was about to embark on a two-decade descent into weirdness, self-loathing, and perversion.

The performances are excellent. The actors mimic each musician's signature tics—Rob Lyons does Perkins's odd guitar-playing chicken walk, Lance Guest's Cash lifts his guitar over his head—but it's more than impersonator shtick. The actors are a good ensemble and a fine band, and though their instruments keep them primarily rooted in place, they find room for fun: Lyons plays a hot guitar solo while standing precariously on an upright bass being played by another actor.

The unabashed star of the show is Levi Kreis's Lewis, an arrogant bastard who revels in his own talent. Kreis's leg is in a brace—he threw out his knee in an earlier performance after vaulting over the piano—but his Southern-fried bravura is still magnificent. In real life, Lewis is the only surviving member of the Quartet. Here, too, the Killer gets the last laugh. PAUL CONSTANT

10.07.07 | Stunt injures actor in Issaquah musical

Stunt injures actor in Issaquah musical

By Seattle Times staff report

Seattle performer Levi Kreis pushed his portrayal of Jerry Lee Lewis a bit past the limit during Friday's performance of "Million Dollar Quartet" at the Village Theatre in Issaquah.

In the finale of the musical, which depicts a 1956 jam session among Lewis, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins, Kreis jumped from a piano, one of several stunts he performs in the show. Kreis didn't break a leg but he did tear a ligament in his left knee, according to his manager, Rich Overton.

The show must go on. And it will. Overton and Village Theatre marketing director Josh Roberts confirmed that Kreis is cleared to perform for the rest of the show's run, which continues in Issaquah through Oct. 28 and then moves to the Village Theatre's Everett venue Nov. 2 to 18. Minus Kreis' big stunts.

10.07.07 | Seattle Weekly Review of "The Million Dollar Quartet".

Million Dollar Quartet
A momentous meeting in Memphis, recreated on stage By VIRGINIA ZECH

It has been just over half a century since four rock/country/gospel/rockabilly legends, later to be known as the Million Dollar Quartet, found themselves together in a small Memphis studio recording impromptu tracks. The Village Theatre production of the same name, perhaps more accurately described as one of the best cover shows in the history of man, chronicles the story and music of that evening at Sun Records. December 4, 1956 could have gone down in the annals of obscure musical history as the day Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins gave notice of their intentions to leave Sun at the expiration of their contracts; it could also have been recorded as the date of a nostalgic reunion between Elvis Presley and his friend and former champion, then-owner of Sun, Sam Phillips. Through some divine miracle of scheduling these events transpired simultaneously, their accompanying tensions hilariously mitigated by Sun’s recent hire: hillbilly, pianist, and vocal legend Jerry Lee Lewis. Everyone in this play deserves praise, Jerry Guest’s almost eerie channeling of Cash and Levi Kreis’s hysterical rendering of Jerry Lee in particular. Inspired musical performances punctuated by moments of wit and sadness made this show the most fun I have had at the theatre in a long time.

10.02.07 | Seattle Times review of "The Million Dollar Quartet"
"Million" honors an amazing moment in rock

By Tom Keogh



Oh, to have been a fly on the wall at Sun Studio on Dec 4, 1956.

Music fans who revere the legacy of Sun (which released hit tunes on the Sun Records label) and its visionary owner, producer Sam Phillips, know that rock 'n' roll was partially invented behind the walls of the small recording facility in Memphis, Tenn. That's where, among other things, the determined Phillips pulled a synthesis of blues, country, rockabilly and gospel out of Elvis Presley for the latter's groundbreaking first releases in 1954.

Two years later, Presley was no longer with Sun. But his December visit in '56, that led to an impromptu jam session with Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash, was a momentous occasion — and the subject of Village Theatre's exhilarating new musical "Million Dollar Quartet."

A blend of historical fact, wistfulness and love for Phillips' revolutionary contribution to American culture, "Million Dollar Quartet" is the closest thing to wish fulfillment for anyone who has dreamed of witnessing Presley, Perkins, Lewis and Cash blend their disparate influences into an original, albeit brief, sound.

The book by Colin Escott (author of "Good Rockin' Tonight — Sun Records and the Birth of Rock 'N' Roll") and Floyd Mutrux (who directed a very good film about rock's infancy, "American Hot Wax," and co-directed "Quartet," along with Matt Walker) isn't a forced narrative with musical accompaniment. It's a reflection of a moment in time that also coincided with the end of Phillips' peak impact on rock's development.

The action takes place over a few hours in which the primary drama is the music itself. "Quartet" is largely a concert with various ironies unfolding in the background, conflicts no one really wants to speak of lest they spoil the day's bonhomie, but which will be addressed eventually.

"Quartet" opens on a fantasy note with Perkins (Rob Lyons) leading Presley (Dane Stokinger), Lewis (Levi Kreis) and Cash (Lance Guest) through a sizzling "Blue Suede Shoes." It takes about a minute to realize that all four performers are, in fact, playing their own instruments, a rather dazzling detail particularly regarding Lyons and Kreis, who recreate the sensational fullness of their characters' complex sound while capturing, respectively, Perkins' coiled personality and Lewis' shrewd wildness.

Stokinger's Presley isn't so much an impression as an allusion to a great artist who knows, on some level, he's already been compromised and misses the purity of Sun. Guest, who is 47 and plays Cash at 24, brings a lifetime's gravity to the Man in Black.

Matt Wolfe might have the toughest job, finding in the enigmatic and disillusioned Phillips a man who could hear the possibilities in rock 'n' roll before anyone else, but who couldn't hold onto his creation for long.

Tom Keogh: tomwkeogh@yahoo.com

09.27.07 | Second Review of "The Million Dollar Quartet". TalkingBroadway.com
Million Dollar Quartet
Swings When It Sings at Village Theater

Musicals loaded with '50s hit songs seem to be a sure bet to draw an audience in the greater Seattle area. The past few years Seattle have seen crowd pleasing productions of Smokey Joe's Café, All Shook Up and Buddy, and now we have Million Dollar Quartet opening Village Theatre's season with a rousing standing ovation and post-show chatter rife with comments about "coming back to see this" and "I'm telling all my friends to come." At just over 100 intermissionless minutes the show is perfect for those weary of the many two and a half hour musicals we have all come to expect. It has a talented cast of actors, and a fine small group of musicians. But it is a revue trying to pretend it is a book musical, and, though Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux have indeed supplied a script, it is a mere hook on which to flimsily hang the songs and the actors' impersonations of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.

Million Dollar Quartet was inspired by an actual event that took place on the night of December 4, 1956 at the fabled Sun recording studios in Memphis, Tennessee. It was the one and only time Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, along with Sam Phillips who had discovered them all and became known as "The Father of Rock & Roll," were all united in the same place at the same time. They sang, they argued, and they shared stories. In Escott and Mutrux's version, a girl singer named Dyanne, ostensibly a gal pal of Elvis, was there too. Nothing really dramatic happened, other than Phillips being deserted for the grandeur and lure of RCA (where Elvis had all ready set up camp). The show relies on such golden oldie songs as "Blue Suede Shoes," "Ghost Riders in the Sky," "Sixteen Tons," "That's All Right," "Great Balls of Fire," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and more (many of which were probably not part of the song mix), and the combination of the tunes and the cast vocal and sometimes instrumental skills are part of what powers the production. The other part is two of the cast members' performances.

Lance Guest, remembered fondly in some quarters as an adolescent actor in the cult film The Last Starfighter, makes a riveting, impressive, flesh and blood Johnny Cash, and if Joaquin Phoenix hadn't all ready done the film bio of Cash, Guest could have auditioned for it. Maybe he should produce one himself - he's that good. Levi Kreis may not be quite as much of a ringer for Jerry Lee Lewis, but he has Lewis's essence and energy down pat. Carl Perkins, the least well remembered of the four (he wrote "Blue Suede Shoes" but an injury kept him from recording it before Elvis had already made it a hit) is winningly played by Rob Lyons, who may well be glad to be playing the least iconic guy in the room. The most iconic, Elvis Presley, is sadly never visible in Dane Stokinger's vocally sound but mild and muted performance. An amped up Presley would make the whole show rock more than it does, and it is hard to know how Stokinger could have missed the mark so completely. Matt Wolfe as Sam Phillips has to step out of the story and talk to the audience a lot, which may explain why his Phillips only registers in fits and starts. As the composite girlfriend Dyanne, the attractive Jessica Skerritt is given a solo on the Peggy Lee classic "Fever" and does nicely enough by it, even though it is a mere consolation prize for being handed such a cipher of a role to play.

Musical direction by Chuck Mead is solid and scintillating, with assured work by onstage musicians Corey Kaiser and James "Rif" Reif. Actor Kreis sizzles at the piano as Jerry Lee Lewis. Scott Fyfe's scenic design captures the low-rent seediness of the Sun Studios impressively, and it is set off well by lighting designer Alex Berry. Deane Middleton's costumes evoke the era and the look of the of the quartet with aplomb.

In the final analysis a show like this is pretty critic proof and will likely fill all the seats during its run with less demanding theatregoers. For the choosier among you, Lance Guest's turn as Cash may be reason enough to check out Million Dollar Quartet.

Million Dollar Quartet runs through October 28, 2007 at Village Theater, 303 Front Street North, Issaquah, WA, and November 2–18, 2007 at Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Avenue, Everett, WA. For more information visit Village Theater online at www.villagetheater.org.


Photo: Jay Koh



- David Edward Hughes

09.25.07 | Seattle Pi reviews "The Million Dollar Quartet: an original rock n roll musical"
'Million Dollar Quartet'

The Village Theatre's "Million Dollar Quartet" could give the 1950s a good name. It could even give testosterone a good name.

The year is 1956. The place is the Sun Records Studio in Memphis. The characters include Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. They are the "Million Dollar Quartet" of the title. Additional characters are Elvis' paramour du jour (a shapely blonde named Dyanne), Sun impresario Sam Phillips, a drummer and a bass player.

The immortals of rockabilly perform immortal tunes. The show's 30 songs include "Blue Suede Shoes," "Party," "Shake Rattle and Roll," "Willie and the Handjive," "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On." Among the pace-changers are "Sixteen Tons" (muy macho) and "Peace in the Valley" (gloriously harmonized).

Librettists Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux have taken a real incident and turned it into a jukebox revue. There's a dab of plot. Lewis and Perkins irk one another. Elvis has defected to RCA. Cash is trying to figure out a way to break the news that he's about to sign with Columbia. But mostly the show is a tribute to the birth of rock 'n' roll.

Co-directors Mutrux and Matt Walker have recruited sensational singer/instrumentalist/actors: Lance Guest as Cash, Levi Kreis as Lewis, Rob Lyons as Perkins and Dane Stokinger as Elvis. These four don't seem like impersonators. Mostly they come across as inspired performers doing great work. As Lewis, Kreis is especially amazing: conceited, mouthy, athletic, witty, goofy and a fantastic piano man.

Jessica Skerritt, as Dyanne, does right by "Fever." As Phillips, Matt Wolfe adds a bit of dramatic depth portraying a man who discovers rough talent, polishes it and then loses it to big money outfits. Adding essential byplay are Corey Kaiser on bass and James "Rif" Reif on percussion.

The explosions of youthful male energy -- combining competition, cooperation and discipline -- are pure exhilaration. The sense of creative, as opposed to destructive, testosterone is driven home by a particularly propulsive styling of "Down by the Riverside" with its emphatic refrain, "Ain't a gonna study war no more."

"Million Dollar Quartet" plays at the Village Theatre, 303 Front St. N., Issaquah, through Oct. 28, when it transfers to the Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave., Everett, where it runs through Nov. 18. Issaquah tickets: $20-$55; 425-393-2202, 866-699- 8049. Everett: $15-$49; 425-257-8600 or 888-257-3722. In either case: villagetheatre.org; students and military half-price 30 minutes before curtain, discounts for groups.

09.13.07 | INTRODUCING THE MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET: AN ORIGINAL ROCK AND ROLL MUSICAL!
Many of you know by now of Levi's involvement in a new rock n roll musical called "The Million Dollar Quartet". Now that his 2-year national tour has finally come to a successful end, Levi will sit down in Seattle for 3 months to play the role of Jerry Lee Lewis opening September 19th and running through November 26th. You guys, this cast is ridiculously talented! With multi-faceted talent such as Lance Guest, Rob Lyons, and Dane Stokinger, the respective roles of Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley come to life to tell a little known story about the relationships between four of the greatest legends, and the visionary who discovered them, Sam Phillips.

Playing Sam Phillips is the brilliant Matt Wolfe, who is the common thread in the lives of these four young men. Playing the sultry Marolyn-esque role of Elvis' mysterious Vegas girlfriend is Jessica Skerritt. Skerritt's vocal stylings are impeccible, and so is her ability to bring hope once again to Phillips when everything he's worked for seems to be slipping into the hands of the high powered record labels. Overall, a fantastic team effort by everyone, making for not only a non-stop night of rock and roll, but a heart-warming story about how one man created a legacy.

We want you guys to meet this great cast and get to know this exciting work. We hope that some of you get out to Seattle to see it! Check the tour schedule; the info is all there.

That's all for now. A very special thanks to our iForce team for a third week of "We're Okay" at #1!!!

08.26.07 | "WE'RE OKAY" LANDS ANOTHER WEEK AT #2. SEATTLE PREPARES TO GET THEIR BALLS ROCKED FOR 3 MONTHS! INTRODUCING KEITH KREIS!
Since "We're Okay"' debuted at #5, it's been five long weeks of hangin' in the Top 10 on MTV's cable channel Logo. This week, we hold tight to the #2 position with the help of our iForce Team, who you will soon be hearing about. Keep voting guys!! We've gotten hundreds of emails from people who are responding to this video in inspiring ways, and you are the reason they are getting the chance to see it!

Levi arrived last Monday in a little historic town right outside of Seattle to begin rehearsals for an original rock-and-roll musical called "The Million Dollar Quartet".
He will be playing the role of Jerry Lee Lewis and is joining an incredible cast of musicians and actors. Having the script here in our hot little hands, we can assure you that this show is nothing less that a wild rockin' ride! If you are in the area, or if you plan to travel in to see this once in a lifetime performance, go to www.villagetheatre.org to find all the info you need!

We would like to introduce someone who is presently working with Levi on songs for his yet untitled coming album. Levi's brother Keith Kreis. Keith's signature style of rowdy, irreverent lyrics is a perfect addition to the southern soul that marks this new album as a long awaited return home to musical roots. As a matter of facts, Levi is scheduled to go back to Tennessee in January to record the entire album in his home town of Oliver Springs. Happy Birthday Keith! You guys are killing it!

Alright everyone, that is all for now. Keep watching Logo and voting! We'll check in with you pretty babies in a month! Till then, be good to you!

07.03.07 | “WE’RE OKAY" PREMIERES ON LOGO. OUTFEST FILM FESTIVAL WELCOMES LEVI. ENVYMAN MAGAZINE SPREADS “THE GOSPEL...”.


Hey kids! We know it’s been a while since we’ve run an update for you, but with Levi’s hectic tour schedule it’s been hard to stay on top of everything. And come on, with Levi opening for divas like Chaka Khan and Deborah Gibson, you really think we’re going to sit around in a hotel room and make news briefs? No, pretty babies. But alas, here are the haps!

Levi’s first music video “We’re Okay” premiered June 24th on MTV’s alternative lifestyle programming, Logo. Now, here’s a quick lesson in Logo. They have two different shows for music videos: NewNowNext, and The Click List. “We’re Okay” ran successfully on NewNowNext all last week. Now, we wait to see if it joins The Click List.

The Click List actually involves you! At www.logoonline.com, you will click and vote for your favorite music video. The Click List, the show, will air the top 10 videos voted for that week. As soon as Levi’s video hits The Click List, we’ll let you know as we will be counting on all of you to click and vote as if your mamma’s life depended on it. ;-)

Who doesn’t love Tori Spelling? Just when we thought we couldn’t love her any more, she stars in a brilliant new film called “Kiss The Bride” featuring three of Levi’s songs: “Hardly A Hero”, “U Found Me”, and “We’re Okay” (end credits). “Kiss The Bride” will have its world premiere at Outfest Film Festival on Monday, July 23rd.
You can check to see if tickets are still available at www.outfest.org

Envyman Magazine may be a new addition to our national gay periodicals, but they are quickly on their way to becoming one of the hottest for sure. Impeccable layout and design, they also have a pretty great review of “The Gospel According To Levi” in issue #10; on stands right now!

Since our last brief, Columbia Record’s new LGBT record label, Music With A Twist, released the first ever compilation CD of all-LGBT artists including Levi’s “I Should Go”. We tell you true, this is a great CD worth picking up. It’s called “Revolutions”. Go to iTunes and check it out.

Here’s a random bit. “Futurelove” just won first place in the category Pop/Uptempo Dance at the Unisong International Songwriting Contest. Thanks Darci for submitting yours and Levi’s song! Spread that future-love all over the world!

The boys over at Outvoice.Net have been doing a lot when it comes to getting the word out about “The Gospel According To Levi”! Levi landed the number 3 album on May’s Top 40 list. You guys go over to their cyber-home and say howdy, and keep an eye out for June’s Top 40 to post; we’re anxious to see if Levi will climb!

Levi is finally staying in Los Angeles for a while as the bulk of his touring has ended. Can we tell you how excited we are about a new album that will start recording in late July/August? In the meantime, Levi’s been talking about a small church tour. This Sunday, July 8th, could be the start of several future church dates as Levi does a special performance at WeHo Church in West Hollywood. We hope to reach out to MCC churches abroad, so keep an eye on the tour schedule.

That’s all for us. We hope that you all have a wonderful summer! Blessed be!

04.10.07 | Columbia Records soon to release "Revolutions" CD including Levi's indie hit "I Should Go". / New Music Video Released to networks.
On May 15th, Columbia Records new GLBT music label, Music With A Twist, will release their first compilation CD of all gay songsters, an anticipated move for the new label created to provide mainstream exposure for out artists. Heavy speculation began to build in the GLBT music community as to whether Twist would build a quick reputation for sacrificing their initial mission statement for the safety of mainstream acceptance when their last compilation, The L Word sountrack, became more about a collection of already established, non-gay artists. We, at levikreis.com are here to tell you truly; they now have a line-up of artists on their coming release that has the potential to shut everybody up. Here's hoping they play their cards right and find effective ways to work these out indie artists into the limelight. We're rootin' for ya!

Perhaps one reason we're invested in their success is because our very own Levi Kreis has a song on the new compilation. "I Should Go", from his critically acclaimed album "One of the Ones", had a great life last year with heavy radio rotation, a feature on "Days of Our Lives", and national television appearances performing the hit indie single. We encourage all of you to check out the link we provide here (Twist's myspace page) and take a listen to the other incredible artists that have come together to make this such a powerful project. We would also encourage you to email them when you visit their myspace site and tell them you are thrilled that Levi is a part of the project and that you wanna see as much of him as you possibly can. Letting them see first hand by your email the incredible support you guys have is sure to be a positive statement, and may increase the level of participation Levi might have with touring this compilation cd, participating in promotion, etc. So go get 'em, guys and dolls! You know WE don't mind if you badger the shit out of them. :-) So here's all the album info you could ever wish to know:

"Revolutions": on Music With A Twist
April 24th- Digital release: Available exclusively on Rhapsody.
May 8th- Digital release with all other Digital Distributers
May 15th- The physical release date.

Myspace them, email them, push Levi down their throats, and most importantly, SUPPORT YOUR INDIE OUT ARTISTS! MAKE SURE TO PICK UP A COPY FOR YOURSELF!

Well kids, we are all wiping the sweat off of our brow as we look at the DVD of the new video sitting on our desk. We have no words other than, thank God it's finally done! "We're Okay", the music video, is being copied as we speak and should be heading out to the wonderful, beautiful people at Logo by Monday. Other video outlets will be considered, and we'll let you know whose got their hands on our little ditty. We'll be adding a link here at levikreis.com in order to provide you viewing pleasure...very soon.

That's all for now. Don't forget, the shooting of "Southern Baptist Sissies" begins in May! Levi will be playing the role of Jared, a club stripper that seduces a questioning Baptist boy to reconsider his inhibitions and experience his desires. Levi will also be in the studio recording songs for the coming soundtrack. All this and more; keep checkin' with us. We love you very much!

03.05.07 | LEVI FEATURED IN AUSTRALIA'S SEXIEST MAGAZINE / "IN THE NAME OF GOD" REACHES #7
Levi talks about God, sex, his music and Will Fennell in the March issue of DNA! This one may be a little hard to get your hands on, but it's sure to be one hot read. Check the gay mag section of Borders and Barnes and Noble. You'll find it there, but it is an import magazine so there may be a few weeks delay in stocking it.

Sirius Out Q posted their Top 20 Charts for this week. "In the Name of God", a very unexpected single, has climbed from #11 last week to #7. The Hot 20 is based on the amount of airplay from Jeremy Hovies’ music show Last Call which airs every weeknight on Sirius OutQ 106 beginning at 1 a.m. Eastern/10 p.m. Pacific. We encourage you to visit their web site, and listen to their programming at http://www.sirius.com/outq. FEEL FREE TO CONTACT JEREMY AS MUCH AS YOU WANT TO REQUEST "IN THE NAME OF GOD" AND MORE MUSIC OFF "THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LEVI'! We love it when you guys get aggressive. LOL!

We also have a great review for you to read from the people at Logo-online. Cut and paste the following link.

http://www.365gay.com/entertainment/musicchannel/top10/022807top10.htm

More to come. God Bless.

02.13.07 | DEBATE, PRAISE, AND PROTEST. "THE GOSPEL" IS GETTING PEOPLE TALKING!
If you saw the feedback posted on Gay.com regarding their recent interview with Levi, you have an idea about the whirlwind of conversation we are encountering while spreading "The Gospel". (Check the link below.)
First of all, we have been inudanted with emails and guestbook comments, many of you sharing your own stories and telling us how the new material applies to your own experience. A heartfelt thank you to all of you who took the time to voice your strong support. You have been a force of positivity in the midst of some venemous darts thrown in the name of God by some very disapproving Christians.
But response hasn't been that easy to predict. This was mildly interesting. A Jersey paper, which we obviously cannot mention by name, responds that Levi's new Cd is too "Christian" and refuses an interview. The same week a Dallas paper declines, saying the material is blasphemous. (So...which is it?) Regardless, we are thrilled that people keep talkin', and you can feel free to send us your feedback anytime!

But all that aside, let us recap a couple of events.

New York City, oh the love we have for you!!! With coverage in HX Magazine, Next Magazine, Sirius Radio, The Ryan and Caroline Show, and two stellar performances at Rockwood Music Hall and Vlada Lounge, Levi's release week could not have been more enjoyable. You were a brilliant host!

Last weekend, Debby Holiday made a special appearance during Levi's release party at Here Lounge in West Hollywood. Thank you to everyone who helped create a really great turnout!

Three more days till we are on set filming the brand new video for Levi's first single, "We're Okay" starring Rosemary Alexander and Emerson Collins. We'll give you a full report after the weekend.

Thank you guys so much for helping to make these first two weeks of the new release a successful venture for all of us here at Leekus Peekus Recordings Inc. Till next time.

01.22.07 | RELEASE PARTIES, MOVIES, AND MUSIC VIDEOS
Only one week away from the official release of "The Gospel According to Levi, and we're gearing up for some exciting bi-coastal release parties!


After a quick stop in Florida this Friday, Levi will be heading to NYC to perform two release parties, followed by a promotional performance in Los Angeles at the ever-so-popular Here Lounge. Check out the tour section for details. We'd love for you guys to make an appearance.

You will be happy to know that there is finally an official production schedule for "Southern Baptist Sissies: The Movie." Of course this means that Levi's song, based on the play by Del Shores, "Stained Glass Window" will finally be released on the coming soundtrack. Levi will be sharing the bulk of the soundtrack with the talented Debby Holiday. We're in the process of choosing the songs, but there are discussions about a dance remix of "Bittersweet Salvation", along with a couple of radical remakes. More down the road.

On the acting front, Levi has also been cast in the role of Jared in the SBS movie. Shooting begins in April.

In the meantime, we are working hard to meet the shoot date for Levi's first music video off "The Gospel According To Levi". "We're Okay" is the first single going to radio and we've got a great cast lined up to join forces with Levi in the making of this concept video. We'll keep you posted on developments.

That's all for now. We hope to see you at the coming shows! Bless all.

12.04.06 | Levi Kreis featured in January issue of OUT Magazine!
Out Magazine will be running an exclusive feature introducing Levi's soon-to-be released CD entitled "The Gospel According To Levi!" Release date is set for January 30th.

Hey guys and dolls! Welcome to the new site. After completing 148 tour dates this year, Levi is settling in for the holidays. We, on the other hand, are looking forward to kicking off the new year with a brand new album. We start this week planning release parties in several cities around the country, so keep an eye on the tour schedule. We might be headed your way come late January.

In other news, Levi joined forces this week with RJO artists group. Great to be a part of a new family with such great talent like Ari Gold and Billy Porter. Check out their site at www.rjoartists.com.

Stay Tuned. Much more to come.

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