Elvis impersonator Matt Stone took care of business on Saturday at Stage West Playhouse in Spring Hill, thrilling fans with an unforgettable performance.
“I thought it was a great show, and it was a great audience,” Stone said. “Lots of excitement and electricity in the air… And it’s always nice to play to an audience that’s as engaged, and you can really feel that there were a lot of Elvis fans.”
Stone, now 21, has been performing as Elvis since the age of 13, always striving to honor the legendary singer’s standards. His talent has earned him international recognition from both Graceland and the Elvis Presley Estate.
“Elvis’s show was so unscripted,” Stone said. “He didn’t conform to those Vegas standards of how a show should be, and he just did it as only he could do it. So, I just followed that model.”
During the COVID pandemic, Stone hosted a podcast where he interviewed Elvis’s stepbrother, Billy Stanley, who offered personal insights into the more human side of Elvis, which helps Stone better embody the music legend. At the concert, he entertained the audience of 244 with his humor and engaging crowdwork, creating a lively and memorable experience.
“I think it helps shine through in my show to understand even more of who he (Elvis) was, and the man underneath the jumpsuits.”
The idea for an Elvis concert came after Stage West surveyed audience members at a previous show, asking what performances they’d like to see. The theater selected the most popular suggestions and has been gradually bringing those acts to the stage.
Matt Stone as Elvis performs at Stage West Playhouse in Brooksville Fla., on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Stage West began organizing the show last summer to allow enough time for booking performers and scheduling show dates.
Jacob Hunt, the talent agent responsible for securing many of Stage West’s performers, was instrumental in finding an Elvis act and helped bring Stone to Spring Hill.
“We asked Jake to get us a good Elvis, and he got us a good Elvis.”
Hunt first heard Stone perform at the Historic Citrus County Courthouse, the same location where Elvis filmed his 1961 movie, “Follow That Dream.”
“I went to go check them out to see how good he was,” Hunt said. “He blew me away, and I just walked up to the end of the show, and I said, Hey, I’ve got an open date. We’re looking for a great Elvis. Would that work? And it did.”
Ernie Campagnone, a regular at Stage West, said he always enjoys the shows Hunt puts together because they’re consistently excellent. For this performance, he was simply looking forward to sitting back and enjoying the experience.
“Every show he puts on has been great,” said Campagnone.
Stone said some of his favorite moments in the show were performing “Suspicious Minds” and “The Impossible Dream.”
“We don’t get to do that one (Impossible Dream) very often, so that was something fun to add.”
The next show in Stage West’s Summer Concert Series is set for June 28 and will feature Kip Sweeney performing as Garth Brooks.