What would have happened if we had never had this wildly passionate and funny performance of Suspicious Minds? Apart from seeing the range of Presley’s singing and acting abilities, we wouldn’t have an example of how to improvise. I came across a note from one late Russian actor who suggested to read Hamlet’s soliloque as if it was a comic play, not a tragedy. I tried it, and I have to say that making it sound funny and actually laughing at certain moments produced the effect that Shakespeare most certainly wanted. This laughing Hamlet is more heart-rendering than the traditional clad in black Prince of Denmark.
The same with Elvis’s performance: somehow I trust his heartache much more than if I saw him walking the stage with a sad smile on his face.