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Merry MeX-mas? ''Mexican Elvis'' rocks the DIA with Christmas fiesta

Thursday, November 30, 2006

November 29, 2006, (Detroit)—You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm telling you why, El Vez is coming to town and he’s bringing a Christmas fiesta with him. Surely you’ve heard of a Christmas celebration with Santa, but never of a MeX-mas celebration with the self proclaimed “Mexican Elvis.” El Vez brings his high-energy MeX-mas tour to the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) on Friday, Dec. 8 at 6:30 and 8 p.m. The performances are free with museum admission.

El Vez leads the MeX-mas festivities and is backed by the Memphis Mariachis. The troupe wouldn’t be complete without the dazzling Elvettes, appropriately named Priscilita and Lisa Maria. The show is adding a Christmas twist-and-shout to his onstage antics, but don’t be fooled. “With the wide range of music and the politics I throw in, it is a different kind of Christmas show,” said El Vez. The songs will range from originals to covers to parodies such as "You Ain't Nothing but a Chihuahua.” The El Vez performance is a collage of American music and Mexican culture with as many as half a dozen costume changes and a mishmash of over 100 songs. The show will feature Christmas songs, culture, politics, and humor fused with modern pop such as Oasis, and vintage rock such as Dylan and Bowie.

El Vez has appeared on The Tonight Show, Oprah, MTV, HBO, CNN and Kathy & Regis. After nearly two decades of playing in Los Angeles, Robert Lopez (El Vez) became what Rolling Stone magazine calls “more than an Elvis Impersonator...He is an Elvis translator, a goodwill ambassador for Latin culture."

El Vez’ performance is part of Macy’s American Music Fridays and is presented in conjunction with the Annie Leibovitz: American Music exhibition. The exhibition features over 70 legends of American music, including The White Stripes, B.B. King, Mary J. Blige and

Willie Nelson. Tickets to the exhibition are $10 for adults, $5 for youth (6-17), and children under 5 and DIA members are admitted free. Tickets are available at the DIA Box Office or at dia.org.

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Museum hours are 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

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The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the premier art museums in the United States, is home to more than 60,000 works that comprise a multicultural survey of human creativity from ancient times through the 21st century. From the first van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum (Self Portrait, 1887), to Diego Rivera's world-renowned Detroit Industry murals (1932–33), the DIA's collection is known for its quality, range and depth.

The DIA is currently undergoing a major renovation, scheduled for completion in late 2007. The museum remains open with a dynamic schedule of programs and activities for all ages. Visitors can enjoy some of the DIA’s “greatest hits” while the museum prepares for an entirely new installation when renovations are completed.

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