Charles Michael Duke burst onto the stage dressed as Elton John in his sparkly white and blue baseball outfit complete with baseball cap and bat, with the words Elton emblazoned on the back. His entrance was met with loud cheers and clapping from his fans in the audience who I suspect may have seen his performance before.
The theatre was only half full but the audience’s enthusiasm for Duke made up for the many empty seats. Duke sat at the piano, placed centre stage accompanied by his band, two guitarists, a keyboard player and drummer. Black curtains draped the backdrop whilst large, coloured spotlights shone on the performers. Bright searchlights scanned the audience at times, and much use was made of dry ice on stage.
Duke encouraged audience participation throughout, and the audience were keen to sing along as he went through Elton’s musical repertoire. In between songs Duke related Elton’s musical history and part of his life story especially relating his songwriting partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin and always referring to him as Sir Elton John.
Although slight of stature, Duke has a strong, powerful voice which is similar to Elton John’s at times. Considering he was given three years to live when he was 19 and underwent a double lung transplant in May 2018, he is testament to what he calls being given ‘the gift of life’ as he was born with cystic fibrosis and needed the transplant operation having been told if the operation had been left any longer, he may not have survived. Now, aged 29 he looks strong, and his voice sounds remarkable.
Duke delivers Elton’s hits well and his costume changes reflect those worn by the music legend. He tottered on stage in red, five inch platform-heeled boots, with a bare chest and wearing bright yellow pants with braces and a red bowler hat for ‘Pinball Wizard’. He categorized Elton’s songs into “Very depressing love songs”, “Rocky songs” and “Party songs” and concentrated on the latter two to get the audience into a party mood.
Duke has performed as Elton John worldwide with his self-production ‘Are You Ready For Love: The Story of Sir Elton John’ and the tribute show has already been performed more than 120 times since its launch in 2022. He has perfected his act for the satisfaction of the many Elton John fans who attend his shows; his love of Elton’s music and the man himself is demonstrated throughout his performance, from the use of replicas of Elton’s unmistakable flamboyant costumes to his similar voice and stage presence.
All of Elton’s timeless classics are included such as ‘Rocket Man’ ‘Tiny Dancer’, ‘Daniel’, ‘Your Song’ and ‘Candle in the Wind’, all accompanied with some musical background history. This show celebrates the songs of one of music's legends and is a ‘must’ for Elton John fans.
This show was a one night event, for more information and tickets for future shows, visit: https://www.readyforloveshow.com/tour-dates
Reviewer – Anne Horne
On – 31st July 2025
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