The Milwaukee Post

July 12, 2013 • Milwaukee Post • 17 Electrical fire closes Safety Building, Courthouse Post Staff MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee County Public Safety Building reopened Wednesday, but the County Courthouse remained closed after a weekend electrical fire caused more than a half-million dollars of damage. The fire started the afternoon of July 6 in a large basement utility room with numerous electrical systems inside. It caused a power failure for a portion of downtown, including the responding fire station, which used a generator to open its garage doors and send trucks. All court cases and jury duty Monday and Tuesday were postponed. The Milwaukee County Criminal Justice Facility, including its jail, stayed open. As of press time, crews were working around the clock to clean the nearly 1-million-square-foot courthouse, a task that was expected to take the rest of this week. The courthouse is on track to reopen on Monday, according to a news release from Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. "Public safety has been the number one priority throughout this cleanup and we've made sure the jail stayed open and that courts could get back into session as soon as possible," Abele said in a release. Because of the fire, the Waukesha County Communications Center stepped in to take on all the 911 calls that would've been received by the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, amounting to three times WCC's normal call volume. Waukesha County's Director of Emergency Preparedness Richard Tuma said the WCC began receiving 911 calls just after noon on July 6. The WCC and Milwaukee County serve as backup public safety answering points for one another, Tuma said. "This is an unusual situation in that typically when we serve as backup, they just have one piece of equipment, like a phone or radio system, failing. This time they had a total failure of their building," Tuma said. "Fortunately, our staff is dedicated and well-trained. This is what we're here for." To compensate for the increased call volume, the nine-person shifts at WCC were increased to 12, and two Milwaukee County dispatchers are helping out at WCC, as well, Tuma said. Investigators determined the fire was electrical in nature and started accidentally, said Milwaukee Deputy Fire Chief Aaron Lipski. Crews could not use water, instead dousing the fire with dry chemicals and carbon dioxide extinguishers. Firefighters had the flames under control in less than two hours, Lipski said. The cost of damage to the building was estimated at $368,000. Property damage inside was estimated at $150,000. During the cleanup, the Courthouse and Safety Building ran on generator power, an Abele release said. (Conley News Service Reporter Sarah Pryor and Post Editor Dwayne Butler contributed to this story.) Was that an Elvis sighting? Impersonator Tony Davis closely resembles King of Rock 'n Roll throughout one-man show at Waukesha Civic Theatre By JULIE MCHALE Post Theater Critic Photo courtesy of Jes Sudbrink, White Anchor Photography WAUKESHA – How does one begin to assign proper credit to a man who wrote, produced, directed and starred in his own show? I am almost at a loss for words, a rare occurrence. But Tony Davis, who achieved all of the above and with vigor and aplomb, deserves most of the kudos for the resounding success of "Elvis – I'll Remember You," now playing at the Waukesha Civic Theatre. Elvis Presley was one of those talented performers who achieved incredible acclaim during a relatively short life. He had a very powerful, flexible voice and a style that was unique in his time. His fans were ecstatic about him, and his fame lives on, long after his death in 1977. Though he has influenced many people, no one can replace or perfectly simulate him. However, Tony Davis comes close. He has obviously studied his music and his moves, and almost makes us believe that Elvis has returned to entertain us once again. I have seen many Elvis imitators over the years, but Davis comes closest to replicating the man and his music. The show is chronological and episodic in structure. Several narrators give us some information about his life, starting with his first recording and ending with his sudden passing. Some of the narrators are his fans; and others, people who had a professional connection with him. The show also features videos on both sides of the stage, which give us live images of Elvis in some of his movies and concerts. All of these aspects of the show enhance the story. But most of the enjoyment comes from Davis' unique and authentic rendition of the King of Rock 'n Roll himself. Dressed in black leather or the 10-pound jumpsuit, he gives his all in doing justice to Elvis' iconic delivery of a At a glance "Elvis: I'll Remember You" plays at 8 p.m. today, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Waukesha Civic Theatre, 264 W. Main St. Tickets are $23 for adults and $20 for students and seniors. For more information, call 262-547-0708 or visit www.waukeshacivictheatre.org. myriad of tunes, including among many others, "Love Me Tender," "Can't Help Falling in Love with You," the "Elvis: '68 Comeback Special Montage," which included "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Hound Dog," and "Are You Lonesome Tonight." He also sang several spirituals. Ironically enough, it was his spirituals that won him Tony Awards three times. The inclusion of a bevy of narrators is a clever way of transitioning from one sequence of tunes to another. Jeff Davis, who started the show, immediately gained our attention with his candid style and homespun humor. Another pair of giddy older fans, played by Beryl Marrazino and Linda Elder, are a big hit. The journalist, Tammy Vrba, has great presence and quite the voice of her own, as evidenced in the closing numbers. I also liked the bubbly teenager, Sarah Mac Gregor, who learned of Elvis through her grandmother. In some of the concerts, Elvis is flanked by a gaggle of screaming female fans; in others they feature a quintet of backup singers, called "Sweet Inspirations," played by Amber Braun, Brianna Ernst, Amanda Kerr, Becky Miller and Allison Ruf, all of whom are rhythmic and melodic. Elvis even had some interesting audience interactions. This show deserves support. It is very welldone and will provide a memorable experience for all who attend.

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