Coral WilsonHis friends had been telling him...
Coral Wilson
His friends had been telling him to go see Phil Shane forever.
Michael Stute wasn’t convinced until he saw for himself, and his life
changed in that instant.
Shane seems to have that affect on people.
“I have been asked, ‘What is it about Phil you love so much?’ and
it’s just one of those things,” Michael Stute said. “My wife and I
were so sucked into the whole scene. The only thing I can say is, you
have to see him perform.”
After five minutes of watching Shane perform, Michael and Michelle
Stute of Costa Mesa were swept away. Entwining their lives with
Shane’s, they embarked on a nearly-three year project. Their film
tries to capture the lounge performer’s intrigue and the addicting
effect Shane has on his audience.
The 80-minute documentary, “The Wonder of Phil,” will premier at
the Newport Beach Film Festival on Sunday.
Shane has become an Orange County celebrity, appearing regularly
over the years at the Fling in Santa Ana, La Cave in Costa Mesa,
Harpoon Henry’s in Dana Point, 2 J’s in Fullerton and the House of
Blues in Anaheim. Now he performs on the Strip in Las Vegas.
Many people call him an impersonator, with his Elvis, Neil Diamond
and Tom Jones tributes, but Michael Stute said Shane’s performances
are unique.
“You go to see him play, and he makes you feel good,” he said. “He
is such a genuine person, such a good soul and he really does believe
in the performances.”
This is Michael Stute’s third film production and his first
feature length documentary. A previous short film, “The Rocking
Chair,” achieved minimal success at the New York Festival. But he was
eager to work on a documentary with more universal appeal. Shane
seemed to be an ideal subject.
It is the classic American story of a man living out his dream. At
the age of 5, Shane was singing in church, and by the time he was a
teenager, he was already playing in clubs. In 2002, his ultimate
dream came true when Tropicana called and asked him to play on the
Strip in Vegas.
“He had a dream and he lived it out,” Michael Stute said.
Equally intriguing was Shane’s loyal following. Some fans had been
going to see him play for more than 30 years.
As the Phil Shane Fan Club president, Debbie Bartz plays a major
role in the film. She has been attending his performances almost
nightly since she was 21 years old.
“She went to see him every night and was essentially, along with a
bunch of other people, very much in love with him,” Michael Stute
said. “I think her life started to revolve around his.”
Now in her 40s, Bartz is still one of Shane’s biggest fans.
“Every time I’ve seen Phil, she has been there. If she has
something else going on, she’ll go for a couple hours and then
leave,” Michael Stute said. “It is like she just has to get that
little bit of time in.”
Michael Stute used what he called “guerrilla warfare” shooting
tactics to capture the spontaneity of the experience. To blend in
with the crowd, he used a smaller Sony one-chip camera instead of the
standard professional three-chip camera.
“I didn’t want people to be aware or intimidated in front of the
camera,” he said.
Since most of the filming took place at bars and clubs, Michael
Stute said there was never a dull moment.
“We saw the good, the bad and the ugly. It was totally wild,” he
said.
Completing the project required long days at work and long nights
of filming. It was an experience that he calls wacky, crazy and, at
times, full of frustration.
“When I look back, the whole thing was like a whirlwind,” he said.
“I would have these long, long days. But it was worth every minute.”
Michelle Stute was a driving force in the project as co-writer and
co-producer. In a way, Phil Shane played a role in bringing Michael
and Michelle Stute closer together.
“During the course of making the film, we ended up getting
married. And of course, we had to have Phil play at our wedding,”
Michael Stute said.
Like many fans, Michael and Michelle Stute quickly became close
friends with Shane. But even newcomers at his Orange County or Vegas
performances should not be surprised to see Shane waving as they
enter.
“If he sees you walk in while he is singing, he will wave at you.
And I don’t even know if he knows all these people,” he said. “It
makes you feel good. This guy makes you part of the experience.”
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