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.”