In the 2007 reality television show "Grease: You're the One that I Want!", contestant Austin Miller was on the verge of getting knocked out of the competition when the spirit of Elvis intervened.

Er, maybe....

"I'd been teetering on the balance that week, the closest I'd come to getting eliminated," he said. "They gave you a song to learn and told you there was no guarantee you'd get to perform. You still had to rehearse like you were going to do it. It got down to me and one other guy. I got saved that week."

Miller had been rehearsing the Elvis classic, "I Can't Help Falling in Love." Getting to perform it, he says, was his high point in the competition.

A musical theater veteran who came in second place overall in the series, Miller is both familiar with and thankful for Elvis' music.

On Aug. 16, he is part of a new Elvis-themed concert at the Cannon Center, which concludes Elvis Week 2008.

"Elvis: From Broadway to Memphis" also features the vocal talents of Leah Hocking, who starred in Broadway's "All Shook Up," a jukebox musical of hit tunes popularized by the King.

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra will use scores from Broadway's adaptation of Elvis tunes. Also on the stage will be the Memphis rockabilly trio The Dempseys, and Shawn Klush, winner of the 2007 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist contest.

Originally from the small town of Alvin, Texas, Miller grew up hearing about Elvis from relatives who were diehard fans. "Truth be told, I've made a career stealing tricks and bits from Elvis, as many of us have in the theater."

The 32-year-old Miller's voice and appearance are suited to period rock musicals from the '50s and '60s. He played Kenicke in the 1994 national tour of "Grease," and in January he will appear in "Trip of Love," a psychedelic bound-for-Broadway musical featuring hit songs from the '60s.

While starring in the national tour of "Hairspray" several years ago, Miller made a point of visiting Graceland when the show stopped at the Orpheum theater.

"Most of the cast made the pilgrimage at some point," he said. "I set aside a whole day."

-- Christopher Blank: 529-2305

Preview

"Elvis: From Broadway to Memphis"

8 p.m. Aug. 16 at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $30-$125. Call Ticketmaster, (901) 525-1515.