HARRIMAN, Tennessee — During a recent rehearsal at the Princess Theatre in downtown Harriman, Levi Kreis literally played the keys off of a piano.
"It's an easy fix," said Kreis, an Oliver Springs native.
It's no wonder the key came off — Kreis can play the piano just as powerfully as the late rock-n-roll icon Jerry Lee Lewis, whom Kreis won a Tony award portraying in the Broadway hit, "Million Dollar Quartet".
Kreis continues to make music and performs most of the year on the road.
"We spend nine months on the road," said Levi during a break from rehearsing. "A holiday tour is a way to celebrate my favorite time of year, and I get to be home and do what I do with home folk who watched me grow up performing."
Kreis has been doing his "Home for the Holidays" tour for nearly a decade and always makes sure to include stops in East Tennessee.
"My favorite thing is where the audience and I have a conversation," Levi said. "Talk about those we loved and lost, songs that reflect that."
But don't worry, he still plans to pay tribute to the "Million Dollar Quartet" who helped him make a name for himself and his talent.
"I often say in the show that my mom introduced me to Jerry Lee, Brenda Lee and Elvis Presley — that's just kind of in my DNA," Levi said. "Of course, there's a little boogie-woogie in there and this year, we're going to feature holiday songs from the men themselves. I can't get away from doing that."
Kreis will perform at the Princess Theatre on Nov. 24 and on Nov. 26. Tickets are available on his website.