Elvis is leaving the building. So are Cher, Colonel Sanders, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Mr. T.
But before they go, there’s going to be one final blowout: The Sunburst Convention of celebrity impersonators will celebrate its 20th installment Sept. 4-8 in south Orlando. Founder Greg Thompson says it also will be the last.

“It’s going to be a big family reunion,” he says. “This has become the hub of the celebrity-tribute industry.”

And the convention has become an annual source of entertainment to Central Floridians and visitors who enjoy performances and photos with famous-face lookalikes at the event’s public “Legends in Revue” showcases.

Thompson estimates more than 800 performers have attended over the years, with many returning time and time again. He can think of seven who have been to 18 out of the 20 conventions and says about 75 have been to 10 or more.

That family reunion vibe is enhanced by the shared attitude of the impersonators, who work in a unique niche of the entertainment industry.

“When you tell people you’re a celebrity impersonator, people are like, ‘Say what, now?’” Thompson says. “We know that we are odd and unique and fun and funny. We get it.”

But there are multiple reasons to wind things down, he says: The rising cost of hotel rentals and food, for one. Another factor, shared across the entertainment industry, is the difficulty in re-energizing audiences after the COVID-19 shutdown.

“It was hard to get the momentum back,” Thompson says. “I think people got used to not going out anymore.”

Ultimately, he felt the investment of time, money and energy it takes to put on the annual convention could be better spent on the entertainment company he runs with his wife, Jackie. She was instrumental in getting him started in impersonation. Back in 1999, he was asked to find a performer to play Austin Powers — Mike Myers’ goofy spy character from the movie franchise — for festivities surrounding the opening of the cinema at Universal CityWalk.

“I said to my wife, ‘Who will we get to do that?’ She said, ‘You!’” he recalls. He was a hit.

Learning of impersonator conventions in Las Vegas, he mentioned to the owner of an industry website it would be fun to have one in Orlando. She put out an announcement.

“I went home and told Jackie, ‘Guess what we’re doing,” Thompson said with a laugh.

There were some concerns: “What’s going to happen when you get two Chers together?” he wondered. But he found nearly all the performers through the years have checked any diva attitude at the door.

“We’ve had a few situations,” he chuckles, “but we’ve survived.”

The convention offers workshops for performers on promoting themselves, improving their acts and the like, along with networking opportunities. Performance showcases take place for talent scouts — but the public gets to be entertained, as well.

Some are diehards: “We have probably about 30 people who have been coming to catch the showcases since our second year,” he says.

Others are curious newcomers.

He likes to tell the story about one woman who was visiting a relative staying at the convention’s hotel when “she looked up and Tom Cruise walked by … then she saw Red Skelton and thought ‘What is going on here?’”

She followed the “celebrities” to the convention, “and she has been coming back every year,” Thompson says.

There have been plenty of high points over the years.

The event was captured in a documentary film, “Just About Famous,” that’s available on Amazon Prime. British TV network Channel 4 did a special program on the gathering titled “Convention Crashers” — the event attracts performers from around the world.

Thompson also appeared on the game show “To Tell the Truth,” along with imposters pretending to be him. The celebrity contestants had to guess who was the real impersonator. Only one — actor Joel McHale — guessed correctly, but it was the Central Florida angle that gave it away.

“He said, ‘I think it’s the guy from Orlando … because that just makes sense,” Thompson recalls with a laugh.

Not among the favorite memories is an experience with a film crew from NBC’s “Tonight Show” years ago.
“They came in to make fun of us,” Thompson recalls. When crew members became obstructive, Thompson showed them the door. He wasn’t alone.

“I turned around, and there were Richard Petty, Dr. Phil and Sean Connery behind me — they had my back,” he laughs.

Thompson’s repertoire also includes Captain Jack Sparrow from Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies and pop artist Andy Warhol. “You just stand there with a camera and look like you’re over everybody,” he jokes about the latter.

It’s become something of a family business: Daughter Mattisen is now a Marilyn Monroe tribute artist.

“I know I’m her dad, but I’ve seen a lot of them, and she’s one of the very best,” he says proudly.

It’s the friends and family aspect he’ll miss the most — though he’s already contemplating a “big party” reunion in 2025.

“The people who do this have such interesting lives, and everyone has a story about how they started,” he says. “We’ve gotten a lot of notice out of the convention, but more than anything, we’ve made good friends.”

Follow me at facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Find more entertainment news and reviews at orlandosentinel.com/entertainment.

Sunburst Convention

• What: The public is invited to ‘Legends in Revue’ featuring performances by more than 25 impersonators and a gala show including performances and a red-carpet entry by convention participants.
• Where: The Florida Hotel & Conference Center, 1500 Sand Lake Road in Orlando (the hotel is at the Florida Mall, and parking is free).
• When: Showcases take place between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sept. 6 and 7; the Sept. 6 gala show is 8:30-10:30 p.m.
• Cost: $30 for Friday or Saturday showcases, $50 for both days, $35 for the gala show
• Info: sunburstconvention.com