‘I was hooked’: Arlington Heights native Annie Aiello is ‘Always Olivia’ in stage show at Metropolis

Growing up, Annie Aiello could have embraced any of the artists represented in the record collection in her family’s Arlington Heights home.

The Beatles. The Eagles. Gladys Knight & the Pips. Barbra Streisand. Neil Diamond.

One truly resonated. When she was 7, Aiello’s father, John, bought her the Olivia Newton-John album “Have You Never Been Mellow.”

“I was hooked. I just loved her voice,” Aiello said.

As she grew older and learned more about Newton-John, her appreciation deepened. “Olivia is a musical, female and philanthropic inspiration,” Aiello said.

It’s apparent in Aiello’s stage show, “Always Olivia — An Olivia Newton-John Tribute,” which she will bring to the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights for one night only, Saturday, April 5.

Delivering standouts from Newton-John’s 100-million-album-selling, five-decade catalog, including “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “You’re the One That I Want,” “Xanadu,” “Physical” and “Magic,” “Always Olivia” includes humor, audience participation, video presentations, historic dialogue and costume changes reflecting the career of the four-time Grammy Award winner, who died of breast cancer in 2022 at 73.

Supported by Chicago musicians Tom Vitacco (music director, guitar), Mike Hesiak (saxophone, electronic wind instrument), Thomas Linsk (keyboards, vocals), Chuck Schwartz (drums), audio engineer Ron Cook and wardrobe assistant Debbie Barrows, “Always Olivia” earned 2023 and 2024 Josie Music Awards nominations as tribute artist of the year.

“My show is not just ‘get up there and sing Olivia songs,’ it’s a whole production, it’s a whole tribute to her life, and taking you through the eras of her life, including these costume changes that we do,” Aiello said.

“We do a lot of crowd amusement, too, so we have a lot of fun as well. It’s a high-energy show. It’s high-energy and it’s emotional.”

Certainly, given her muse’s passing and also her father’s death to cancer at 73. Others among Aiello’s extended family also have died of cancer.

Aiello donates a portion of the proceeds of every show to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre in Australia. People may also donate through the website alwaysoliviatribute.com.

“It’s just been a really neat, beautiful part of what I get to do in my life,” Aiello said.

But also, during “Physical,” Aiello will run through the audience in her 3-inch heels (she’s 5-foot-2 to Newton-John’s 5-6) slinging terry cloth headbands into the crowd.

She’ll pluck a lucky “John Travolta” out of the crowd to help with the “Grease” medley.

“I try to get people engaged and do fun things like that,” Aiello said.

The youngest of six children, once Aiello discovered Olivia Newton-John, she was off and singing. The icon’s records essentially served as Aiello’s vocal coach.

“With six kids, we never had the money for a lot of training in anything,” she said.

First at Rolling Meadows’ since-closed Sacred Heart of Mary High School, then as a senior at St. Viator in Arlington Heights — its first female graduate, she said — she performed in such productions as “Guys and Dolls,” “Oklahoma” and “Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?”

Attaining an MBA degree that now has her directing communications for a local ministry, Aiello advanced to perform globally. She’s appeared on “The Voice,” recorded with pop star Richard Marx, performed with Jim Brickman, and recorded a 2008 album, “Brighter Day.”

A mother of two now living in Crystal Lake, Aiello was inspired to produce “Always Olivia” after seeing Newton-John in concert while she battled cancer.

“I walked out of that theater having now been a Chicago musician, singer, songwriter … going, I’ve got to do something about this. I don’t know how much longer Olivia will be with us, and what about all the fans, and how do we hear her music live?” Aiello said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic that sidelined many musicians, she assembled a roster of talent and created “Always Olivia,” which performed its first show in December 2022 before touring nationally in 2023 and 2024.

“It’s a fairly new show and it just immediately was met with great warmth and gratitude, really, from the fans. It’s been a really positive experience.”

As were Aiello’s two backstage meetings with Newton-John, at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora and the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet.

“They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes,” Aiello said, “but I’ve met her twice and she was nothing but class.”

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“Always Olivia — An Olivia Newton-John Tribute”

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 5

Where: Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights, (847) 577-2121

Tickets: $39 at metropolisarts.com/event/always-olivia-25/