Elvis Presley and the town of Las Vegas have long been linked. The King of Rock n’ Roll spent the last period of his career in a rhinestone-studded, white jumpsuit in Sin City. Over 30 years after his death, (assuming he really is dead) the Elvis impersonator (along with the showgirl in a giant headdress) has become the symbol most associated with the city that is America’s playground.
Cirque du Soleil has also become inextricably linked with Las Vegas over recent years. The company has shows playing in several locations on the strip. The shows which are fun, amazing, playful, and sometimes irreverent, seem to mirror the personality of the town they play in.
There are several Cirque shows playing the Las Vegas Strip, including Zumanity, KA and Mystere. Cirque shows are just one of many entertainment options in a town that includes shows such as the Thunder From Down Under male exotic dance revue.
Elvis Plays Vegas Again at Aria
It only seems natural that two symbols of Las Vegas would come together on the Strip in Cirque du Soleil’s Viva Elvis. Cirque had already shown that it could interpret the work of musical icons when the show LOVE began playing on the Strip in 2006. Viva Elvis follows in the same vein, and the theme will continue in late 2011 when Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour begins playing arenas around the United States and Canada.
The show plays at the Aria Resort & Casino, part of the relatively new CityCenter, Las Vegas, which is something worth checking out in and of itself. Viva Elvis plays Tuesday-thru-Sunday nights at 7 and 9:30 p.m. The theater is dark on Mondays.
Periods In The King’s Career
While those under a certain age may only know of Elvis during his Las Vegas years, an image that is often parodied, this Cirque show illustrates the many different phases of Presley’s life that made up his amazing career. Viva Elvis looks at how the King was inspired by gospel music, his service in the U.S. Army, his time in the movies, and, of course, the Vegas years.
Junior Case plays Elvis’ manager, Col. Tom Parker, and serves as a narrator of sorts in guiding the audience through the years. Case said he hopes the show will bring back memories for those who were alive during Presley’s career, while showing younger audiences why Elvis became such an American icon. “People who grew up with Elvis knew why he was so cool,” Case says. “For the new generation, who doesn’t really know who he was, it’s a chance to show them, ‘This is the original rock n’ roll. This is where we got our start.'”
Live Music and Elvis’ Voice
Viva Elvis creates an energetic live music experience that also gives the audience a sense of the incredible flair and personality that made Elvis such an amazing entertainer. The show features a live band complete with guitars, drums and horns that often puts an intriguing twist on many of the King’s classics. The band accompanies recordings of Elvis singing, and many of the highlights also show Elvis on a large screen above the stage.
The creators of the show spent over 3,000 hours looking through nearly 1,000 albums, films, concerts and interviews and also put together 17,000 samples from Elvis songs. The effect is to help give the audience a chance to hear Elvis’ voice and also see him performing at the height of his powers.
Viva Elvis
Aria Resort & Casino
Tuesday-thru-Sunday at 7 and 9:30 p.m.
Elvis and Las Vegas will forever be linked. That link continues to grow with Cirque du Soleil paying tribute to the King on the Strip.
Kathleen Curry - Kathleen Curry has been published in The Spectrum, Smart Travel Info, Andrew Harper Traveler, City Weekly and hosts the Travel Brigade ...
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