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'Viva Elvis' Still Has Big Blue Suede Shoes to Fill

When VegasChatter caught a glimpse of Viva Elvis last month, we knew we couldn't make a solid judgment based on a preview of four songs. Yet five weeks later, after seeing the full show, we're afraid Viva Elvis is still not quite living up to its potential.

While we loved the costuming, sets and storyline, the production came up kinda short in the "Cirque" factor and felt more like a musical than an on-the-edge-of-your-seat, za za zsu (to quote "Sex and The City"), over-the-top show.

Sure, it was very entertaining, but were we blown away? Not really. Would we pay $100+ per ticket to see the show. Highly unlikely. We love the King and yes, this show does pay homage to his life and legacy, but this Cirque interpretation is a far cry from what they’ve done with The Beatles LOVE, "O" or even Zumanity.

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Tags: Interviews / News / Elvis / Elvis Impersonators / → All Tags

What Would Elvis Think of Elvis Impersonators? Here's What

Norm Clarke, Sam A Thompson, Loanne Miller Parker, Dick Grob and Armand Thomas

As well as being accosted by various Elvi at the Las Vegas sign last weekend, we also got some proper, OMG-is-this-really-happening Presley action when we attended the CVA’s Elvis media forum on Sunday at the Bellagio.

Norm Clarke was presiding over a panel consisting of two of Elvis’ security guards - Dick Grob and Sam A. Thompson - Loanne Miller Parker, widow of Colonel Parker, and Armand Thomas, Director of Creation for Viva Elvis.

We’ll give you the goss on Cirque reshaping Viva Elvis and the delightful Loanne’s views on Vegas down the line (suffice to say, the CVA should really get her on board as a Vegas ambassador) but for now, we’re going to let you in on our private – yup, one on one - conversation we had with bodyguard Sam Thompson (who's now Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada) after the forum.

Still smarting from our triple-Elvis overdose at the sign on Friday, we asked him what he thought the King would have made of all the impersonators around today. Great minds think alike – turns out he actually asked the man the same question a year or so he died. (Yes, Elvis impersonators were around back then – who knew?) This is what he said:

He had a quote: he said “emulation is the sincerest form of flattery”. He really felt flattered that people took the time to emulate him. He didn’t like the fat, 40-year old impersonators and attacks like that - he was human like everybody else - but in terms of people emulating his music and his moves, he was fine with it.

He also reckons that Elvis would love Viva Elvis – more on that another day. But not all the impersonators are off the hook. He went on to say:

I don’t think he would have liked the proliferation of the bad Elvises that are around now, or Fat Elvis. Things like that go beyond the point of flattery – you’re doing it for self-aggrandizement. Most of us abhor those kinds of people and I think Elvis would too.

So there you have it. FYI, Sam also shook our hand. Which, if you think about it, is basically the same as getting a handshake from Elvis Presley, albeit once removed. So if you see someone wandering round the Strip with a right hand that doesn’t look like it’s been washed since Sunday, come say hello, ok? And we’ll pass The Touch Of Presley onto you.

Tags: Snapshot / Elvis Impersonators / Las Vegas Sign / Elvis / → All Tags

The Elvis Impersonators Were Out in Force on Friday

Friday was an important day for Vegas. CES was in full swing. Adult Expo star Kayden Kross was hosting her porn party at Tao. And the rest of us were perusing 75 Facts You Didn’t Know About Elvis in honour of the King’s 75th birthday.

Obviously such a landmark day was a big opportunity for the Elvis impersonators. Our pet Elvis, Tim Welch, was off in California doing some gigs, but the ones with more, um, free time on their hands, took it upon themselves to head to the Las Vegas sign, get in the photo-taking public's way, and charge them for the privilege. How very enterprising!

When we stopped by the sign in the afternoon there were no less than three Elvi competing for our money attention. As you can see from Purple Elvis on the left, none of them were exactly dead ringers. Tiger Elvis looked best from the back, while Hawaiian Elvis, who was parked up in the car park in his pink Cadillac, is something we shall save for another time.

Anyway, we’re sure the real Elvis was looking down on these guys feeling mighty flattered. Maybe.

Tags: Elvis / Viva Elvis / Cirque du Soleil / CityCenter / Deals / Shows / → All Tags

'Viva Elvis' Tickets are $75 for The King's 75th Birthday

If you didn't know it, this Friday is practically a holiday in Las Vegas--it's Elvis' (would-be) 75th birthday! So in addition to the geeks and porn stars flooding the Strip, there will no doubt be Elvis' swaggering around town.

But what better way to celebrate The King than by seeing the new Cirque du Soleil show, Viva Elvis?

Via the Cirque Twitter, we found out that they are offering 75 tickets at $75 a piece on Friday, January 8th. The offer also comes with the new CD, "Elvis 75".

Regularly, tickets start at $87 each. But since the show is still in previews (the grand opening is not until next month), at least you aren't paying full price to see it. We were just "meh" on the sneak preview we saw but it's hard to judge from four songs.

Go here for the special coupon for the $75 tickets.

Tags: Only In Vegas / Elvis / Elvis Impersonators / Vegas Abroad / → All Tags

Tom Jones, Prison Riots and $2,500 Catsuits: The Life of an Elvis Impersonator

Here's a modern-day fairytale to brighten your Tuesday: once there was a little boy from Zanesville, Ohio, called Tim Welch. Little blond Tim grew up dreaming of being an athlete; instead after a stint in the Marines, he ended up a prison guard in southern California.

Life as a prison guard wasn’t the best of fun. One day there was a riot, and Tim got stabbed by an inmate, leaving him with a 3in scar (for life) on his chest. Not fun!

But then in 1997, Tim decided to go to Vegas for the weekend. As one does in Vegas, he ended up standing up and singing You Don’t Know Me to a roomful of people at the end of a Tom Jones concert. And, it being Vegas, the audience included Tom Jones.

Afterwards, Sir Tom came up to Tim, told him he did a mean Elvis impression, and suggested he might like to reconsider his career plans, seeing as the prison gig wasn't going so well. So Tim cut his shoulder-length blond locks, invested in some wigs ($2000 a piece) and a couple of catsuits ($2500 a go), and upped sticks from LA to Vegas.

The rest is history. He used to do a show at the New Frontier, but since that closed he’s become the preferred Elvis of the Las Vegas CVA. Which is how we met him, last week, at the launch party for British Airways’ London-Vegas flights.

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Tags: Cirque du Soleil / CityCenter / Elvis / → All Tags

Drum Roll Please: Cirque du Soleil’s Elvis Show Has a Name

The theater at Aria where the Elvis Cirque Du Soleil show will perform.

Well, they haven’t actually officially announced the news yet, but sleuth Vegas journalist/budding show producer Steve Friess put two and two together and posted on his blog that the name will be Viva Elvis. Seems Cirque is still remaining mum, but the show’s director told him it was so, and Friess subsequently determined numerous iterations of the Viva Elvis URL have been snapped up.

So there you have it. Not too creative, maybe, but snappy and to the point.

The show’s cast transitioned from the Montreal headquarters to Vegas last month and has begun its final rehearsals for CityCenter's most hotly anticipated entertainment feature. Still no opening date or ticket info has been released, but we anticipate that it won’t be long now.

What do you think of the show’s name? Let us know!

Tags: Snapshot / Elvis / Cirque du Soleil / Aria / CityCenter / Shows / → All Tags

A Look at The New Cirque Du Soleil Elvis Theater

Lo and behold, the shiny new Cirque du Soleil theater as seen from the Hotel32 lounge atop Monte Carlo. The theater, as you well now know, is a part of the massive CityCenter complex (it's attached to the Aria Hotel and Casino) and will be home to Ciruqe's Elvis spectacular.

The show is expected to open sometime in December, along with several other CityCenter buildings but we've yet to hear if there will be any sort of permanent Elvis museum inside or even Elvis memorabilia on display. We're also still waiting on the show's official name which is to be announced later this year.

We hope they at least serve mini-peanut butter and banana sandwiches at the snack bar.

Tags: Elvis / Cirque du Soleil / CityCenter / Aria / → All Tags

Cirque Du Soleil Releases Glimpse of Its Upcoming Elvis Show

For the first time we can recall, Cirque du Soleil has posted behind-the-scenes footage of an in-development show on its Web site. We don’t even know the official name of the Elvis-themed Cirque show opening at CityCenter’s flagship Aria Resort & Casino (which will open this December), but we can see the cast rehearsing on the Web site and watch a clip of the director, Vincent Paterson, discuss how this show will be different than all its Cirque du Soleil predecessors.

Paterson, for whom this Elvis escapade marks his first foray into Cirque direction, started his career as an actor and dancer. He then graduated to choreography where he worked with music industry superstars in everything from opera to music videos to TV productions. He counts dance queen and king Madonna and MJ among his past collaborators, so this dude sounds like the real deal.

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Tags: Elvis / Hotels / Future Vegas / Cirque Du Soleil / CityCenter / → All Tags

We're Sorry to Tell You But The Elvis Hotel Is Not Happening

A few years ago, our sister site HotelChatter got all excited over the possibility of an Elvis-Themed casino that would be opening on the corner of Harmon Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard, directly across from the CityCenter complex. In fact, last February the property owners, FX Real Estate and Entertainment, went so far as to trademark their logo for the planned Elvis resort which would also include residences.

But like most hotel projects that were dreamed up during the boom years, the Elvis Resort is now kaput and the lenders are now seeking to seize control of the site from FX Real Estate. Currently, the site is home to the Harley-Davidson cafe and a Travelodge. But don't worry the Elvis production from Cirque du Soleil is still on track for a December 2009 opening in CityCenter's ARIA resort.