Cirque du Soleil's 'Viva ELVIS' to open in December in Las Vegas
If Elvis Presley had lived in Montreal, would his famous catchphrase have been, "Merci ... merci, beaucoup"?
Earlier this year, Cirque du Soleil announced that it was planning to produce a new show in tribute to the king of rock 'n' roll, in collaboration with Elvis Presley Enterprises. Today, the Montreal-based Cirque said the show will be titled "Viva ELVIS" and that it will premiere in December at its permanent home at the Aria Resort & Casino, which is located in MGM Mirage’s CityCenter complex.
Choreographer Vincent Paterson is directing the show, marking his first Cirque collaboration. In a video interview on the company's website, Paterson describes the production as "an abstract biography of Elvis Presley" that will incorporate some "acting moments" spoken in English.
While he is most famous for his collaborations with Madonna and Michael Jackson, Paterson also has worked in the performing arts. In 2006, he staged a '50s style revival of Massenet's "Manon" for Los Angeles Opera.
Cirque performers traveled to Graceland to conduct research for the show, which will incorporate some well-known songs from the Presley catalog.
Check out the mini-documentary above, which features more on Paterson's work on "Viva ELVIS."
-- David Ng
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Obviously the wonderful voice of Elvis Presley touched the hearts of a great many millions of people of all languages.
Viva Elvis, indeed!
This weekend there is an Elvis Presley Festival in Donegal Ireland.
His 75th birthday on the 8th January 2010 will be celebrated In Memphis Tennessee,his birthplace Tupelo Mississippi, and all around the world.
Posted by: Maurice Colgan | November 06, 2009 at 12:20 AM
2 questions: will it be possible tp see the Elvis part of the show or how you work it in?. ...any idea about the cost of the tickets? My wife and I will be in Vegas from the 8th to the 17th of December...thanks
Posted by: Raymond Grande | November 06, 2009 at 06:41 PM
i was wondering if there will be a release about the performers in the show....
i know one of the cast members and have followed Leo Days' ELVIS TRIBUTE SHOWS for about 3 years.... when he lived here in michigan.. i was able to see him a couple times a month.. i am so excited for him ... he has worked hard over the past 13 years and it's finally paying off... can't wait to get to vegas next year to see the show...
Posted by: helga ort | November 17, 2009 at 06:39 AM