Elvis Returns to Vegas Sans Singing
04:10 PM PT, Aug 17 2006
Hot off the press release, it's official: Cirque's Elvis show is coming to Las Vegas and will be part of MGM's Project City Center. The expected opening date for the new show is November 2009. Few details are to be found in the press release from MGM-Mirage beyond a lot of back scratching between Cirque and new partner Robert F.X. Sillerman.
The name of the show is not given. But there is one interesting fact: The plan appears to be to use live musicians and singers. This is in contrast to Cirque's LOVE at the Mirage which is built out of the Beatles recordings. This seems an odd choice as the Beatles were actual songwriters whereas Elvis was primarily a singer.
There may be an interesting reason for this that has nothing to do with artistic decisions. The fine print of the press release notes that Sillerman's company owns "the rights to the name, image and likeness of Elvis Presley, the operations of Graceland." No mention is made of the King's recordings. Still, it seems very odd to even consider creating an Elvis show without the voice of Elvis Presley in it at all. Of course, this is Las Vegas, and it is totally possible that this is the plan.
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''This seems an odd choice as the Beatles were actual songwriters whereas Elvis was primarily a singer." Odd obsevation. What possible bearing on a song's presentation does authorship have?
Posted by: Gordon Tryon | August 19, 2006 at 12:04 PM
Big deal. Another Elvis impersonator show. So who cares?
Posted by: ken burton | August 20, 2006 at 09:31 AM
I like Cirque, and I like Elvis. I'd go to to Cirque Elvis show before ever going to Cirque Beatles show.
But that's just me.
Posted by: Tony | August 20, 2006 at 07:06 PM
Hi Gordon Tryon: By being songwriters, my thinking was that The Beatles are crucial to Joe Cocker's sinning when he is working a Beatles song. But why isn't "Hound Dog" without Elvis just "Big Mama" Thornton? What is Elvis about the song besides the King's voice? Yrs., Richard
Posted by: Richard Abowitz | August 20, 2006 at 07:09 PM