My night with the King: Viva ELVIS by Cirque du Soleil

I went to see a classy show at the Aria Resort in Las Vegas, and somehow I ended up a Broadway musical in Branson, Missouri. Can you tell I was disappointed by Cirque de Soleil’s Viva ELVIS?

Elvis is king with me

I love Elvis, especially the young, dynamic Elvis who played rockabilly music – a fusion of country and blues that showed up on his Sun Record recordings. Well, That’s Alright Mama, yes, that’s alright with me!

Having read Peter Guralnick’s books, Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley and Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley, I knew the dark side of Elvis, too – the drugs, the guns, the callous way he treated women and the way he was manipulated by Colonel Tom Parker and his hangers-on.

I wondered how Cirque du Soleil was going to treat his story. Would they show us a story of a poor, Southern boy who became rich beyond his dreams, only to be a victim of his success? How would they combine Elvis’ charisma and music with beautiful sets, acrobatics, and costuming? I couldn’t wait!

The ‘50s was not Happy Days

Well, my questions were answered right away in the first number, when the performers rolled out the gigantic blue suede shoe and drove out in a pink Cadillac. It was Grease meets Branson dinner theater and boy was I crestfallen.

This was Elvis for people who like his music, and not for someone who was expecting Cirque de Soleil’s dramatic touch to Elvis’ story.

The story arch and timeline was strange, too. First, the show touched on Elvis’ early influences, namely gospel, then we went into his rise in the ‘50s. Then to his time in the US Army. Then to the movie Elvis. (He did movies before and after he was in the army.) Then cowboy Elvis with “Train I Ride,” which was recorded before he went into the army. Then back to early Elvis. Then to ‘60s Elvis. Then to Vegas ‘70s Elvis.

As someone who knows about Elvis’ life and when he recorded what songs, I was confused by this. I also found it really wrong to hear “Suspicious Minds” (recorded in 1969) while being shown a picture of a very young, ‘50s era Elvis.

Cirque du Soleil’s charm

Still, the show was entertaining. The costumes – especially the girls’ postal envelope and mock Dior dresses – were gorgeous. The performers were talented and the sets were amazing. Plus, I loved how they combined live music and singing to Elvis’s recordings.

The “One Night with You” with the young man doing acrobatics in the gigantic guitar? Cool, and what I expected from Cirque du Soleil.

The “Got A Lot O’ Livin’ To Do” scene with the comic book superheroes jumping up walls and on trampolines? Amazing! But what it had to do with Elvis was a huge stretch (from a quote that he liked comic books?) However, it does give me an idea that Cirque should do a Marvel Comics show.

Unfortunately, I found myself mesmerized by Elvis on the gigantic screens rather than the performers, which was a big failing of the show. To this day Elvis’ charisma still shines as does his music – and it’s hard to compete with this.

Still, Cirque du Soleil’s Viva ELVIS show captured some of that magic. Yet this show is not for the diehard Elvis fan who knows all about his life. Instead, it’s for folks who have some familiarity with the King’s music and legend – and want a fun show experience when they visit Las Vegas.

And maybe, that’s alright for you.

Anne-Marie Nichols is the Managing Editor of Mom Central Travels. When she’s not rocking out with Elvis, you can find her at her healthy cooking and lifestyle blog, This Mama Cooks! On a Diet.

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Disclosure: Cirque du Soleil provided Anne-Marie, as a BlogWorld Expo attendee, with complimentary tickets to see any of their shows in exchange for a review.

Anne-Marie Nichols