STAGE TUBE: Cirque du Soleil Premieres VIVA ELVIS

Cirque du Soleil unveils its latest artistic endeavor: VIVA ELVIS, a tribute to the life and music of Elvis Presley. The show will hold its world premiere tonight, Friday, February 19, at ARIA Resort & Casino at CityCenter in Las Vegas tonight. 

In attendance at tonight's event will be Priscilla Presley, Robert F.X. Sillerman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CKX, Inc., Bill McBeath, President and COO of ARIA Resort & Casino and Guy Laliberté, Founder of Cirque du Soleil among other distinguished guests.

Viva ELVIS is a Cirque du Soleil presentation in partnership with Elvis Presley Enterprises, a CKX, Inc (NASDAQ: CKXE) company. The show is a harmonious fusion of dance, acrobatics and live music, is a tribute to the life and music of Elvis Presley. Nostalgia, modernity and raw emotion provide the backdrop for his immortal voice and the exhilaration and beauty of his music.

Created in the image of The King of Rock 'n' Roll - powerful, sexy, whimsical, truly unique and larger than life - the show highlights an American icon who transformed popular music and whose image embodies the freedom, excitement and turbulence of his era.

Viva ELVIS focuses on the essential humanity of the one superstar whose name will forever be linked with the history of Las Vegas: Elvis Presley. Significant moments in his life - intimate, playful and grandiose - blend with timeless songs that remain as relevant today as when they first hit the top of the charts.

The Music
In paying homage to the music of Elvis, Cirque du Soleil set out to present the songs of the King of Rock 'n' Roll in a contemporary form that evokes the spirit of Elvis in every way. Thirty of Elvis' songs are used in the production, with remixes designed to accentuate and boost the emotional charge of his performances. Elvis' voice is the only male singing voice in Viva ELVIS, joined by occasionally live female singers and an energetic live band. The only way to convey the true vitality and seductive charm of Elvis is with Elvis himself.

The Costumes
The Viva ELVIS costumes are inspired by Presley's life, his entourage, his concerts and his films. The fabulous imagination of ‘50s and ‘60s America, expressed through the cinema, advertising and magazines of the time, was a source of inspiration for costume designer Stefano Canulli.

The Theatre and Sets
The Elvis Theater, designed by Creation Director Johnny Boivin from Cirque du Soleil, has a conventional proscenium layout reminiscent of an opera house. The stage, the backstage area and wings accommodate the large-scale set elements and the need for speed in changing scenes imposed by the rapid pace of the show. Mark Fisher's set designs illustrate many of the most significant events in the life and career of Elvis.

The creative team
Artistic Guide Guy Laliberté
Artistic Guide Gilles Ste-Croix
Writer and Director Vincent Paterson
Director of Creation Armand Thomas
Musical Director and Arranger Erich van Tourneau
Set Designer Mark Fisher
Costume Designer Stefano Canulli
Acrobatic performance Designer Daniel Cola
Acrobatic Equipment
and Rigging Designer Guy St-Amour
Lighting Designer Marc Brickman
Image Content Designer Ivan Dudynsky
Sound Designer Jonathan Deans
Choreographers Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo
Mark Swanhart
Catherine Archambault
Props Designer Patricia Ruel
Makeup Designer Nathalie Gagné

Viva ELVIS is presented exclusively in the custom-built Elvis Theater at ARIA Resort & Casino at CityCenter in Las Vegas. The international cast of 76 artists is comprised of dancers, musicians, singers and acrobats.

TICKET PRICES
Viva ELVIS ticket prices are $175, $150, $125 and $99.

Please consult the most current show schedule at www.cirquedusoleil.com/vivaelvis.

Beginning February 21, 2010, Viva ELVIS will be performed Friday through Tuesday at 7:00 pm & 9:30 pm. There will be no shows on Wednesdays or Thursdays.

TO RESERVE TICKETS
By phone: 877-253-5847 or 702-531-2031
Online: www.cirquedusoleil.com/vivaelvis
In person: At the Elvis Theater box office at ARIA Resort & Casino at CityCenter or any of the MGM MIRAGE box offices in Las Vega

 

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