Viva Elvis
Encyclopedia
Viva Elvis is the seventh resident Cirque du Soleil
show on the Las Vegas Strip
. It resides at the Aria Resort & Casino
and premiered on February 19, 2010. Cirque du Soleil partnered with Elvis Presley Enterprises
to produce this show, similar to how they partnered with The Beatles' Apple Corps Ltd
to produce the resident show Love
at the MGM Mirage
.
CKX, Inc.
, the company that owns the rights to Elvis Presley
's name, likeness, and music publishing, signed an agreement to have Cirque create the Elvis-themed residency show. The gala premiere was originally scheduled for January 2010 on what would have been Elvis' 75th birthday, but was postponed until February 19, 2010. The Elvis Presley Projects will include additional touring and its multimedia presentations, along with "Elvis Experiences" (interactive multimedia exhibits). One touring Elvis show is planned for Europe/Asia for 2010, with one "Elvis Experience" outside the United States. One new Elvis Presley Project is scheduled to open each year from 2009-2015.
layout reminiscent of an opera house. The stage has 16 platforms, divided into 12 sections which can rise 10 feet (3 m); the widest section is 18 by 80 ft (5.5 by 24.4 ) and is controlled by four large motors located 26 feet (7.9 m) below the stage.
The show's opening scene contains a jukebox made of chrome and gloss black which is 70 feet (21.3 m) wide by 22 feet (6.7 m) high. It also incorporate a 50-foot-tall (15 m) video screen. Also seen during the opening, the 29-foot-long (8.8 m), blue suede shoe weighs 7000 pounds (3,175.1 kg) and is made of steel and fiberglass.
During "Got a Lot of Livin' to Do", seven trampolines are utilized. The entire structure takes up the entire width of the stage (78 feet (23.8 m)) and weighs 30 tonnes (29.5 LT).
The set for the "Jailhouse Rock
" scene was based on the technical requirements for a circus art called marche inversée. It has ten tracks that allow acrobats to walk upside down, attached by their feet, while dancers perform right side up on other levels; the whole structure weighs in at 82000 pounds (37,194.6 kg).
.
. The album, which was released on November 5, 2010, is released under the Sony Legacy Recordings and was produced by Erich van Tourneau.
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
show on the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
. It resides at the Aria Resort & Casino
ARIA Resort & Casino
Aria Resort & Casino is a luxury resort and casino located within the CityCenter complex on the Las Vegas Strip. Aria consists of two curved glass and steel highrise towers adjoined at the center. It opened on December 16, 2009 as a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Infinity World...
and premiered on February 19, 2010. Cirque du Soleil partnered with Elvis Presley Enterprises
Elvis Presley Enterprises
Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. is a corporate entity created by "The Elvis Presley Trust" to conduct business and manage its assets, including Graceland...
to produce this show, similar to how they partnered with The Beatles' Apple Corps Ltd
Apple Corps
Apple Corps Ltd. is a multi-armed multimedia corporation founded in January 1968 by the members of The Beatles to replace their earlier company and to form a conglomerate. Its name is a pun. Its chief division is Apple Records, which was launched in the same year...
to produce the resident show Love
LOVE (Cirque du Soleil)
Love is a 2006 theatrical production by Cirque du Soleil which combines the re-produced and re-imagined music of The Beatles with an interpretive, circus-based artistic and athletic stage performance. The show plays at a specially built theatre at The Mirage in Las Vegas.A joint venture between...
at the MGM Mirage
The Mirage
The Mirage is a 3,044 room hotel and casino resort located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States.The Mirage is connected by a free tram to Treasure Island. The marquee in front of the Mirage is the largest free standing marquee in the world.-History:The Mirage was built by...
.
CKX, Inc.
CKX, Inc.
CKX, Inc. is a company founded on February 7, 2005 that owns and develops entertainment content and intellectual property.-Background:The "C" and "K" stand for "Content is King", representing the focus of the company's business strategy to acquire established content, and then to improve, enhance...
, the company that owns the rights to Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's name, likeness, and music publishing, signed an agreement to have Cirque create the Elvis-themed residency show. The gala premiere was originally scheduled for January 2010 on what would have been Elvis' 75th birthday, but was postponed until February 19, 2010. The Elvis Presley Projects will include additional touring and its multimedia presentations, along with "Elvis Experiences" (interactive multimedia exhibits). One touring Elvis show is planned for Europe/Asia for 2010, with one "Elvis Experience" outside the United States. One new Elvis Presley Project is scheduled to open each year from 2009-2015.
Set and technical information
The Elvis Theater was designed with a conventional prosceniumProscenium
A proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...
layout reminiscent of an opera house. The stage has 16 platforms, divided into 12 sections which can rise 10 feet (3 m); the widest section is 18 by 80 ft (5.5 by 24.4 ) and is controlled by four large motors located 26 feet (7.9 m) below the stage.
The show's opening scene contains a jukebox made of chrome and gloss black which is 70 feet (21.3 m) wide by 22 feet (6.7 m) high. It also incorporate a 50-foot-tall (15 m) video screen. Also seen during the opening, the 29-foot-long (8.8 m), blue suede shoe weighs 7000 pounds (3,175.1 kg) and is made of steel and fiberglass.
During "Got a Lot of Livin' to Do", seven trampolines are utilized. The entire structure takes up the entire width of the stage (78 feet (23.8 m)) and weighs 30 tonnes (29.5 LT).
The set for the "Jailhouse Rock
Jailhouse Rock (song)
"Jailhouse Rock" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller that first became a hit for Elvis Presley. The song was released as a 45rpm single on September 24, 1957, to coincide with the release of Presley's motion picture, Jailhouse Rock...
" scene was based on the technical requirements for a circus art called marche inversée. It has ten tracks that allow acrobats to walk upside down, attached by their feet, while dancers perform right side up on other levels; the whole structure weighs in at 82000 pounds (37,194.6 kg).
Acts
The acts for Viva Elvis are staged to the music of Elvis PresleyElvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
.
- Blue Suede Shoes: Opening, dance and acrobatics
- Don't Be Cruel: Dance
- One Night: Aerial cadre, performed on a metal-frame guitar
- All Shook Up: Dance
- Saved: Dance and acrobatics
- Got a Lot of Livin' to Do: Trampoline
- Heartbreak Hotel: Dance
- Love Me Tender: Singing duet
- Return to Sender: Dance and aerial high bar
- Are You Lonesome Tonight: Aerial pas de deux
- Western Scene: Lassos
- Burning Love: Film clip/band spotlight
- Bossa Nova Baby: Balancing on chairs
- King Creole: Dance and film clips
- Jailhouse Rock: Dance and acrobatics (Viva Elvis centerpiece)
- It's Now or Never: Chinese poles
- Can't Help Falling in Love: Ballet and roller skates
- Love Me/Don't: Duo cerceaux
- Viva Las Vegas: Dance
- Suspicious Minds: Acrobatic dance duet
- Hound Dog: Finale
Costumes
Viva Elvis costume designer, Stefano Canulli, drew much inspiration from the iconic Elvis fashion of the '50s and '60s and added Technicolor lines to highlight the human body. The wardrobe collection as a whole contains nearly 400 costumes and around 1,500 costume components. Part of this total comes from more than 450 pairs of shoes and 150 custom wigs. Cirque du Soleil, for the first time, utilized flocking to create some of the accessories, thus giving them a velvet appearance. Some of the several wigs used for the show are created using urethane foam, which gives them the appearance of Japanese manga.Music
The music for Viva Elvis was created in partnership with Elvis Presley EnterprisesElvis Presley Enterprises
Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. is a corporate entity created by "The Elvis Presley Trust" to conduct business and manage its assets, including Graceland...
. The album, which was released on November 5, 2010, is released under the Sony Legacy Recordings and was produced by Erich van Tourneau.