Save Viva Elvis!

As promised, more on the Viva Elvis show I saw on Thursday night at the Aria Resort and Casino.

It was fantastic and splendid!  No doubt Buddy Wayne would approve of the combination of storytelling, dancing, and live music featuring Elvis Presley's hits with Cirque du Soleil's brand of acrobatics and gymnastics - and certainly I did as well.

But I was dismayed to find out that Cirque du Soleil and the Aria have agreed to shut down the show sometime in August.  The only question I have is, why?  Is there somehow a limit to the company's budget on Vegas shows, and with another one with Michael Jackson's music coming sometime next year, Viva Elvis had to go?  Or was it the bad reviews from others, with Arthur Frommer among those calling it the worst of the Cirque shows to date?  It certainly wasn't the ticket sales, at least judging from the packed house I saw at the performance I attended.

The only way to let them know you still want Elvis in the building - besides buying tickets, of course - is to use this feedback link to contact the Aria directly.  Maybe one of Presley's album titles will be a prophecy: 50 Million Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong.

UPDATE: Cirque du Soleil and the joint venture that owns Aria (MGM Resorts International and investors from Dubai) have announced Zarkana will replace Viva Elvis in October, so unfortunately the decision is final.  What's worse, there are no plans to perform Viva Elvis anywhere else once the show leaves Vegas.

Just checking in and revealing my plans

It's been nearly two months since my last post, and in case you're wondering, I'm still here!

The thing is, I simply have had no material to add to the story in any way since I returned to school.  But next week, that all changes.

During my vacation in Las Vegas, I plan to see Viva Elvis, one of the permanent shows of Cirque du Soleil playing at various casino-hotels on the Strip.  This show is at the Aria, part of the huge CityCenter development co-owned by MGM Resorts International and the Dubai government in the United Arab Emirates.

I plan to dedicate my attendance to BWB, who is a huge fan of Elvis Presley, and my next post here will be a "review" of the show in his name.

Thanks for your attention. -- D.H.