| rev:text
| - I had the privilege of attending the Viva Elvis Premiere Show and after-party at Haze. The scene was star-studded and included actors such as Laurence Fishburne, Justin Long, Chris Noth and Taye Diggs. As such, the vibe in the air was highly exciting and intoxicating.
Now, add to that the fact that I am easily impressed. I can't sing, act, dance or do acrobatics. So when I see other people who can do those things, I'm "wow'd." So in essence, Viva Elvis "wow'd" me.
Some of the criticisms I heard of the show that night were that the acrobatics seemed tacked onto musical numbers and that the show itself was more spectacle rather than theatrical.
My assessment is that this is Vegas, baby. It's not Broadway. This town in of itself is a spectacle and thus the shows here often reflect that.
Viva Elvis is a spectacle. It is a spectacle of rockin' good music performed by talented, high-energy (and cute) musicians. It is a spectacle of playful, vivacious choreography performed by smiling, happy dancers all of whom are fun to watch. It is a spectacle of challenging, often-dangerous acrobatics and stunts that made me gasp and cheer at the same time. It is a spectacle of color, lights, costumes and makeup that inspired me to hit my thrift stores for some cute, retro fashion. I am dying for a pair of blue suede shoes!
Per the usual formula of Cirque shows, there is a pre-show that includes female Elvis fans interacting with audience members and gushing on and on about how much they love Elvis. At one point three blue-suede-shoe-wearing Elvis fans invaded actor Justin Long's seats which he was saving for his friends. The celebrity graciously interacted with the performers as they continued to stay in their teeny bopper characters, creating an entertaining scene for the rest of us to watch. This pre-show of Elvis fans smoothly segues into the loud, raucous first act of "Blue Suede Shoes."
The course of the show basically chronicles the life and career of Elvis. Think of it as a musical biography. Numbers are broken up and explained by an actor playing Elvis' manager Lt. Col. Parker.
Surprisingly, the best act of the show is the Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do number in which performers are dressed as super heroes straight out of the comic books. At first this act seems out of place, but the audience hears Elvis himself explaining how influential comic books and movies were on the development of his persona and career. Elvis saw himself as a hero. And as Elvis and the live musicians perform Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do, these masked performers do the most amazing acrobatic trampoline act. It's unlike anything I have ever seen before, and I only wish I had such a trampoline-designed contraption in my home so I could have as much fun bouncing off the walls as the performers seemed to have.
The stage design of the show was also impressive and fun. There is so much going on onstage at the same time. Musicians are playing. Dancers are dancing. Acrobats are performing stunts. And all the while photos or film pieces of Elvis are being projected onto a screen above the stage. You need about four pairs of eyes to watch the whole scene, or you may miss something.
Or you could simply go back to see the show again, which is what I plan on doing.
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