November 5, 2009 · 10 AM

It’s official: ‘Viva Elvis’ is the name for Cirque-Presley production at Aria

By John Katsilometes

Elvis Presley helped transform Las Vegas, beginning in July 1969, by showing that entertainment could turn a profit for hotels.

Photo: Associated Press / File

The title of the Elvis Presley-Cirque du Soleil show was made official today. Announced this morning is that the show will be called Viva Elvis, playing off the 1965 Presley film Viva Las Vegas.

The production show, a partnership between Cirque and Elvis Presley Enterprises, hits the stage when the CityCenter resort Aria opens on Dec. 16. In a release, Cirque trumpeted the show as "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."

The show is not going to be a straight musical adaptation of Elvis' career, but rather a series of interpretive, acrobatic, Cirque-i-fied scenes set to his music that will avoid traditional Elvis tribute artists (aside from a reported scene where one such impressionist is crushed by a giant blue suede shoe).

The company offered no details on when tickets would be made available, other than to say ticket information would be announced soon.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats.

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