Las Vegas Weekly

February 18, 2010 · 11:02 AM

Photo Gallery: Viva Elvis world premiere rocks Aria tomorrow

By Robin Leach

Cirque du Soleil's Viva Elvis at MGM CityCenter's Aria.

Photo: Julie Aucoin/Cirque du Soleil

Tomorrow night’s world premiere of Viva Elvis, Cirque du Soleil’s newest Strip production, will be the year’s most glittering and glamorous showbiz spectacle. A massive marketing machine rolls into high gear today to ensure global coverage of the extraordinary event.

Vegas DeLuxe is proud and privileged to post the newest Viva Elvis photos in this morning’s photo gallery to add to our previous coverage and photos. Our December four-part Viva Elvis series included interviews with Priscilla Presley and Cirque founder Guy Laliberte, creative director Gilles Ste-Croix, director and writer Vincent Paterson and Robert F.X. Sillerman.

I’m reliably told that the past three weeks of Cirque’s fixation process have been completed and that all problems, wrinkles and hiccups have been solved, and everybody associated with the final look is thrilled with its outcome.

“You will be blown away at how it’s changed with the new choreography and the way characters have been softened by Priscilla Presley herself. Everybody is going to be blown away after seeing it. Don’t be surprised if you hear people saying it’s the best musical spectacular they’ve ever experienced and seen,” said one person from the production staff.

As if to back that up, Time magazine’s Richard Corliss -- as we tweeted earlier -- raved last week about what he’d witnessed in a recent preview. I’m also told that tomorrow’s red carpet stars walk and the Haze nightclub after-party may outshine Cirque’s last Las Vegas platinum premiere, The Beatles’ Love at The Mirage.

Robert F.X. Sillerman, chairman and CEO of CKX Inc., the company that owns Elvis Presley Enterprises; Bill McBeath, president and COO of Aria; Guy; and Priscilla will all be attending. Choreographers Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo of Nappytabs from So You Think You Can Dance, who added recent dance changes, will be on the red carpet, too.

Also on the guest list are Cirque’s Believe star Criss Angel and George Harrison’s widow Olivia Harrison representing The Beatles. It’s believed that Lisa Marie Presley will slip in and out of the first-night fun in a bid to stay incognito. Criss’s ex-love mate Holly Madison from Peepshow at Planet Hollywood also is expected, but not arm-in-arm with her former beau!

Other celebrities who have RSVP’d yes include Ryan Seacrest, Wynonna, Tommy Lee, Gene Simmons, Scott Weiland, Lo Bosworth, Chris Noth, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, Peter Facinelli and Jennie Garth, Christina Hendricks, Regis and Joy Philbin, Taye Diggs, Jeff Probst, Rita Rudner, Carrot Top, Perez Hilton, Juliette Lewis, Laurence Fishburne, Brian Baumgartner, Sammy Shore, Louie Anderson, plus many other VIPs. I was told yesterday that Cirque is juggling some 4,000 guests this weekend, including a global invasion of media.

It all kicks off tonight with the majority of Larry King’s CNN talk show being devoted to the Viva Elvis launch. Priscilla will be live in Larry’s L.A. studio before flying here tomorrow. Executive producer Stephane Mongeau and Armand Thomas, director of creation, will be live via satellite from Las Vegas to talk about the show.

A CNN video crew filmed extensively backstage before and during the show this week, so expect great visuals and footage to be included in the 30 minutes devoted to Viva Elvis. Also expect Larry and family to be in attendance tomorrow night in MGM Grand CityCenter’s Aria for Viva Elvis.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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