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Every day on the Las Vegas Strip, Elvis can be seen in many forms – sometimes performing, sometimes presiding over weddings, and sometimes simply walking on the street. Soon, however, fans of the King may get to see Elvis on the Strip in a whole new way. Plans are in production to create an all new Las Vegas show centered on Elvis and his music. MGM Grand and Cirque du Soleil are collaborating to produce this show at the currently-under-construction City Center.
The Cirque du Soleil show will be a permanent fixture in Las Vegas at the new CityCenter Hotel and Casino, which is expected to open in 2009. It will use a combination of live musicians and singers, projections, dance, and the latest in multimedia sound and lighting technology to recreate the King and his music. Cirque du Soleil has a deal with CKX Inc. and Elvis Presley Enterprises to gain rights to Elvis’s name, image and music. CKX shares these rights with his daughter, Lisa Marie Presley.
"We are working closely with our partners to ensure the public will have an unforgettable encounter with the king of rock 'n' roll," said Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil.
The deal was first announced during Elvis Week, when Elvis fans everywhere commemorate the passing of the King on August 16, 1977. It is a match made in heaven for Las Vegas, which has always been heavily associated with Elvis and was home to some of his most memorable performances.
Cirque du Soleil has five shows in Las Vegas: Zumanity, "O," KA, Mystere, and the highly acclaimed LOVE, which celebrates the musical legacy of the Beatles using a harmony of visuals, a 60-member cast, and the Beatles original recordings. Soon to open is also Criss Angel’s Believe, which will feature an exquisite blend of music, acrobatics, dancing, puppetry, and of course, magic. Specific details on what the Cirque du Soleil Elvis show will entailed have not yet been revealed, but we can expect it to feature plenty of the music and dancing that made Elvis such an iconic figure in Las Vegas.
MGM Mirage is also reportedly creating a permanent Elvis spectacular at the City Center casino-hotel, as well as an Elvis Experience museum. It was said that the City Center, a collaboration between MGM Mirage and six international architects, would consist of a soaring 60-story, 4,000-room hotel/casino, two 400-room non-gaming hotels, 500,000 square feet of retail shops, dining and entertainment venues and nearly 2,800 luxury condominiums. It was also rumored that plans were in the works for an Elvis-themed hotel and casino on the Strip across the street from the City Center. In recent news, however, the millionaire behind the $9 billion City Center project, Robert FX Sillerman, recently stated that it was “unlikely” that his original Las Vegas plans would proceed due to the fluctuating capital markets. It’s unclear how this will affect plans for an Elvis hotel and casino, which have been said to hinge on whether or not Sillerman’s company can raise enough financing. If the project is given the green light, construction would begin in the first quarter of 2009 and finish sometime in late 2012. We’ll keep an eye on the news to see how these exciting additions to Las Vegas develop.
However, if plans for an Elvis-specific hotel fall flat and you find yourself with a case of Hotel Heartbreak there are always new shows that feature Elvis coming to Vegas all the time. So rest assured, you will never have to go far to find the King in Las Vegas.
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