No Elvis in Vegas

Just as you may see Superman or Batman in Hollywood, you may see Elvis in Las Vegas (I saw two in front of the Bellagio one night), but don't waste your time or money on seeing Viva Elvis. The new Cirque du Soleil show at the Aria.

I am a nearly fanatic fan of Cirque du Soleil; I have seen nearly every show since Nouvelle Experience in 1988. I always do my best to see their newest shows unless there is some unforeseen delay (my ticket for Criss Angel's Believe show was refunded after the opening was delayed over a month), or some part of the show I know I will not like (Kooza has a scene with rats and mice). I was looking forward to seeing Viva Elvis because a friend of mine knows the director and it appeared to have no negatives. Appearances can be deceiving.

Viva Elvis was the WORST (of ten) Cirque show I have ever seen. Period. It was so awful that even though I had a front row center seat, I considered walking out in the middle of the performance. I stayed and ended up texting my friend who knows the director about the show. He responded that the director did not stay for opening night, instead he left for Mexico. I detest Mexico and I would have preferred to be in that country rather than sitting through the torture of watching a cheesy, cheap looking, cookie cutter shtick of a show. Everything from the costumes to the makeup looked like it was recycled from a dead show.

What Cirque fan would have ever expected to see lame jackets and masks on the performers instead of the creative and unique costumes and make-up that Cirque is renowned for in all their other shows? Why was there an MC yelling at the audience as if we were deaf and dumb in between numbers? Who thought that adding a few athletic jumps and leaps would make Viva Elvis a show that would appeal to fans of the high flying, unique breath-taking feats of the other Cirque shows? If you want to see a great show, go to O, Love, Mystere, or Zumanity, which is a fun show for anyone who is dating.

Just as I wrote in yesterday's post about the Encore and the Wynn hotels, some things are not better just because they are new. Go to a Cirque show, just don't go to Viva Elvis.