Entertainment Snapshot – Viva Elvis

From Avenue Q to Zumanity, we have seen a lot of what Vegas has to offer when it comes to shows. Of course, that means a lot of Cirque de Soleil.  We fell in love with Mystére and had our minds blown by Ka, so we were expecting some big things from Viva Elvis, Cirque’s $100M rock ‘n‘ roll spectacular at Aria Resort.

SPECTACULAR IS RIGHT: There are some remarkable numbers and some amazing visuals in this show. Many – like a 90,000 pound, 40 foot high “Jailhouse Rock” set – are modern marvels. Others are more understated and touching. A gigantic american flag made out of boxer shorts commemorating “the military years” had an unexpected emotional impact.

NOT A BAD SEAT IN THE HOUSE: As one would expect, the Viva Elvis theater is perfectly designed for the show. We are confident that every one of the 1,800 seats has an excellent view of the stage, as promised.  Additionally, the seats are plush and extra comfy.  Don’t worry, with all the lights and music, you won’t fall asleep.

ALL SHOOK UP:  Speaking of sound…  One of our main complaints was how unbelievably loud the show was. We love to be immersed in sound, especially when that sound is an iconic voice like The King. However, this was over-the-top. The 176 multi-channel speakers and 36 sub-woofers deliver a sound that is way beyond “feel the bass your bones.”  The experience is more like “I think my ears are bleeding.”

HAVE WE SEEN TOO MUCH?: While we certainly enjoyed ourselves, we left feeling like we had seen this show before – only last time it was better. The vocals were strong but veered into “cruise ship-y.”  The acrobatics were amazing, but almost seem out of place (which is weird for a Cirque show).  Like we mentioned, we have seen a lot of Cirque shows, so perhaps it is a classic case of “too much of a good thing.”  However, we recently revisited Mystére at TI (Treasure Island) and loved it.  It lacks the flash of Viva Elvis, but it still holds up.

DIFFERENT STROKES: We recognize that shows like this can be a very personal experience. We recently gushed about La Reve (at Wynn) to friends.  After seeing it for themselves, they could not understand why we were so gaga over the show; it simply did not resonate with them.  So it goes, and we’re sure plenty of people will, unlike us, find a lot to love about Viva Elvis.

Here, you’ll find more information about this visit to Las Vegas.