Characters from Beatles' songs, such as "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" dominate the new Cirque du Soleil show "Love," though the effort sanctioned by the surviving Beatles does touch upon the group's life and times. Photos by Jeff Scheid. Famed Beatles producer George Martin, left, shares a laugh with Cirque du Soleil director Gilles Ste-Croix during a preview of the new Mirage show "Love."

Those who think Cirque du Soleil would stop with five shows on the Strip should know better by now. And those who ask what could follow the Beatles after Cirque's new "Love" should think of another musical legend.

"We're preferring the return of Elvis to Las Vegas," Cirque founder Guy Laliberté said Wednesday after a media preview for the Beatles-themed "Love," which opens for ticketed previews June 2.

Cirque last week announced a joint venture with CKK Enterprises, the parent company of Elvis Presley Enterprises. A touring show in Europe or Asia is scheduled first in 2008. But the deal includes future multimedia/interactive projects and "permanent shows at fixed locations," according to CKK's announcement.

Laliberté made no bones about Las Vegas being a natural for one of those locations. "What is nice with Elvis, this was his city," he said.

Cirque's chief operating officer was more cryptic about when and where. The main question is whether an Elvis show would wait for MGM Mirage's Project CityCenter. Most Cirque shows take at least three years to develop.

"If I could put my hands on 10 or 12 theaters a year, I believe I could come up with 12 distinctive shows," Laliberté said.

"The challenge is not to repeat. And I think we've proved enough that we have the capacity to create distinctive product. After the number five, I think we've made it clear."

The Montreal-based company, with 13 shows worldwide and 3,000 employees, has been trying to diversify from its circus origins. With the erotic-themed "Zumanity," a touring arena show, "Delirium," and the Beatles venture, "we're now pretty much confirming that Cirque du Soleil is not just a circus company, but it is a global entertainment company with the intention of developing in many creative fields," Laliberté said.

"Love" is the brainchild of Laliberté and the late George Harrison, who became friends through their shared enthusiasm for Formula One racing. It became the rare Beatles project to gain the approval of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the late John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono.

George Martin, the Beatles' legendary producer, supervised the music that weaves snippets of more than 130 Beatles songs into what Martin called "a panorama of sound, a soundscape that will last for 90 minutes."

The theater-in-the-round cost about $120 million, and the show itself another $30 million, Laliberté said, less than what was spent for the last Cirque, "Ka," believed to be upward of $200 million.

"Love" was fast-tracked for The Mirage following the nearly fatal injury to Siegfried & Roy's Roy Horn in 2003. That places the newest Cirque next door to the Strip's oldest, "Mystere," which opened at Treasure Island in late 1993.

Laliberté said "Mystere" is "doing great business" and he is not concerned "Love" will siphon tickets. "This is for me the foundation. An iconic show. A year ago, I went to (Mirage Resorts President) Bobby Baldwin and asked, 'Is it time to start thinking about changing the show?'

"He looked at me as if I wanted to kill an icon."

However, Laliberté added, "that doesn't mean we won't change maybe 30 minutes of the show in a couple of years to upgrade and refresh (it)."