Trent Carlini does wear the Vegas-era jumpsuit, but only after several costume changes in his "Musical History of the King." Photo by Sara Tramiel/Review-Journal

Yes, he does say "Thank you very much." But the sincere, low-key way he says it is perhaps the key to Trent Carlini's Elvis tribute, "The Musical History of the King."

To say it's mildly surprising to see a straight-forward, nonkitschy Elvis Presley impersonator these days is to say why more of them pop up at Las Vegas wedding chapels than showrooms.

But watch how many women head to the front of the Sahara stage when Carlini invites them down for the kisses and scarves ritual during "Suspicious Minds." It's clear the Elvis aura still lingers, and that Carlini is onto something potent with the camp-free show last seen at the Las Vegas Hilton in 2003 and 2004.

If it were all a goof, the ladies wouldn't linger down there, wide-eyed, for the show-closing "My Way," even when they weren't lucky enough to get anointed with a scarf around their neck. (It looks like the producer will need to beef up his stockpile.)

This new venture at the Sahara picks up right where the Hilton show left off, down to the Hilton's presence in the video segments that cover Carlini's costume changes. The strengths remain his gracefully powerful voice and a strong eight-piece band, with three horns and two female backup singers.

But there's clearly room to build on this solid foundation and modest start.

The structure is as casual as Carlini's stage banter between numbers. He's trying so hard not to be obsessive about the Elvis thing that he squeezes on a stiff-looking wig rather than walking around with an Elvis hairdo in his civilian hours.

That's admirable. But the "I'm not Elvis" approach doesn't leave much room for any drama or focus, beyond a bit of casual chatter and a series of costume changes tracking Presley's career from his rockabilly roots to sequined-jumpsuit Vegas.

The show operates under the major handicap of not using Presley's name or likeness in any form. Business mogul Robert F.X. Sillerman controls the Presley estate and has big plans for Las Vegas, including an Elvis-themed Cirque du Soleil show. That rules out any direct biographical references to the real Elvis. It would even be tough to set up sections of the show by referencing their '50s or '60s context. Instead, the film clips focus on Carlini himself.

And the beginning doesn't clearly establish whether we're watching one Vegas-era show or a "Beatlemania"-type attempt to re-create several concert periods.

Carlini comes out with the early rockabilly look and music, but "Hound Dog" and "Blue Suede Shoes" get the keyboards and smooth arrangements of later years. There could be two choices here: Strip this early segment down to a more authentic Sun Records sound, with sparse drumming and doghouse bass. Or let the band come out swinging in the soulful '70s groove it excels at, and save the rockabilly stuff for later.

Carlini takes care of all female fans, and is good at throwing Elvis buffs a few less-heard surprises, such as "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" and the very timely "If I Can Dream." Give him a few months to re-establish Presley's credibility, and the show just might figure out how to handle his history and legacy as well.