Cirque bends over backwards for fans

Cirque week. Sure. Aren't they all.

But with a record eight Cirque du Soleil titles running on the Strip for at least a day or two this month, an actual Cirque Week is a draw for both "the casual fan and the extreme fan," says Jack Kenn, vice president and general manager of Cirque's resident shows division.

"This is our week in Vegas to celebrate the people who patronize us, who come to see our shows," Kenn says.

Ten days worth of behind-the-scenes tours and talks run today through Dec. 10, concurrent with Cirque's Michael Jackson tribute "The Immortal" landing at Mandalay Bay. Most of Cirque's resident titles will rotate out for vacations while "The Immortal" is in town for most of December, but not before a bit of cross promotion.

"There are going to be a lot of Michael Jackson fans who aren't necessarily Cirque du Soleil fans," Kenn says. "We're now giving a different audience an opportunity to be introduced to what we do here on a year-round basis."

And while we locals sometimes can't see the forest through the mimes, Kenn notes the rest of the world still needs to be coached on Cirque's diversity. "People say, 'Oh I've seen Cirque du Soleil,' as if it's one show, and we're always looking for ways to challenge that. This is another way to say it's not just one, it's seven."

The special events are bundled with show ticket purchases. They range from a Saturday chat with Cirque President Daniel Lamarre to a Wednesday look at how the vertical battle from "Ka" is being reconfigured with new video and choreography.

Cirque Week doubles to 10 days after a modest launch last year. Some panels "would have 200 to 300 to 400 people there when we were maybe expecting a quarter of that. We're expecting to potentially double the amount this year," Kenn says. ...

Here's something to ask Cirque executives at the fan gatherings. A plausible rumor has Cirque not merely integrating acts from its Tokyo production "Zed" into "Viva Elvis," but importing the entire show for Aria.

"Zed" was undone by the crippling tsunami in Japan and closes at Tokyo Disney Resort at the end of this year. On our end, MGM Resorts executives have asked Cirque to line up a replacement for the underperforming "Elvis." They have a year to figure it out, but new Cirques typically take two years or more to develop. Hence, the logic in the rumor of a quick and easy fix for both problems.

The one thing that would surprise me? I had figured the sheer volume of Cirque titles on the Strip would demand any new ones continue with iconic music brands such as the Beatles and Michael Jackson. (I've long rooted for Pink Floyd.) But since "Elvis" isn't working out, maybe they figure it's time to get back to basics. Hmm. Could those "Zed" acrobats do their routines to the Floyd? Just asking. ...

The "Viva Elvis" news comes while Cirque is still planning a permanent Michael Jackson show at Mandalay Bay, suggesting which bygone superstar moves more tickets these days.

So how's it going at "Legends in Concert"? The Harrah's Las Vegas staple is letting Cirque run away with the Michael competition. It loaned out its resident impersonator, William Hall, to a sister production until Dec. 18.

But for the first time, "Legends" is experimenting with dual Elvises. Victor Trevino offers the young rockabilly Elvis as a show opener Tuesdays through Thursdays, while Matt Lewis continues to close as Jumpsuit Elvis, Fridays through Mondays.

The long-running revue finds it fairly easy to redecorate for the holidays, with each "Legends" act singing one Christmas song and gathering together for a "White Christmas" finale.

"It's a little bit of Christmas, but not shoved down your throat. Just enough to get you humming as you're walking out," says Connie Clark, who is part of the management team. The holiday cast includes Josh Ward as Toby Keith and Sara Hickey as Carrie Underwood. But that's a happy accident, as the show gave up doing a special country show for the National Finals Rodeo a few years ago. ...

The classic old Harrah's showroom comes up in rumors that Barry Manilow would move there after wrapping at Paris Las Vegas on Dec. 11 to make room for "Jersey Boys" by mid- to late February (the exact date still not announced).

"Jersey Boys" can run year-round, but it sounds as though Caesars Entertainment would like to keep Manilow for 70-plus shows per year. The obvious theater at Planet Hollywood is run by a third party, Base Entertainment, which could complicate things with Manilow producers AEG Live.

I don't see him ending up at Harrah's, even though "Legends" previously made room to work around comedian Rita Rudner. Manilow doesn't need the work badly enough to play along with selling a 600-seat theater as a Garth-at-Wynn type of prestige gig, not a step down. (There's a "Spinal Tap" quote for every show business occasion, and the one about playing to a "more selective" audience comes to mind here.) ...

If the holidays are making you busy for the wrong reasons, benefit shows remind you to have some fun for the right ones. At 7 p.m. today, the Nevada AIDS Project hosts "Life's A Ball: A Celebration of Life and Journey Towards the Cure" at the Tropicana's Club Nikki. Performers include singer Mya, Lorena Peril of "Fantasy" and Jymes Vaughn from Chippendales. The suggested donation is $20.

On Sunday, Station Casinos and KWNR-FM, 95.5 stage a "Toys for Tickets" country show at Green Valley Ranch Resort. Jerrod Niemann and Lauren Alaina sing in the 7 p.m. benefit where a new, unwrapped toy gains admission.

Also on Sunday, "American Idol" contestant Casey Abrams will sing in front of Mandalay Bay at 3 p.m. as part of the preliminaries for the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon. The free show isn't a benefit concert per se, but raises awareness for Abrams' and others' battles with ulcerative colitis for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.