‘Idol’ singer Carly Smithson juggling ‘Viva Elvis,’ new band duties

Why would Carly Smithson, a memorable "American Idol" contestant with a promising, major-label rock band, take a job as an anonymous singer in "Viva Elvis"?

Why wouldn't she?

"I just want to experience everything," she says of her new job in the Cirque du Soleil production, one that's unbilled but gives her two featured songs each night.

"I've always been obsessed with Cirque," says the 27-year-old Irish singer. "As soon as (the casting director) said Cirque du Soleil, she could have said any part. I could be dressed as a teacup."

Her "Elvis" garb stops short of that. But Smithson does wear a wig and covers her signature right-arm "sleeve" of tattoos (a policy for all Cirque performers).

Even so, you might recognize the rockin' soul voice if you followed season seven of "Idol" -- eventually won by David Cook -- or if you're into her new band, We Are The Fallen, with former Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody. She says Cirque's original scores, particularly the touring "Corteo," are an influence on the band's dramatic rock laced with orchestral flourishes.

Smithson plans to juggle the two jobs this year, when the band cuts down on live shows while it writes and records its second album. She and Moody do their songwriting separately anyway. "I like to go into like a personal space by myself," she explains.

This multitasking fits into a varied career for the singer who toured with "Les Miserables" when she was 10 and had a major-label pop album (as Carly Hennessy) when she was 18.

But that album was an infamous flop; a Wall Street Journal feature made it a symbol of record company excess. Most of the world got to know Smithson (her married name) during the 2008 season that eventually became the battle of "the Davids," Cook and Archuleta.

Smithson's "Idol" season began with controversy about her previous record deal and ended after she had to sing outside her niche ("The Shadow of Your Smile" and Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again"). "For Dave it worked, but for me, I was miserable that I had to sing a country song."

Still, "Idol" did "financially for me what I needed it to do," she says, letting her work solely as a musician and making connections that led to the new band.

"Fame to me is actually quite bizarre," she says. "I would never want to kind of go back to the 'American Idol' fame, because it was, is the word 'intrusive'? It's this huge weight that gets thrown on you, and you can't go anywhere.

"I kind of brought it back now to that place in my life where (music) is not a job, it's something that I love," she says. "I just want to see the world, make music, and maybe somewhere a long while down the road have kids. I'm a very simple person."

Smithson says she's learning a lot about theater discipline and technology from "Elvis." So far, she is grounded for "One Night With You," but plans to croon the song from a flying piano.

Casting Smithson was coincidental to the official changes for "Viva Elvis," which marks the one-year anniversary of its opening-night gala on Feb. 19. Cirque had hoped to unveil an improved version by then, but now says it will be late March or April before critics are invited to reassess their lukewarm reviews.

"The really big changes are taking time to come because they're expensive and needed approval," says artistic director Gene Lubas. "I want to use more Cirque trickery and magic to bring the show closer to the public."

More subtle tweaks include new costumes in the opening number, an expansion of the gospel sequence and the addition of "That's All Right," which is on the soundtrack album but not yet in the show.

Lubas says Priscilla Presley has become not just a promotional spokeswoman, but an active contributor. "She wants this to work," Lubas says. "What she likes and feels is important, and I want to get that history."

Smithson wants to be part of the show's evolution for as long as it's possible to commute from San Diego and balance it with her band. "I don't have this kind of place I'm to reach that's the definition of success for me," she says. "I just have this long road of wonderfulness."

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