Some ‘devastated’ by ‘Elvis’ changes
The bad news started sinking in when cast and crew members of "Viva Elvis" were told all things Elvis will be leaving the building.
The hoop skirt-wearing dancers from the bobby-socks era. Oversized set pieces of Elvis statues and the blue suede shoe.
"So expect to see those on eBay," cracked a Cirque du Soleil executive, hoping to relieve the tension.
That information comes from a source, who was among the 150-200 members of the "Viva Elvis" family summoned to a meeting Tuesday at the show's theater.
Less than two years after the delayed opening, Cirque informed cast and crew that the underachieving "Viva Elvis," the anchor show at Aria in CityCenter, would be dark for six weeks for a revamping, starting in January.
"It was emotional," the source said. "Some were devastated. They thought it was going to last forever."
After Vegas Confidential broke the news Tuesday on Twitter, Cirque du Soleil confirmed plans to "modify the show to make it less of a biographical representation of Elvis and more of an acrobatic Cirque du Soleil spectacular production."
The cast and crew was told that Cirque will be pouring more than $10 million into the makeover, with MGM Resorts International wanting results within two years.
Even the show's title might be changed, Cirque confirmed.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Happy birthday to local legend Emilio Muscelli, the showroom maitre d' during Elvis' seven-year run from 1969 to 1977 at The International, now the Hilton. He's 89 today. Next year will be the 60th anniversary of his arrival from the Copacabana in New York City. "I'm the last one of the '50's," said Muscelli, a fixture on the Las Vegas Country Club, where he's scored four holes-in-one. He's slowing down; only had two aces in his 80s.
Ahoy mateys! Laughlin will be crawling with my kind of crowd for the next three days. Festivities start today for the Pirates of the Colorado River Regatta, setting the stage for Saturday's pirate-themed float. The latter starts at 9 a.m. A public flogging reportedly awaits those who don't decorate their inner tubes, kayaks, canoes and non-motorized, parade-type floats. ...
Media update: Less than a month after being dropped by KXNT, 840 AM, Alan Stock returns to talk-show radio on Monday on KDWN, 720 AM. He'll be on from 11 a.m. to noon. He's on "The Ed Bernstein Show" at 4 p.m. Sunday on KSNV-TV, Channel 3. Local journalists Steve Friess and Miles Smith are holding their farewell party at Piero's Italian Cuisine from 2-5 p.m. Saturday. Friess has a Knight-Wallace Fellowship at the University of Michigan. Smith's last day as executive producer at KSNV-TV, Channel 3, was Friday. The party is open to the public, with a cash bar.
SIGHTINGS
Alicia Keys, taking a view of the Grand Canyon from the Skywalk at Grand Canyon West's Native American Village at Eagle Point last week.
THE PUNCH LINE
"After Monday's 600-point drop, the stock market fell and got back up again six times the next day. The stock market is acting like me after two appletinis." -- Conan O'Brien
Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.
