16 Comments
Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Julie Aucoin/Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil’s Viva Elvis at MGM CityCenter’s Aria.
Published Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010 | 12:21 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010 | 12:02 a.m.
Images of the Beatles are projected on screens at the end of Cirque Du Soleil's Love at the Mirage Friday, Dec. 19, 2008.
Viva Elvis Blue Carpet
Viewing video requires the latest version of Adobe's Flash Player
diggCelebrities walk the blue carpet at Aria for the premiere of Viva Elvis.
Cirque du Soleil has finally brought to the stage, or stages, a debate once confined to arguments among fans of contemporary music: Who do you prefer, The Beatles or Elvis Presley?
There's no point in dancing around this one. Cirque has brought similarly styled productions of the music, lives and legacies of The Beatles and Elvis on the same stretch of real estate in Las Vegas. In 2006, "Love" opened to largely laudatory reviews at The Mirage. "Viva Elvis" opened Friday Night to Dow Jones (up and down) reviews at Aria.
Each show is authorized by the companies that control the licensing of the respective artists: Apple Corps (Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison) for The Beatles; Elvis Presley Enterprises (most notably Priscilla Presley) for Elvis' estate. For a longtime Beatles nut who fairly recently became acutely educated about Presley, "Viva Elvis" was a chance to see what sort of whimsy Cirque would layer onto what might be the best-documented life and career in American entertainment history.
In researching Presley, and especially in several lengthy, dizzying conversations with some of the individuals who knew him intimately for more than two decades, I was struck by how powerful a figure he really was. Otherwordly, even. "When Elvis grabbed you, he never let you go," said Sonny West, one of the famed Memphis Mafia figures who was at Presley's side as a security official for more than 15 years before he and his cousin, Red, along with Dave Hebler, were fired by Presley's father, Vernon. I love the old quote by Tuesday Weld, too, who was a girlfriend of Presley's in the early-1960s and who starred opposite him in the 1961 film vehicle, "Wild in the Country." She said, "When Elvis entered a room, he took it over. He was so physically beautiful he would have been famous even if he had no talent."
The Beatles, of course, were wholly taken by Presley. As a teenager, upon seeing an ad for "Heartbreak Hotel," Paul McCartney said, "This is it: The Messiah has arrived." Upon meeting McCartney for the first time, in 1957, John Lennon later recalled, "I dug him. He looked like Elvis." When The Beatles met Presley in L.A. in 1965, they spent several moments just gazing at him, at which point Elvis said, "If y'all are just going to stare at me, I'm going to bed."
This is to put the influence of Presley in proper context, because as both musical legacies and biographies are portrayed by Cirque on the Strip, "Love" is far more rewarding. It's because of the music, naturally. The music of The Beatles is far better aligned with the obtuse, groundbreaking sense of entertainment that has made Cirque an international phenomenon and the dominant entertainment production company in Las Vegas. As Elvis played essentially the same film character 31 times over, The Beatles proved more inventive in their songwriting, their use of instruments, experimentation with new studio techniques and in forging a message beyond just, "please buy this album."
Consider: In 1966, The Beatles released an album called "Revolver." It was the follow-up to "Rubber Soul," the album that provided the first concrete evidence this band was planning to expand its art beyond the ritualistic toe-tapping, finger-snapping releases of the previous three years. When listing The Beatles' best albums, you wouldn't be faulted for dropping "Revolver" at the top, yet The Beatles catalog is so strong some fans might list three or four albums before "Revolver."
The sitar was featured prominently on this wildly imaginative album, especially on "Tomorrow Never Knows," which John Lennon wrote while inspired by the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Segments of "And Your Bird Can Sing" were played backward. "Taxman," written by George Harrison, was an angry response to the pocket-picking British tax system. "Yellow Submarine" was practically a children's song, the refrain arriving to Paul McCartney as he came out of a deep sleep. "Eleanor Rigby," about a lonely priest and a friendless spinster, is still powerful today. There is a modern-day incarnation of Eleanor Rigby who actually operates near Elvis' onetime Vegas home, the Las Vegas Hilton. She's a sad-faced woman who asks for money while limping between idling vehicles near the corner of Paradise Road and Sahara Avenue.
Most Beatles' music, from especially from "Rubber Soul," forward, speaks to issues we face today. The band grew from a veritable boy band in 1962 to cultural and musical trailblazers in fewer than four years.
Consider, then, the music Presley put out the year "Revolver" was released: Three movie soundtracks, "Frankie and Johnny," "Paradise, Hawaiian Style" and "Spinout." This follows two releases from 1965, "Girl Happy" and "Harum Scarum." It was obvious Presley's conscious decision to enter into a lucrative film career came at an artistic price. The film work blunted his musical creativity. This is made clear during "Viva Elvis" when Cirque seems to stretch its imagination like one of its ubiquitous bungee chords to incorporate its famous visual imagery into Elvis numbers. I've already noted the odd placement of superhero-costumed trampoline artists and western-attired dancers wielding flaming lassos in "Viva Elvis." Elvis' great period, the early Sun recordings dating from 1955 until he entered the Army in 1958, remain some of the greatest rock 'n' roll music ever recorded. But it isn't enough to carry a 90-minute show starring dozens of Cirque acrobats.
Comparatively, in "Love," most Cirque elements are so easy to imagine. I can envision the delight the Cirque production team took in considering how to handle, "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" — the song's title gives you "sky" already, which is where Cirque performers often seem most at home. "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" is actually taken from a circus poster, verbatim, providing Cirque with another clear opening for circus-style treatment. Even the plea in "Help," gave Cirque an opening to bring out young guys on skateboards happily looping through a pair of half-pipes.
"Viva Elvis" uses a silk white sheet to show footage of Pricilla and Elvis' wedding ceremony at the Aladdin. It's a moving moment, but you can't help but think of how the same type of sheet is stretched over the audience in "Love" as "Tomorrow Never Knows" is mashed with "Within You/Without You," the slamming drumbeat offset by Harrison's filtered, circling vocals and the song's insistent single-chord guitar work. I've read one review comparing the two shows that actually criticized "Love" because it is "all about the music." Yes, allowing George and Giles Martin access to the entire collection of recorded Beatles music, raking it clean digitally, mashing it into a single soundscape and running it through a peerless 6,600-speaker sound system was such a bad idea.
Frankly, one of the problems I have with "Viva Elvis" is that many songs are sung live, and as such by someone who is not Elvis Presley. I'm listening to his "Elvis 30 #1 Hits" compilation now, and those early songs, especially, just rock. But in the show, we have a gospel interpretation of "All Shook Up," when Elvis' version is infinitely more powerful. Drawing out that distinctive, moving voice, rather than burying it, would have given "Viva Elvis" far more impassioned, emotional lift.
"Love" ends with a soaring take on "All You Need is Love," with sheen screens showing images of all four Beatles. "Viva Elvis" closes with a loud Vegas revival of "Suspicious Minds" and "Hound Dog." I talked to people exiting the theater after both these shows opened, "Love" four years ago and "Viva Elvis" on Friday. Those leaving "Love" were about speechless. One man, probably close to 60, came out shaking his head, saying, "I need to see it again, because I'm not sure what I just saw." Upon leaving "Viva Elvis," a friend turned to me and said, simply, "Well, that was fun." Yep, "Viva Elvis," is a whole lotta fun, but no matter how much we love Elvis, it's not "Love."
Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats.
Profound cultural and political thought: Elvis? Beatles?...I guess it is up there with War and Peace, Death of a Salesman, On the Water Front, and Gone with the Wind....History will show just another tacky Vegas show...
Love is the best show in Vegas, bar none
OMG!!!! that was without a shadow of a doubt The WORST cirque du soleil I have ever seen, and I have seen them all. I am so angry I paid full price. It was HORRIBLE. The music was fabulous , the dancers and acrobats were pretty good also , but the production itself was terrible and cheap. The show was boring and long and nothing like any other Cirque I have seen in the past(I mean that in a really bad way)
Don't waste your money nor your time.
A most excellent review. I was a teenager here in the summer of 1969 when Elvis played at the International Hotel now the Las Vegas Hilton. Every Elvis engagement was exciting, creating the electric air of a heavyweight championship fight. Men wanted to be like him and women got dressed up to the nines, all to have an audience with The King. Elvis was a force of nature that can not be easily recreated in a lab. I don't know if it's even right to try.
I haven't seen Viva yet, but your characterization of Love is right on. I have only seen it once and feel like I need to see it several times to take everything in. And I HATE Cirque shows. I got bored during "O" and Ka left me cold. But I suppose I'll have to see Viva simply to make the comparison. Good work, John!
I too must see "LOVE" again...such a fantastic show with so much going on at once...AND THE SOUND SYSTEM IS TO DIE FOR! If just to hear the music again in such a fine acoustic theatre. I will check out "ELVIS" one day also...just because I loved his music too. Nice write up Kats...however...comparing the music of the Beatles and Elvis...is like comparing the Sahara Desert to the North Pole! Both distinct and different...Beatles wrote their own...Elvis paid people to write his. But in the end...IT IS ALL ROCK 'N' ROLL!
Elvis' music was great from '54 to about '62 and then again in '69 with the records he cut at American Studios in Memphis with famed hit producer Chips Moman. That was the sessions that Marty Lacker,his former right hand man, who also became one of the leaders of the Music Industry in Memphis back then, got him to record there. That was also the first time he sort of brojke away from what Parker wanted him to do or have control of. It was a lst minute decision of Elvis to record there the same nuight Lacker talked to him. Parker was not in on the decision or conversation.
The rest of his songs were mainly crummy movie songs that Colonel Parker and the Hill & Range Publishing company sent him to record because they had a piece of the publishing and didn't care they were bad songs. The same from about late '70 until he died.
Parker and Hill & Range didn't seem to care what those songs did to Elvis or his recording career.
That being said, he still sold a lot worldwide because he was singing them and his worldwide fans would buy almost anything he did.
Excuse the typos, I meant to write,"LAST minute decision"
With the exception of Love, Cirque hasn't had a hit since O. That's including the Cirque clone show La Reve at Wynn. Love only works because the Beatle music is incomparable. Elvis was very charismatic but his music is way below Beatle quality.
Obviously the Cirque formula has gotten very stale. There's only so many ways to do back flips and swing from ropes.
So, who wants to pay $100 per seat for Elvis music set to the same old acrobatics? Not me.
Yawn.....
As both a Beatle and Elvis fan I had planned on seeing the Elvis version but after these reviews I think not. Instead I'll go see LOVE, again, for the 6th time - it just gets better and better each time I see it. Saw Jersey Boys only 1 time so far but I'll be seeing that one again as well. Go see LOVE - you won't be sorry - and go see the Jersey Boys too - awesome!
LOVE was UNFORGETTABLE
all three times I have been.
Nothing can leave you feeling like that. "All you need is LOVE"
I would love to see Viva Elvis, and see music from the greatest entertainer the world has even known. To say that Elvis' music was "way below Beatle quality," is a typical response from a Beatle snob and too limit Elvis to being "very charasmatic" as his only positive attribute is a joke. The man is in 3 hall of fames for his music, while nobody else is in more than one. Listen to Elvis' greatest body of work, his work is incomparable! Had you placed the Beatles on stage with Elvis in his prime, it would have been no contest!
"Had you placed the Beatles on stage with Elvis in his prime, it would have been no contest!"
JoeCar-Great that you're a rabid Elvis fan but you actually prove my point.
Because neither Elvis or the Beatles can't be on stage, all that's left is their music with Cirque's same old acrobatics.
What do people remember when they see these shows, some clowns sliding around a giant guitar? No, they remember the music.
The only true difference in Love and Viva Elvis is the music which is why Love thrives and Viva Elvis as well as most of the other Cirque shows struggles.
"Love" is a journey....an experience. It isn't just watching a show. I have seen "Love" 4 times and each experience was new and wonderful. Seems to me the Beatles were more of a creative force in terms of their music. I am not sure how many tunes Elvis wrote, but the Beatles were constantly reinventing themselves, as is evident in "Love". Granted, I have not seen the new show about "Elvis" and I look forward to doing so. In reality though, it is not fair to compare one to the other. It's like comparing apples and oranges. For me, the best course is to simply experience the music and the show and take from it what is there to absorb. It's not about "who is/was best" or even "which show is best". It's about the music and the power behind the icon(s) that created it. We are all better of for having lived in a time when the world had The Beatles AND Elvis. I don't think there will ever be another group or individual performer who will come our way that will have the impact that they had, and continue to have.
i've seen Love twice, was planning on taking it in a third time soon. I was never a Beatles fan before Love, I appreciated their music, but was far from a fan. I left a complete fan. Bought the Love CD. What I really like about it, is when you listen to the album, all you've got to do is close your eyes and you can see the vivid imagery provide by Cirque. Phenomenal!
I just wanted to clear out that the show I was referring to in my previous comment was viva Elvis , not Love . They are just completely different categories of shows. Love is beautiful and so professional, and viva Elvis is, well, not!