Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

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Constant change helps ‘Legends in Concert’ thrive

0505Legends

Leila Navidi

The curtain falls on cast members of “Legends in Concert” at the end of their show Thursday at Harrah’s. “Legends” is the second-longest-running show on the Strip, including 25 years at the Imperial Palace.

‘Legends in Concert’

Matt Lewis, who portrays Elvis in Launch slideshow »

IF YOU GO

What: “Legends in Concert”

When: Times vary by week; dark Thursdays

Where: Harrah’s

Tickets: $49.95; 369-5111

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Beyond the Sun

A faux Jay Leno steps on stage and shoots off a few zingers about the economy:

“People are putting things on layaway at the 99 Cent store. Sesame Street is laying off people. Elmo’s on the street now, letting people tickle him for five bucks.”

He sets the tone for an evening of fast-paced, energetic and good-hearted fakery. He’s followed by a rotating lineup of entertainers who perform with “Legends in Concert,” a show that remains fresh by rotating its stars every four months.

Everyone but Elvis. The King lives long in “Legends,” never leaving the building.

The other “stars” now are Leno, Tom Jones, the Temptations and Whitney Houston. On May 18 Elvis will be joined by David Bowie (his first time with the show), Britney Spears, James Brown and Celine Dion.

The Leno look-alike, Marcel Forestieri, has been a Vegas mainstay for more than 30 years, performing as Elvis, Wolfman Jack and others.

His latest gig is Leno, hosting the venerable “Legends” show, which will celebrate its 26th anniversary tonight.

“Legends” recently moved to Harrah’s after 25 years at the Imperial Palace. It came to town for a six-week engagement and has become the second-oldest show on the Strip — behind “Jubilee!” at Bally’s.

With the move came a multiyear contract with options, says Brian Brigner, chief operating officer of On Stage Entertainment, producer of “Legends.” “Our goal is to make Harrah’s our home for the next 25 years.”

The show’s glitter hasn’t begun to fade. In fact, it’s spreading with “Legends” shows in Atlantic City; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Branson, Mo.; and Seattle. More than 5 million have seen “Legends.” One fan has seen it more than 2,000 times.

Brigner says the formula is simple — rotating casts, stars that cover several eras of music. Having several shows allows the producers to move the cast around to the different productions, which gives fans a reason to see the shows again and again.

“Legends” faced uncertainty over Imperial Palace’s future after it was purchased by Harrah’s Entertainment, and producers were reluctant to spend a lot of money on renovations.

“We didn’t know if it was going to be here tomorrow or was going to be an arena site,” Brigner says. “The move allowed us to reinvest in the product.”

Since the move to Harrah’s, the show has spiffy new costumes, new sets and new multimedia screens that enhance the performances.

But it wasn’t a smooth move.

“We bumped the date back three times — once, the fabricator went out of business in the middle of building our first set, which set us back,” Brigner says.

The only thing they brought from the Imperial Palace was the Elvis sign.

The show is new, and so is the energy.

“It’s so exciting for us,” Brigner says. “Every announcement you read today is about a show closing.”

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