Paul McCartney to lead stars at Feb. 19 premiere of Viva Elvis

Scott Doctor/www.greatscottstudios.com

Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr unveil a tribute to John Lennon and George Harrison in celebration of the first anniversary of The Beatles Love by Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage.

By Robin Leach (contact)

Monday, Feb. 8, 2010 | 1:01 p.m.

Viva Elvis Sneak Preview

Launch slideshow »

Priscilla Presley @Viva Elvis

Launch slideshow »

Plans are well underway for the star-studded VIP celebration for Viva Elvis' premiere Feb. 19 at Aria at CityCenter, and Cirque du Soleil is expecting Paul McCartney and members of The Beatles Love family at The Mirage to attend.

Cirque officials also are hoping for Ringo Starr with Barbara Bach, Yoko Ono with Sean Lennon and George Harrison's widow Olivia. All of them are fans of Elvis' music, and both John Lennon and Harrison have admitted that the King of Rock and Roll inspired the two Brits.

Additionally, Priscilla Presley and Lisa Marie Presley are scheduled to attend next week's premiere at the Elvis Theater in Aria. Other musicians and Hollywood stars have already accepted invitations. It will not be a red carpet gala, but in fact a blue carpet celebration paying tribute to Elvis and those blue suede shoes.

As the spectacular $100 million production nears its official unveiling, Viva Elvis still is undergoing creative fixation by Cirque's top producers. This past week the production suspended four nights of previews, including Saturday night's late show, for continuing rehearsals as segments were deleted and numbers added.

This is said to be a normal part of Cirque's creation process, as the colorful, action-packed musical nears its premiere. Priscilla Presley herself has shuttled back and forth from her Malibu, Calif., home watching over and approving the changes as the Elvis show takes its final shape.

"Nothing is wrong, and it's all going to be absolutely incredible when it's really seen for the first time. The exciting audience responses through previews have been phenomenal and wonderfully enthusiastic with supportive suggestions," a theater source said. A source also has confirmed that the Elvis character on stilts has been dropped from the show.

For those who want to witness the star turnout, the blue carpet starts at 6 p.m. Feb. 19, with a post-premiere gala planned for that night, possibly lasting past the midnight hour.