The opening of Cirque du Soleil‘s Viva ELVIS is predictable, nostalgic and – if you’re familiar with Elvis Presley‘s fabled Vegas years – utterly emotional.

A chorus line of dancers, their backs to the empty seats of Aria Resort’s Elvis Theater, face a three-story black curtain spotted with Sun Records 45s. Booming over hundreds of hidden speakers is Richard Strauss‘ Thus Spake Zarathustra, famous for its anthemic roles in both 2001: A Space Odyssey and Presley’s ’70s stage shows.

As the music swells, the curtain falls and 30-plus cast members start dancing frenetically as vintage Elvis clips play on a huge screen overhead. Thus kicks off yet another rehearsal of a spectacle – opening Dec. 18 and scheduled for a 10-year run – that downplays Cirque’s circus roots in favor of lavish dance-fueled production numbers. More…