LMAO, you guys will love this!
Fri Oct 09, 2009 5:32 am
I can picture a giant foot smashing Elvis impersonators down like smushed ants. 
http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/kats-r ... itycenter/
A smashing report from Cirque/Elvis show at CityCenter
Justin M. Bowen
Elvis tribute artist Jesse Garon performs the ceremony as Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman and his wife of 47 years Carolyn Goodman renewed their wedding vows Wednesday at the Fremont Street Experience in celebration of 9/9/09.
By John Katsilometes · October 6, 2009 · 5:23 PM
Someone familiar with the production of the Elvis show at CityCenter’s Aria resort recently described a scene early in the performance: A classically clad Elvis impressionist walks onstage and is summarily crushed by a giant blue suede shoe.
No ambiguity there.
I stress that I’ve not seen this scene, so I can’t say with 100-percent certainty that it is actually being rehearsed or even planned, and no one involved with the production (including Cirque du Soleil and MGM Mirage officials) is eager to confirm any details about the show at this early point of development. But it has been reported that there will be no specific, rote impersonation of Elvis in the show by anyone in the cast -- the snuffed-out Elvis being an exception, of course.
As the official Cirque du Soleil Web site says of the show, set to open in December: “The production pays tribute to Elvis' music and life, fusing dance and acrobatics, live music and iconic tracks, nostalgia and modernity, high technology and raw emotion. In short, the show will be in Elvis' image: powerful, sexy, whimsical and truly unique.”
Indeed, nothing says “whimsy” like smashing the traditional Elvis impersonator and everything he stands for. Just the thought of it makes me laugh, but the idea is not so funny to one of the nation’s busiest Elvis impressionists, Jesse Garon. When I called Garon last week and described the crushing-of-the-impersonator scene, there was a long pause on the other end. Then he said, “Uh, wow. Wow. What do I think of that? That’s a very, very good question. I’ve had people ask me if he’s alive or dead, but nothing like this. I can’t even think right now … but maybe that’s why they haven’t called me for a job interview.”
Taking his name from Elvis’ twin brother, who died at birth, Garon is the “official” Elvis for all of Mayor Oscar Goodman’s appearances requiring an Elvis effect, including the renewal of the marriage vows of Goodman and wife Carolyn on Sept. 9 on Fremont Street. Gathering his bearings, Garon said, “This is a direct-result assault on us. Elvis Presley Enterprises has had it out for us for years (or at least since Robert F.X. Sillerman took control of Presley’s estate) … Elvis would roll over in his grave if he knew what corporate America is doing to these guys paying tribute. It would totally sicken him.”
Maybe. What was the line? “You can knock me down, step in my face ...”
http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/kats-r ... itycenter/
A smashing report from Cirque/Elvis show at CityCenter
Justin M. Bowen
Elvis tribute artist Jesse Garon performs the ceremony as Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman and his wife of 47 years Carolyn Goodman renewed their wedding vows Wednesday at the Fremont Street Experience in celebration of 9/9/09.
By John Katsilometes · October 6, 2009 · 5:23 PM
Someone familiar with the production of the Elvis show at CityCenter’s Aria resort recently described a scene early in the performance: A classically clad Elvis impressionist walks onstage and is summarily crushed by a giant blue suede shoe.
No ambiguity there.
I stress that I’ve not seen this scene, so I can’t say with 100-percent certainty that it is actually being rehearsed or even planned, and no one involved with the production (including Cirque du Soleil and MGM Mirage officials) is eager to confirm any details about the show at this early point of development. But it has been reported that there will be no specific, rote impersonation of Elvis in the show by anyone in the cast -- the snuffed-out Elvis being an exception, of course.
As the official Cirque du Soleil Web site says of the show, set to open in December: “The production pays tribute to Elvis' music and life, fusing dance and acrobatics, live music and iconic tracks, nostalgia and modernity, high technology and raw emotion. In short, the show will be in Elvis' image: powerful, sexy, whimsical and truly unique.”
Indeed, nothing says “whimsy” like smashing the traditional Elvis impersonator and everything he stands for. Just the thought of it makes me laugh, but the idea is not so funny to one of the nation’s busiest Elvis impressionists, Jesse Garon. When I called Garon last week and described the crushing-of-the-impersonator scene, there was a long pause on the other end. Then he said, “Uh, wow. Wow. What do I think of that? That’s a very, very good question. I’ve had people ask me if he’s alive or dead, but nothing like this. I can’t even think right now … but maybe that’s why they haven’t called me for a job interview.”
Taking his name from Elvis’ twin brother, who died at birth, Garon is the “official” Elvis for all of Mayor Oscar Goodman’s appearances requiring an Elvis effect, including the renewal of the marriage vows of Goodman and wife Carolyn on Sept. 9 on Fremont Street. Gathering his bearings, Garon said, “This is a direct-result assault on us. Elvis Presley Enterprises has had it out for us for years (or at least since Robert F.X. Sillerman took control of Presley’s estate) … Elvis would roll over in his grave if he knew what corporate America is doing to these guys paying tribute. It would totally sicken him.”
Maybe. What was the line? “You can knock me down, step in my face ...”
Re: LMAO, you guys will love this!
Fri Oct 09, 2009 7:39 am
Garon said, “This is a direct-result assault on us. Elvis Presley Enterprises has had it out for us for years (or at least since Robert F.X. Sillerman took control of Presley’s estate) ..”
Oh really? Maybe he missed the Estate embracing ETAs with the tribute contests.
Oh really? Maybe he missed the Estate embracing ETAs with the tribute contests.
Last edited by TJ on Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: LMAO, you guys will love this!
Fri Oct 09, 2009 5:33 pm
TJ wrote:Garon said, “This is a direct-result assault on us. Elvis Presley Enterprises has had it out for us for years (or at least since Robert F.X. Sillerman took control of Presley’s estate) ..”
Oh really? Maybe he missed the Estate embracing ETAs with the tribute contests.[/quote]
There's a difference actually. The ETA acts show respect and dignity to Elvis' memeory and legacy and go by the book, whereas the imeprsonators show lack of true character and sometimes disrespective performances. Take Big Elvis for instance. Here's a guy 300 bounds who impersonates Elvis for pay. It's those impersonators that Sillerman wants to stop. But because of our liberal laws in this country it'll be really hard for him to have them completely shut down.
I'm pretty sure that Sillerman and EPE wants to sanction the impersonators that make money off of impersonating their product and seperate the bad from the good and keep the good ETAs for their own use under contracts.
As for the show, I hope it's true and they do have a gaint blue suede shoe smashing the bad impersonator as a sign of power over the impersonators.
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