Cirque du Soleil and Big Elvis

Cirque du Soleil's O turned out to be every bit as spectacular and amazing as it's claimed to be. Dazzling. Impossible. Thrilling. Wonderful. Okay the narrative, the love lost and found story, is almost totally eclipsed by the spectacle. Or was it found? I don't know. It didn't matter. The show is, simply put, fantastic. Yes, tickets are really expensive, but it's incredibly expensive to produce and the level of performance is world class so they earn it. While it didn't linger like a play would, it is a circus after all, I would not hesitate to recommend O to anyone wanting a something special evening. OTOH, do I think this fabulous spectacle is worth the millions and millions of gallons of water? All due respect to the artists but...no.

Anyway, next time you're in Vegas, check out Big Elvis. Pete Vallee is a very talented guy who does a free show daily, 2 to 4, at Harrah's on the Strip. So far, he's logged over 7,000 performances. It's a sweet, sad, fun show. If you're in the neighborhood, check him out. He's worth it.

This unedited excerpt is a peek into what I think of as a true Las Vegas moment. The sound guy has trouble cueing up the signature song Big Elvis wants to treat us to so he pulls "Sweet Carolina" out of the hat. Then, just as he rocks into "All Shook Up", my battery runs out. I had another one but M. Lee and his mom were already looking for an escape. The music was so loud. They offered to wait on the street but it seemed more fitting, more respectful to The King and the Forces That Be, to leave something on the table. I hope Pete has better luck than Elvis. I hear he's on a diet and down to 450 lbs. That's something.