Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Graceland will always be home, but Las Vegas is set to be Elvis Presley’s home away from home yet again.
The King first played Vegas almost 59 years ago and spent months as a Sin City resident. Now, the Westgate Las Vegas hotel-casino will house a rotating display of Elvis memorabilia and artifacts rarely seen outside his famed Memphis, Tenn., Graceland mansion.
Feel like getting married? Graceland Vegas will include an Elvis Presley-sanctioned wedding chapel.
3 comments:
Elvis Presley's ubiquity, particularly as displayed in Las Vegas, is fascinating. What I take away from it is that, at least in his Vegas years with the white jumpsuit, cape, etc., Elvis portrayed himself as something apart from a real person. The article talks about his first Vegas appearance being fifty-nine years ago, proving how remarkable it is that the name Elvis still conjures vivid, universal images in the minds of so many people of different ages. It seems like Elvis' career morphed until he appeared less and less like an earthly human and more like a brand. At least that's how it seems in retrospect, at the time, Elvis may have been seen in a very different light than his countless impersonators and products would suggest. Maybe with each passing decade, the idea of "The King" naturally becomes simpler and simpler. <54-102> 54-102 54102 Eric Wiegand
There was an article on this a while back, it was more about the exhibit and less about the man. This article i found focused on how important it really is that the Elvis presence is back in Las Vegas. The image of "the King" is so iconic, so famous, and so strong that it is still going strong today, we can not let go of it. I think Elvis represents a voice that burst during 1950s and 1960s america, that is why there are so many images associated with him. when you think of Elvis there are so many images of both a man in a jumpsuit under bright lights but also a young kid, dancing around on a southern stage. I think so many images over one of the most successful careers in history has the ability to lift the spirits of many. We just have to remember that an image is not a man.
While although I do see some plausibility in this, I have some initial concerns. Cirque Du Soleil hyped a show called “Viva Elvis” for a long time associated with the opening of a new, large resort in Las Vegas. It seemed like a good idea considering his popularity and name recognition. The show was a spectacle and all the elements most Cirque du Soleil shows have. The show flopped. It brings to question how much to people want to live in the past in Las Vegas? Cirque’s “The Beatles Love” does well because although it is centered on the artist, it is truly a show. Viva Elvis seemed like a recollection of songs with circus elements. Now, that does not at all mean that this effort will not succeed. This seems more focused on the history of Elvis and his legacy, so perhaps that will help. Something also to consider is if people want to go to a museum-like event while staying in Sin City.
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