It
was August 17, 1977; I was in Reno with my buddies, Loren and Joe. We were
there to buy slot machines. As we walked down the main drag, Virginia Street,
the news was all over the street, Elvis Presley had died.
I was
never a big fan, but I liked Elvis, and grew up with his music, and movies.
Elvis brought big money to town, The Rat Pack guys, attracted the cool, and hip,
but Elvis opened Las Vegas to America. We didn’t know it then, the death of
Elvis would be the birth of a new business, especially for Las Vegas. The
Elvis impersonator may not be a Las Vegas original, but the trail leads nowhere
else.
Elvis
Presley died quickly, but in August 1977, Las Vegas began a slow, long, death,
that would last for the next 12 years. Vegas was getting old, the hotels were
old, the entertainers were old, even the mob boys were old, and the whole ‘Vegas
Thing” was out of date. It was not until 1989 when Steve Wynn opened The
Mirage, that Las Vegas got it’s old magic back.
It does
seem the Elvis impersonator started in Las Vegas. The hotels began the cut back
on entertainment by the 1980’s, the musicians were out, tape music was the way
to go. With the big stars old or dead or both, the hotels began to look for
different acts, and the Elvis impersonator was born.
This
brings us to the daddy of all impersonator shows in Las Vegas. Legends in
Concert was born as a six-week engagement in the new Imperial Palace on May 5,
1983. To last all these years, Legends in Concert had to be different, a real
show, with real musicians, not tape music.
And this
show is more than just Elvis, much more, a rotating cast of celebrity look-alike
performers,
Cher, Janet Jackson, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Jones,
Blues Brothers, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner and more. A
live orchestra comprised of top musicians, singers, dancers, elaborate sets,
superb costumes, special effects, a state-of-the-art lighting, and sound system.
Elvis
brought new life to Las Vegas in 1969, and in some strange way, his music
through these impersonators, is still bringing life and happiness to all of
us.
This is a
full-blown Vegas show, very entertaining, with great performers, and it’s 80
minutes.
In
January, the show moved from The Imperial Palace to Harrah’s, 3475 Las Vegas
Blvd. Box Office (702) 369-5111
Two shows
Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 7:30 & 10:00pm.
One show
Tuesdays & Saturdays 6:30pm
Dark
Thursdays
Ticket prices:
VIP $59.95
Child $44.95
General $49.95
Child $34.95
