Viva Elvis Where:Aria at CityCenter Cost: $99 and up When: 7 & 9:30 p.m. Fri.-Tues. Info: (702) 531-2031

Cirque du Soleil shows are transcendent experiences-synergetic crossroads of music and dance, danger and grace, expression and emotion, spectacle and sentiment. But interpreting the life of the king of rock 'n' roll and all he represents to pop culture, as well as to Las Vegas itself, had its own unique challenges. The creative team behind Viva Elvis, the latest "flower in the desert" cultivated by Cirque du Soleil, set out to develop an abstract, immersing experience in which the spirit of Elvis Aaron Presley would be ever-present in unconventional caricatures.

"We have to present this to you in a very humble way, because Elvis was so big," said Gilles Ste-Croix, Cirque du Soleil's senior vice president of creative content, at a December press conference held in Aria Resort & Casino's Elvis Theater. "We realized he was a very generous man. He was a man who gave – as a man, as a father, as a friend. As an entertainer, he gave to his fans."

The cast made a trip to Memphis to immerse themselves in all things Elvis, paying homage to Presley at Graceland and soaking up the soul that would inspire them onstage. Access to Presley's estate, music and home movies was crucial to the creative process. "It was very important to us to be just in what we present about Elvis, so we tried to see it through his eyes," said Ste-Croix. "What would he ask today of his musicians? What would he ask the architect about this theater? How would he like it? So we went to Graceland. We saw all of his movies. We listened to the music. We spoke to Priscilla and spoke with some friends."

"It was important for us to not only portray the immense artistic talent Elvis, but also to touch on his humanity," said the production's original director/choreographer Vincent Paterson. "Not only how much he loved, but how much he was loved by others."

Although previews started in mid-December, the show's offi cial grand opening took place on Feb. 19. After three years of planning, Cirque had its interpretation of Presley's legacy ready for audiences in time for the King's 75th birthday on Jan. 8. It's a performing arts masterpiece that lengthens the legend, touches nostalgic heartstrings, thrills with daredevil stunts and soothes with acrobatic grace as Presley's life story progresses via abstract imagery.

"This has been quite a nostalgic journey for me," said Priscilla Presley, expressing her state of mind upon seeing years of development come to fruition. "It reminds me of when Elvis first appeared in Vegas, the anticipation here and the anxiety he had coming to Vegas. He was the fi rst rock 'n' roll entertainer to break those boundaries, and the rest is history."