Photo Flash: Brent Barrett Visits Cirque du Solei's VIVA ELVIS

Cirque du Soleil opened it's celebrated new production tribute to the life and music of Elvis Presley: Viva ELVIS on December 18, 2009. The show, directed by choreographer Vincent Paterson, runs at the new ARIA Resort & Casino at CityCenter in Las Vegas. Last week, Broadway star Brent Barrett took in the show and visited the cast backstage following the performance.

In classic Cirque style the world has come to expect, Viva Elvis is a combination spectacular of dance and acrobatics with live music and familiar tracks. Cirque du Soleil has teamed with CKX Inc. and Elvis Presley Enterprises to create and produce the show.

Vincent Paterson is a world reknown choreographer who has worked with the likes of Madonna (Blonde Ambition tour and her legendary "Marie Antoinette/Vogue" performance for the MTV Awards), and Michael Jackson (Bad tour and multiple music videos). He choreographed Kiss of the Spider Woman on Broadway, and choreographed London's West End production of Lenny for director Sir Peter Hall, in addition to Los Angeles Opera's Grand Duchess' for director Garry Marshall. Paterson's direction of the play Gangsta Love, set in a boxing club, earned him a Los Angeles Drama-Logue award for outstanding director. He also directed Prague's National BlackLight Theater in Gulliver's Travels. For the screen, he directed (with one hundred cameras) and choreographed the musical sequences in Lars Von Trier's film Dancer in the Dark, which was awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He has choreographed several films, including The Birdcage, Closer for director Mike Nichols and Evita for Alan Parker. Threnody, his dance-film reflection on September 11, won the Gold Jury Award at the Houston World Film Festival.

The Quebec-based Cirque du Soleil troupe announced plans for this new production in August.   They presently have multiple shows running in Las Vegas, including O, LOVE, Ka, Zumanity, and Mystere. The company is currently touring its Allegria show; recently opened its new show Ovo in Toronto; and premieres it's new Banana Shpeel in New York tonight, May 19, 2010.

For more information and updates, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.