Presley Brings Las Vegas to London???

Elvis Presley was seen earlier this year in the West End care of the stage adaptation of his screen classic Jailhouse Rock. But though that musical closed at the Piccadilly in April, that certainly doesn’t mean the King is dead theatrically. In fact, according to today’s Daily Mail, he’ll be gyrating back into the West End in the New Year. This Is Elvis: Viva Las Vegas is being developed by writer Philip Norman with producers Laurie Mansfield and Bill Kenwright. Given the title, you’d be forgiven for thinking it may be an adaptation of another of Presley’s screen vehicles (1964’s Viva Las Vegas, in which he played a racing car driver trying to win Las Vegas’ first Grand Prix)) but apparently not. The musical is set to start backstage at rehearsals for Presley’s Las Vegas gig which was meant to relaunch his concert career after years of movie-making. This Is Elvis is scheduled to open at Bromley’s Churchill Theatre in January before, all going to plan, transferring to the West End. Meanwhile, last word from the producers of Jailhouse Rock was that a US production - which, after a year-long rights battle, would finally include the title track – would provide the model for a return of the show to the UK to tour in 2006 with London the final destination (See The Goss, 16 Mar 2005). Perhaps we’ll be in for head-to-head Elvises?

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