But Viva Elvis defies those expectations and winds up being a very entertaining night at the theater. While not the best Cirque show in town (that distinction goes to KA at MGM Grand or Mystere at Treasure Island) and not exactly ground breaking, it may very well be the lightest, most accessible, and most outright fun one of the bunch.

Set up as a retrospective of sorts of The King's life and legend, the production features many of Elvis' biggest hits and quite a few of his minor ones. Some are remixed versions of the original and others are performed by cast members, but with a catalogue of songs like this it's virtually impossible to go wrong. And the ways in which Cirque brings the songs to life through dance, acrobatic and gymnastic stunts, set pieces, and video to examine a moment in Elvis' history can be a lot of fun.

The show opens with "Blue Suede Shoes" as a live band pumps up Elvis' original vocals and the cast, dressed as '50s era teens, dances and twirls around a pink Cadillac and a giant blue suede shoe. Again, not terribly inventive but definitely high energy and a good way to kick off the proceedings.

It starts to get really interesting with a number that is meant to represent Elvis and Jesse Garon, his twin brother that died during childbirth. An Alicia Keys-esque singer floats in with her piano singing the mournful "One Night With You" as identically dressed aerialists jump and cavort on a giant guitar suspended in a starry sky. It's a nice, emotional moment.

This seques into a superhero themed "Gotta Lotta Lovin'" where costumed acrobats seem to fly through the air and climb the walls with the help of some well-positioned trampolines.

An Elvis in the army section includes a beautifully rendered "Heartbreak Hotel" with a guitarist and a vocalist doing it ballad style while video and photos of the young singer joining the military and going off for duty play overhead. Then the energy pumps up with a basic training themed "Return to Sender" complete with gymmastics and Stomp-style dance.

Other notable moments include an homage to Elvis in the movies, a floating aerialist pas-de-deux to "Are You Lonesome Tonight," some really astounding rope tricks representing Elvis in his iconic gunslinger pose, and a prison break "Jailhouse Rock." And the couple performing a fierce and passionate modern dance interpretation of "Caught in a Trap" are absolutely stunning.

The re-interpretations of Elvis' music were fascinating. "All Shook Up" is performed as a gospel rave-up with a choir and tent-revival style dancing; "It's Now or Never" is remixed into a sultry rhumba with performers twirling on poles. Elvis purists may be outraged, but to the rest of us it's a fascinating new way to hear his music.

There are a few missteps. An actor portraying Colonel Tom Parker acts as a narrator and it's not only unneccessary but it breaks the rhythm in a few places. Also, the section about Elvis and Priscilla's wedding, with a woman on a giant wedding cake while roller-skate wearing grooms zoom around at the base is just kind of odd.

But by the end when you see video of Elvis' comeback concerts in Vegas along with an entire stage full of Elvis impersonators and showgirls in traditional headdresses, it's impossible not to cheer.

And that's the key, here, I think. Viva Elvis is a celebration of Mr. Presley's life, career, and music and instead of challenging the audience with some of the more outre avant garde theater that Cirque is known for, it asks the audience to come along and enjoy the ride. The show is inviting and accessible and just wants you to have fun, much like The King himself did. If that's not a fitting tribute, I don't know what is.

Vegas4Visitors Rating: B+

Viva Elvis by Cirque du Soleil
Aria
3730 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
877-25-ELVIS
website

Price:

First there's Mr. Manilow himself, a tireless performer and showman who has the energy and vocal chops of someone half his age. Sure, he's not moving as quickly or as limberly as he used to, but who cares? You don't go see a Manilow show to watch him dance. You go to watch him sing and he sounds pretty much the same as he did back during his 1970s heydays.

This production at Paris Las Vegas is different in many ways from the show that ran for five years at the Las Vegas Hilton. All of the hits are still there - "Could it Be Magic," "Can't Smile Without You," "Weekend in New England," "This One's For You," and "I Write the Songs" just to name a few. And some of the set-ups are the same such as the virtual duet he does with a video-taped, circa 1974-ish version of himself singing "Mandy."

But it is this canon of music that provides another great reason why this production is so entertaining. Time and distance have clarified that these really are perfectly crafted pop masterpieces and I dare you - DARE YOU - not to want to sing along.

He doesn't need to be doing his own music, though, to prove that he is still in fine form. A section of selections from his 2010 album of love songs includes the theme from "Love Story" (among others) and you could see the "Love means never having to say you're sorry" tears on a few audience members.

And it is that audience that completes the package of a Barry Manilow show.

I had heard about the concept of "Fanilows" but you really have to see them to believe them. Don't get me wrong, I like Barry Manilow. In fact, the very first concert I ever went to was a Barry show in the late '70s at the Five Seasons Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I practically wore out his "Live" album and I performed several of his songs in swing choir. Yes, I'm a geek. Shut up.

But the thought that this sixty-something year old, lifelong bachelor (wink, wink) could inspire feverish, almost rabid devotion among legions of middle-aged (and other) women (and men) seemed like a bit of a joke. Trust me when I tell you that these people are not joking. There was a core of the audience that gave him a standing ovation after every single song. And there were a few people who didn't sit down the entire time, virtually worshiping their Barry-God, holding out their hands in the hopes that he would grant them a touch.

As opposed to being objects of bemusement, their energy is infectious. It's really hard not to hold on to any sense of retro-nostalgia snobbishness when you've got hundreds of people next to you screaming and shaking as if this were the Ed Sullivan Show and the Beatles have just taken the stage.

The staging is simple with a crack band and back-up singers standing in front of floating LED "picture frames" providing the simple backgrounds, videos, and photography. This is used to great effect as he tells some fun stories of his childhood, complete with photos of himself as a wee tyke and audio recordings made when he was barely out of diapers.

Barry Manilow is one of the best entertainers in Vegas right now and his show one of the best in town. Although I don't know that I rise to the level of Fanilow, I'm definitely a fan.

Vegas4Visitors Rating: B+

Barry Manilow
Paris Las Vegas
3665 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
800-745-3000
website

Price:

Named after Papa, the family's latest endeavor honors his Tuscan homeland with a variety of classic Italian and Italian-American fusion dishes and old-world service.

The main dining room is gorgeous - all rich wood set off by orange and rust accents, a soaring ceiling, and an exhibition prep kitchen puts together things like salads antipasti. It's a comfortable room unless you get seated at one of the straight backed bankettes, which can be tough on those with less than perfect posture.

The menu covers all of the Italian basics - antipasti, pizza, pastas, seafood and meat entrees like Veal Piccatta - but everything is done with obvious attention to detail and enough spins on the original concept to elevate it way above your standard Olive Garden experience.

The antipasti, for example, is a build your own endeavor. Choose from a list of meats, cheeses, and vegetables to create your own appetizer platter, shareable for the whole table. If you choose to go this route do not miss the roasted rosemary ham; delightfully light shavings with a just enough of the herb to enhance the flavor of the meat without overwhelming it.

Starters include various seafood combinations (oysters, prawns, lobster), salads including a beef carpaccio over celery hearts, and traditional items such as calamari, eggplant parmigiana, and Tuscan tomato bread soup. I sampled the meatball trio - veal in a tomato and onion compote, lamb over braised lentils, and duck in wild mushrooms. I kept going back and forth between them trying to decide which I liked best and finally declared it a three-way tie.

Pizzas go way beyond the ordinary with toppings like smoked salmon and caviar, crushed Yukon gold potatoes and gorgonzola, and eggplant with fresh tomatoes.

Pasta courses run the gamut from Fettucine Alfredo with chicken or shrimp, traditional lasagna, linguine with clams, and more. The hand-rolled spaghetti in a three-meat red sauce was divine -- full, thick noodles soaking in a slightly tangy brew that could very possibly ruin you for other sauces for life.

Fish, beef, poultry, and game entrees round out the menu and if I had to pick just one I'd go for the pan-roasted beef tenderloin under gorgonzola and roasted garlic. Perfectly tender and bursting with flavor on its own, the meat was enhanced by the eye-popping zest of the cheese.

Full yet? I hope not because you must, must, must sample the dessert menu. The chocolate souffle was dreamy and the Italian style doughnut (basically a ball of fried dough that is then sugared and served with pastry cream) was heaven on a plate, but if you can only choose one go for the tiramisu trio - one traditional, one strawberry, and one chocolate-caramel. I was short on time and had to rush off but I actually considered popping the little dishes into my pocket to snack on later.

Prices are about on par with other restaurants of this style and caliber on The Strip, which is to say "not cheap." Appetizers, soups, and salads are mostly in the $14-25 range although you can go much higher with things like Osetra caviar; pizzas are $18-25; pastas come in regular or sharing sizes and go from $17 to $35; entrees are all in the $34-48 neighborhood; and desserts $12-15. With a full meal, wine, tax, and tip you are going to have a hard time getting out for significantly less than $75 per person unless you just go with one of the less expensive pasta dishes and forgo a main entree, which if you choose that spaghetti is a perfectly reasonable option.

The service was spectacular throughout the meal.

Upscale Italian restaurants are common in Vegas. Perhaps too common. I'm still aching for someone to open a red-and-white checkered table cloth joint on The Strip that serves up hearty portions for prices that won't break your budget. But if you're going to do upscale Italian, Sirio is among the best.

Sirio
Aria Las Vegas
3730 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
877-230-2742
website

Hours: