‘Elvolution’: Classic Elvis, yes, but with modern twists

By Jerry Fink

Friday, April 24, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Elvis is back in the building.

Burned out and looking for a fresh approach to “The Dream King,” the show he’d been performing in Vegas for more than 10 years, tribute artist Trent Carlini left the Sahara last summer and retooled his act.

“After taking a break from the Sahara I spent some time making some decisions about evolving a new show,” says Carlini, who collected $100,000 in 2007 as the winner of ABC’s “Next Best Thing.”

The evolution became “Elvolution,” which debuted last month and has its grand opening tonight at the Steve Wyrick Theater.

He still performs classic Elvis numbers but also does songs he thinks Elvis might have sung had he not died.

“Basically, I’m showing in the artistic performance how much has changed since Elvis passed away,” Carlini says.

It’s a high-energy show in which Carlini changes costumes eight times.

“This is the most powerful show I’ve ever put my hands on,” he says. “It’s a very Vegas show.”

Carlini says the biggest difference between “Elvolution” and “The Dream King” is that there are a lot more “bells and whistles.”

“We have a lot of set changes — motorcycles, re-creation of the stage for his ’68 comeback, part of a Lear jet onstage. There are a lot more theatrics to this show,” he says.

He’s mindful of the economic slump.

“It’s times like this that people need to take that money and put it out there, that’s what will jump-start the economy,” he says. “I’m producing a show and because of that there’s 30 families that have a job that otherwise would not have a job. I know there’s a crisis, but it didn’t look like it the other night at Cher’s concert.”

Jerry Fink can be reached at 259-4058 or at [email protected].