Classical sass with 'Mavis in Las Vegas'

Mavis makes an unlikey muse for a classical composer.

Then again, the entire city of Las Vegas makes an unlikely muse for a classical composer.

But both the bleach-blond vamp and the Altar de Neon served as inspirations for Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, the prolific Scottish composer who penned a 13-minute ode to our town -- a place the nobleman, not surprisingly, disdains as "terrible ... a town that makes pitch into art."

Davies' composition, called "Mavis in Las Vegas," airs tonight at 9 p.m. on PBS (Channel 10), the premiere performance of the Boston Pops's 29th season on the station.

In a town that usually takes high art and somehow makes it lowbrow, (think: Michaelangelo's plaster-cast David holding court over shoppers in the Forum Shops, or Steve Wynn's Manets and Monets hovering over his high rollers) here is a rare role reversal: lowbrow Las Vegas inspiring a piece of high art. Unthinkable.

And the gal that inspired the piece, Mavis? She doesn't even exist.

A bit of explanation is in order:

Three years ago, Davies stopped off here as part of a 20-city tour with the BBC Orchestra to perform as part of UNLV's "Charles Vanda Master Series."

While he was staying at the Flamingo Hilton, a British reporter attempted to call him for an interview, but couldn't get through because "Maxwell Davies" had been incorrectly crunched in the computer registry as "Mavis."

The reporter noted the mix-up in his piece, Davies read it, thought it hilarious, and in a moment of divine inspiration deceided to pen a piece and use the imaginary "Mavis" as his Vegas muse.

"I was so impressed, so knocked out, so horrified, so mesmerized, so struck with wonder, that I just had to write a piece about it," Davies says in the PBS program.

To accompany the piece that he penned, the composer returned to Las Vegas for three days in January to film a music video -- yes, a classical music video] a la MTV -- casting local Marilyn Monroe impersonator Julie Grayson as the flamboyant Mavis.

Grayson, who knew the casting call was for a blond bombshell, shrugged and dressed as usual, in her Marilyn Monroe makeup, wig and dress.

"I was sitting there next to Aki (the Stardust showgirl) and all these busty blonds," recalls the petite redhead, a former line captain at "Legends in Concert" and currently an impersonator at conventions and corporate events. "But they didn't just want a California girl or showgirl -- they wanted a character, someone who had personality. Doing Marilyn actually helped me, because nobody else there was an actress."

Grayson describes Mavis, who wears a red dress, gloves, heels and lipstick, as a cross between Marilyn Monroe and Mae West.

But unlike Marilyn, she points out, Mavis is not vulnerable and naive. "She owned Las Vegas, it was her city," Grayson explains. "This was her place and she was showing him around. She knew everything to do, she always wins at gambling, she has an eternal good time. This girl was happy, confident and always in charge."

The video consists of a dream sequence in which Mavis and Davies pal around town in time to the music, visiting the Liberace museum, the Graceland Wedding Chapel and Caesars Palace. Interspersing their escapades are shots of conductor Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Orchestra earnestly performing in Boston's Symphony Hall.

Davies narrates his thoughts throughout the piece, offering the camera frequent reaction shots of his face, as excited as a little boy, commenting: "As I surrendered to this dream, I was overwhelmed by a feeling of total unreality, just as I was meant to feel by the creators and shapers of this fantastic, fabulous city."

Finally, Davies notes: "All good things must come to a finish, and the dream erupts in a fiery finish," as the music climaxes and the Mirage's volcano erupts.

Those who know Davies' work are not surprised by this latest offering.

In the past, his taste for the eccentric has led him to pen one piece called "A Rell for Seven Fisherman," based on a poem about a drowned fisherman, and another called "Cross Fair Lane" about a fair in his hometown with rides and side show acts.

"There is this bizarre, wild side to Max," says Mark Swed, classical music critic for the Los Angeles Times. "Davies is one of the most distinguished and prolific British composers who has worked in all styles, but he can be very theatrical, very outrageous. This is more kitschy than he's done in a while."

The video, also available on CD, may strike locals as wearily fixating on the most cliched examples of Las Vegas, but those who can recall being a Las Vegas first-timer might be transported back to Davies' sense of wonder.

As Davies put it: 'It's an affectionate tribute to the town, really. Las Vegas is terrible, yes. Over the top. There's nothing quite like it."

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