Elvis has left the building, and fans are all shook up

With his jewel-encrusted jumpsuits and sideburns, Elvis Presley was a Las Vegas icon, playing more than 600 concerts there from 1969 to 1976.

Since then, the neon strip has played host to thousands of wannabes keen to live their dream impersonating the King of Rock’n’Roll. However, the closure of the last Elvis tribute show in Las Vegas last weekend, on what would have been Presley’s 87th birthday, has brought an end to his constant on-stage presence in the city.

All Shook Up, a themed production that had run since 2014 at the V Theatre inside the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, closed after more than four decades of stage shows dedicated to Presley.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper said a show featuring an Elvis lookalike had run consistently in the city since at least 1978, the year after the King’s death.

The show is moving to a smaller, 120-seat venue this month. Producers and performers blamed a combination of the Covid-19 pandemic, mismanagement and changing tastes.

Jeff Stanulis, who has spent decades impersonating Presley, accused those in charge of entertainment in Las Vegas of pursuing a more ‘‘corporate’’ clientele.

‘‘The tourists I speak with ask where the Elvis shows are,’’ he said. ‘‘The industry in general started to go towards . . . Cirque du Soleil and trying to get more modern shows.’’

Stanulis, who has also officiated as Presley at more than 10,000 weddings, added: ‘‘Nothing stays the same in Vegas, but to try to get away from what made it iconic is a mistake.’’

Bob McArthur, 53, who has been performing as Presley for 20 years, blamed the pandemic. Before coronavirus dimmed the lights of Vegas, he had up to 10 gigs a week, attending everything from conventions to birthday parties. Now he has two to three private events a month. Steve Connolly, who has starred as Presley in more than 4500 shows, blamed promoters for failing to feed the public’s hunger for the King. ‘‘The casinos don’t want to pay for talent,’’ he said. ‘‘And they’re cracking down on Elvis impersonators. That was never an issue before.’’

As the 1960s dawned, Presley was struggling for relevance in the face of Beatlemania and lacklustre performances in bad films. He returned, however, with an acclaimed 1968 TV special.

He opened a four-week Vegas engagement in July 1969. By the time he died, he had performed at least 636 sold-out Vegas shows.

Kurt Brown, All Shook Up’s producer, blamed young visitors for the decline. ‘‘The demographic in Vegas is changing,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s getting younger.’’

But Stanulis is confident of another comeback. ‘‘A legend like that never dies,’’ he said.