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Elvis lives: Strip hit ‘All Shook Up’ back onstage

Updated April 3, 2021 - 10:16 am

Another Elvis Comeback Special is upon us.

“All Shook Up,” the Las Vegas Strip’s only ticketed, full-fledged tribute to The King, is back at V Theater at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. The show finally restarts at 6 p.m. Friday and is running nightly.

Starring Travis Allen, the show most recently performed March 17, 2020. Also shutting down that night were “Vegas! The Show” down the corridor at Saxe Theater, and “Zombie Burlesque” running later that night at V Theater.

Collectively, those shows were the last to play just before Gov. Steve Sisolak’s state-ordered shutdown of all public gatherings on the Strip. The version returning will embrace the 70s — meaning abut 70 folks can be seated, distantly, at V2 Theater.

Allen well remembers the final show before the shutdown.

“I actually cried during the closing song,” said Allen, who has portrayed Elvis since the show opened in 2014. “There were about 10 people in the audience, and we knew we were going to be closed for a long time.”

Allen said that today, “I’m excited, pumped nervous. Soundcheck should be interesting, because we haven’t had one in a year. We have not been physically in front of an audience for that long, either.”

“We” refers to Allen’s backing band, as the three-piece format is also returning. The frontman only hopes he can weather the 18 or 19 songs in the show’s setlist. Allen is the primary front man, with Elvis tribute artists Harry Shahoian and Chad Collins also in rotation.

The show joins Pete “Big Elvis” Vallee and his no-cover-charge show at Harrah’s Piano Bar tribute as the only Presley-themed performances currently running on the Strip. Steve Connolly’s popular Elvis tribute show at Four Queens on Fremont Street is still sidelined.

An Elvis character, of course, appears in rotation in “Legends In Concert” at Tropicana Theater, which has not announced reopening plans.

Allen is about to find out if he’s got the strength to carry this brand. The show runs 6 p.m. daily.

“I’m used to having stamina, being able to perform a full show and still have energy,” Allen said. “But with a year off, I don’t know how I’ll feel. I have no idea how to build that back up. But we are going to find out.”

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.

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