‘Legends in Concert’

The Michael Jackson concert movie will run its course, but Michael Jackson is destined to be on the Strip as long as "Legends in Concert" is.

Look at Elvis. Long before the King was on Cirque du Soleil’s radar, "Legends" brought down the Imperial Palace curtain to "Viva Las Vegas" every night since 1983.

Now it’s a safe bet that Michael will join Elvis as the second permanent segment in the show’s otherwise modular format, which rotates different impersonators every three months or so.

And I found myself feeling surprisingly good about that notion, as I helped the crowd cheer on Damian Brantley’s electric moonwalking. I expected cheese and got goose bumps instead.

I had seen Brantley do essentially the same act four years ago, in the rival "American Superstars" (Frederick Henry now has the Stratosphere gig). It was right after Jackson’s trial for child sexual abuse. And it was unsettling. Brantley’s high-octane re-creation of the "Thriller" days only drove home how far the singer had fallen, how much he had thrown away.

Bad as it was to lose the real Jackson, the tributes have it much easier now. The tension is gone. There’s no whiplash in reinstating the King of Pop to his former glory. The camp is gone, too. Brantley speaks in his own voice instead of Jackson’s girlish whisper, telling the crowd "We’ve lost a legend."

The resonance of a Jackson tribute was a bonus, unexpected windfall for "Legends," which is resurgent in its own right. The producers used a January jump to next-door Harrah’s Las Vegas as the impetus to step up their game.

The move alone spurred technical upgrades. The old set was retired, and some time next year, a new one by "American Idol" designer Andy Walmsley may replace the limited, interim staging.

But "Legends" was a victim of its own success, too. Locals can see celebrity tributes in suburban casinos. The producers can’t get by with two strong acts and three sketchy ones. The current lineup, through Jan. 17, doesn’t have a weak link in the chain.

Opening the show as Jerry Lee Lewis, Lance Lipinsky is everything "Legends" should aspire to. Lipinsky isn’t a slavish imitator — he has much cooler hair — but he honors the Killer without stereotyping him, bringing his own personality to the piano-stompin’ throwdown.

He’s hard to follow, but Cookie Watkins has Tina Turner on her side. The "Legends" format is Readers Digest sneaky: The segment begins with an ending — the reprise of "I Want To Take You Higher" — without the verse. It’s not the only part of the tight revue to trim away all but the quick calories.

Sherie Rae Parker gets the ballad breather, "Wind Beneath My Wings," as Bette Midler. A strong tribute in lesser company, it borders on being the weak link here, the campy tone slightly out of sync with the rest. Maybe it’s the bad drag-queen wig. More of it may be having the real Miss M. across the street, with more stamina.

But the real Midler will be gone soon, leaving fans the same budget-conscious alternative they will soon have for Cirque’s big-ticket "Viva Elvis." You know Matt Lewis has to be good to hold this Elvis spot for seven years, and he delivers the charm without overkill.

They all get strong support from a versatile five-piece band, and a new finale "remixing" rock-referential songs ("We Will Rock You," etc.) plays like a celebration of "Legends" itself.

Deservedly so. Cirque may do its own Michael Jackson show some day. But "Legends" is now the second-oldest show on the Strip (after "Jubilee!"), so you assume it will be there either way.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.