Cirque gets into the Elvis biz

CKX Inc., the parent company of Elvis Presley Enterprises, announced a long-term joint venture with Cirque du Soleil, the Canadian-based acrobatic troupe known for its extravagant theatrical and acrobatic productions.

Cirque du Soleil will produce a series of shows focused on Presley’s life and music and help design interactive, multimedia museums called “Elvis Experiences,” CKX said.

Touring productions are expected to get under way in about 18 months in Europe and Asia with the first of a series of “Elvis Experience” museums opening later in 2008, CKX chief executive Robert F.X. Sillerman said. Production schedules and museum sites are as yet unsettled.