‘ZARKANA’: NOT YOUR FATHER’S CIRQUE PRODUCTION

"Viva Elvis" will go down in history as the first certified failure, the undisputable blemish on the amazing success story of Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. But the president of the company caught hell from his own father for closing it. When a clear alternative presented itself, "Elvis" became the first of seven Cirque productions on the Strip to have the plug pulled. But the count held at six shows for less than three months. "Zarkana," opens its doors Thursday, with a "soft opening" leading up to a Nov. 9 party-night premiere.