There are not many (quality) photo’s of Elvis performing in Lake Tahoe. Camera’s were not allowed during the shows (as in Vegas btw). The Tahoe hotel staff was very strict on this matter! So if you have good quality photo’s from the tahoe shows… do not hesitate to post them. Of course in these first posts they have to be from this engagement.
Most of the info I got from these fine books:
Live At Dell Webb’s Sahara Tahoe (Sue McCasland & Joseph A. Krein) https://www.elvisbooks.nl/crd/3000248161_c.html
The Concert Years (Stein Erik Skar) https://www.elvisbooks.nl/crd/8299427800_c.html
All Shook Up, Elvis Day-By-Day (Lee Cotten) https://www.elvisbooks.nl/crd/1560750464_c.html
Elvis Day By Day (Peter Guralnick & Ernst Jorgensen) https://www.elvisbooks.nl/crd/0345420896_c.html
The Elvis Files volume 6, 7 & 8 (Erik Lorentzen) https://www.elvisbooks.nl/crd/8299855055_c.html https://www.elvisbooks.nl/crd/8269022306_c.html https://www.elvisbooks.nl/crd/8269022314_c.html
Elvis A. Presley (Marc Hendrickx) https://www.elvisbooks.nl/crd/0001850000_c.html
And the website: https://www.elvisconcerts.com/
So, let’s begin…
The Sahara Tahoe Hotel & Casino is located in South Lake Tahoe on highway 50 near Stateline, Nevada and was opened on june 30. 1965. It became The High Sierra Hotel & Casino on December 26. 1983 and then became The Horizon Hotel & Casino on October 1, 1990 . It closed it’s doors in early 2014.
Lake Tahoe engagement 1, 20th July – 2nd August 1971.
On july 5, 1971 Elvis travels to Los Angeles to start rehearsels for his first two-week engagement in Del Webb’s Sahara Tahoe Hotel at Lake Tahoe, Stateline Nevada. Colonel Parker negotiated a payment of $300,000. After expenses, Elvis’ earnings are about $142.000.
Elvis leaves his home in Holmby Hills, Bel Air on july 14, to travel to Lake Tahoe. The eight hour trip was made, together with his entourage, in a ‘convoy’ led by Elvis in his Mercedes Benz. Following their arrival, further rehearsels took place in the showroom of the hotel.
Elvis was going to perform two shows each night, a dinner show and a midnight show. A ticked would cost $15.00 minimum, which was the highest ticketprice (double!) any performer charged thus far for a show at the Sahara Tahoe. The profits of sold souvenirs (on this and the coming Tahoe engagements) went to charity: The Barton Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.
The fist show takes place on july 20th. By that date, the whole engagement is a complete sellout already. The demand for tickets had been enormous. This made the hotel staff expand the number of seats in the showroom from 1200 to 1700. Earlier that year in Vegas, near the end of the february 19th midnight show, Elvis introduces ‘Also Sprach Zarathusta’ (by Ricard Strauss) tot he audience. On this Tahoe opening show it is used as opening theme for the show. Not fort he last time, as we all know. Sammy Davis jr.: “Elvis is not only the best, he also invented the best! When the music started I thought the whole Roman army would enter the stage!”. Joe Guercio conducted the Al Tronti orchestra during this engagement.
The tracklist on opening night (not confirmed) was probably like this: 2001 Theme / Thats All Right / Proud Mary / Jailhouse Rock / Love Me Tender / You Dont Have To Say You Love Me / Youve Lost That Loving Feeling / Polk Salad Annie / Johnny B Goode / Love Me / Heartbreak Hotel / Teddy Bear - Dont Be Cruel / One Night / Hound Dog / Suspicious Minds / Band Introductions / The Impossible Dream / Lawdy Miss Clawdy / Sweet Caroline / Bridge Over Troubled Water / Cant Help Falling In Love / Closing Vamp
Elvis seemed to be more motivated than he had been in Vegas lately. Surely the change of hotel and showroom contributed to that fact. Bilboard’s Claude Hill wrote: “Elvis left behind him a sold out auditorium which was almost as exhausted emotionally, if not physically, as he was. He works so hard that you’d think he needed the money…”
