What Celine Dion’s Colosseum conclusion means for Las Vegas entertainment
Celine Dion launched a new era of live entertainment on the Las Vegas Strip when her first residency “A New Day” made its debut March 25, 2003, at the brand-new Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Since then, she’s performed there 1,089 times (including 372 shows during her second and current residency, “Celine,” launched in 2011), while changing the perception of the traditional Vegas headliner. She played the biggest theater built for a recurring show from a single superstar on the Strip and paved the way for similar productions from Elton John, Cher, Rod Stewart, Shania Twain, Mariah Carey and Britney Spears, and in more recent years, Jennifer Lopez, Bruno Mars, Ricky Martin and Gwen Stefani.
“Celine is ingrained within the legacy of Caesars Palace and it has been a tremendous honor to be a permanent home to one of the most legendary music icons for over 15 years,” said Caesars Entertainment President and CEO Mark Frissora.
While not completely surprising, last month’s announcement that Dion would perform her final show at the Colosseum in June was a big deal for the Strip, where these resident headliner shows have become the hottest ticket in town (with the possible exception of a Vegas Golden Knights hockey game at T-mobile Arena).
With other big names signing on for new residencies — including Lady Gaga, who opens at Park Theater in December — Dion’s finale doesn’t necessarily signal the end of an era, but more of another milestone in an ongoing entertainment evolution.
At the Colosseum, John wrapped his highly successful second residency show in May, although he’ll be back in Las Vegas at T-mobile Arena in September