Celine Dion returns to the stage in Las Vegas
Some are surprised that Celine Dion has returned to the stage in Las Vegas while her husband and manager, René Angélil, is gravely ill.
But not veteran Celine watchers. If there was ever anyone who personified the entertainment adage “the show must go on,” it’s Dion.
Dion returned to the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Thursday to start another lengthy run at one of the most famous venues on the Strip. She said she was returning to the stage because Angélil wanted her to.
But this is not a sad event, says Denis Savage, the show’s director of operations, who has worked with the singer for 28 years.
“We’re doing a Celine show,” he said in an interview in an empty Colosseum. “Obviously, when you have a good friend that’s sick, it’s not an easy thing. But we’re putting a show together and we’re working hard on it. Celine is doing great.”
Angélil has been battling throat cancer for years, and last August Dion suspended all of her touring activity, including the shows at Caesars, to care for her husband. But in March she announced — to the delight of her fans — that she would be returning. She has 40 performances scheduled so far at the Colosseum, to Jan. 17.
It appears her fans wholly support Dion’s decision to get back to work even though Angélil is still ailing.
Dion’s show — simply titled Celine — remains one of the hottest tickets in Vegas. Opening night was sold out, as was the second show. Ticket prices range from $55 US to $500.
Dion is the most successful entertainer to play Vegas since Elvis. The 4,296-seat Colosseum was built specifically for her. The singer’s previous Colosseum show, A New Day, which inaugurated the venue in 2003, grossed $400 million during its run, between 2003 and 2007.
Her return to Caesars is a huge event for the Las Vegas hotel and casino complex.
“She is a crucial part of Vegas music history,” said Jason Gastwirth, senior vice-president of marketing and entertainment for Caesars Entertainment, which owns Caesars Palace.
“Celine and René and their kids are family. So when she had to take some time off, we completely respected that, and obviously our thoughts were with her, René and her family. The fact that she’s returning is a great story and a triumph. I think her show will be better than ever, and her fans have been awaiting this time and throughout providing her a lot of support.”
Gastwirth said Caesars did not put any pressure on Dion to return quickly.
“When it’s family, that’s not the case,” he said. “We knew Céline would be ready if and when she felt she could come back.”
During the hiatus, Dion’s management orchestrated some big behind-the-scenes changes for the show.
Aldo Giampaolo, who took over as head of the company that manages Dion in June 2014, let go of four of her longtime musicians in March, including Claude (Mégo) Lemay, who had been her musical director for close to 30 years. He hired Quebec musician Scott Price as Dion’s new musical director.
There are 31 musicians on stage, including a 16-piece string orchestra and a five-piece horn section.
There will be around 10 songs on the 23-song set list that were not there last summer. It has a bit of a different feel, said production designer Yves Aucoin.
“The architecture of the show is the same,” said Aucoin. “We didn’t change the set completely. We improved. We changed some of the videos because of the new songs. We added a bit of lighting. But the structure of the show looks like the other one. But inside the bones, we changed the recipe. This one is more uplifting, somehow more uptempo — which is kind of a tour de force, because Celine’s material is mostly ballads. We have some nice uptempo moments and she likes to groove.
“Sometimes it’s just the energy. It’s the same song, but when it’s revisited by other guys, it sounds different. It just feels fresher.”