Celine Dion @ Caesar's Palace

Celine Dion will be finishing up an 8yr run at the Colosseum at Caesar's Palace in august to spend more time with her family to raise her 3 young boys.  She has her hands full, so it was now or never for us to go see her live in the theatre they renovated especially for her show.  It was a grande evening.

What can I say about this...  I'm not a huge Celine fan or anything, but we just couldn't pass up an opportunity to go and see her live before she is gone from Vegas.  She is a big ticket item and it was expensive, but it was well worth it.  I've learned through many regretful experiences that you have to catch these acts when they happen or else you miss out on the magic.  As a musician I've learned this lesson too many times, for hardly as much money.


I knew she was great, but I wasn't expecting to be struck so deeply by her performance.  All I can say is WOW!  It still chills me to think of it now, that voice... it echoes in my inner ear in such a sweet memory that fills my soul.  A thought passed through my mind as Celine gripped the audience and ripped the heart out of me, that every human being should get the opportunity to experience her talent live.  What a powerhouse!  Not just power, but such incredible control and such a wide range of vocal qualities that she was just an absolute pleasure to listen to.  The band was spot-on, and she soared, from her big theatrical numbers to jazz and rock, there isn't anything she can't sing.  And those numbers that we knew so well from so many of her hits and movies struck sooo much deeper in the live performance.  It was unreal!  Celine's ability is beyond human, and at 44yrs old she can still deliver a soul shaking performance that puts a lump in your throat and makes tears well up in your eyes.  And then she speaks...

Ohhh Celine.  That awkward, good natured, french-canadian accent with facial expressions that make her seem so very odd... quirky, and not very funny at all – but she tries, and in doing so reveals her very endearing human characteristics that you can't help but love.  Everything else is so professional and calculated, but when she speaks its as though you were sitting in her living room for tea.  You feel that you know her a bit because she gives you that and leaves it all out there on stage.  So on one hand you have the mega-talent which can just floor you, and then on the other, you have this ugly little smalltown girl from Quebec, who never ever forgot where she came from, and who is very humbled and is so appreciative that you would come to see her sing.  Such a potent combination of sweet and profound pummeling. Wow!


The Colosseum theatre was incredible.  Caesar's Palace renovated their Circus Maximus Showroom to host their new venture with Celine Dion at a cost of about 90 million dollars, a state of the art facility.  The theatre was designed to be an intimate setting, accommodating 4100 people with the furthest seat being only 120feet from the stage.  Every aspect of the show was extremely well done and Celine was the larger than life centerpiece, backed by a 32 piece orchestra and 180,000 watts of amplification.  She doesn't need it, but the venue was designed to douse and control the amplification of the sound of the theatre, and the sound was pristine.  Onstage, the orchestra sat upon risers which were sectional and could move completely off onto the wings of the stage and out of sight.  There were also stage-lifts and all kinds of movable sections to the stage itself, above and below.  The backdrop of the show was a $10million, 40x120foot LED screen, one of the largest in North America.  The show was incredibly visually stunning, and there were lots of things happening to draw your attention across the whole spectrum of the stage the entire night.  Her final number was especially tricky, the Titanic theme song in which Celine was raised on a column above the stage and a veil of water cascading from above... 2 veils of water actually, encircling her and rotating in opposite directions to form some really weird effects with the lighting...  I never figured that one out completely.


Celine also did a duet with a projected illusion Stevie Wonder which was filmed to be in perfect perspective from the crowd's angle so that it appeared as though he was sitting right there at the piano beside her onstage.  He wasn't there of course, but a less critical eye would never have known the difference.  It looked just ever-so-slightly skewed from our angle, but it was extremely well done.  Stevie's face appeared on the big screen beside the stage as though he were right there, sweating and playing live at the piano, singing with Celine to drive home the effect.  It was an all around flawless performance for the band, and Celine, and the whole show was quite spectacular.


I'm very happy to have gotten the opportunity to see one of Canada's most treasured artists live.  She is a truly amazing, beautiful woman and we are so much richer for having been there in her presence for an evening.


Thank you Celine, you were wonderful.


Thanks for reading.


TRJ