Update: Celine's 2008-2009 World Tour is set to kick-off in South Africa on February 14, 2008. The tour will take Celine to Europe, North America, the Middle East, Japan, Korea, China, Australia and New Zealand. The year-long tour will visit 5 continents, over 25 countries and more than 100 cities.
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Celine Dion is magic. Her show A New Day is presented in the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. Caesars built the new Colosseum for Celine at a cost of $95 million. Every seat in the house is a good seat, although the closer you get, the better you can see the action. Any second floor, center stage, seat in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd rows is a great "cheap" seat.
- If you love Celine Dion, you must see this show.
- If you're not so hot on Celine Dion, but love anything resembling the artists of Cirque de Soleil, you should not miss this show.
- If you love emotional, well-done theater, you have to see this show.
The dress code is amazingly diverse. Summer in Vegas is hot and the attire is usually anything loose and lightweight. So what should be worn to a show in Vegas? Anything goes. The attire ranged from jeans and a t-shirt to evening gowns. When you pay this much for a ticket, they aren't going to reject you at the door. One warning about attire, the man front row center wearing shorts will be singled out.
Drinks are available as well as great hors d'oeuvres. Wolfgang Puck has a service counter on the main floor that served up delicious looking nibbles. Very expensive. The bars always have a line, but they usually move quickly. Another caution, read the menu before you order. One cocktail and one bottle of water is about $25 dollars.
No cameras allowed. They mean it, with a passion. Metal detectors greet you at the entrance. They hold every camera and cell phone. It is apparent that most of the guests don't read the rules or don't think they will be enforced. The lines are long, snaking thru the slot machines and around restaurants. It doesn't matter if you have front row, first class tickets or nose bleed tickets the line is the same for all.
Don't forget to have your picture taken in front of the huge poster by the entrance. Instead of spending $20 on a program, this photo will be my souvenir. Close to the entrance is a Celine store, selling a lot of great things from Christmas ornaments to the latest Celine book.
The music in this show is powerful. Most of it is tried and true favorites. Singing along from the audience was a given. The performance is huge; huge stage, huge props and huge music. The costume changes are seamless. The music is all live. The dancers never get tired. Celine talks to the audience as if this show is the only show. She is scheduled to do 200 of these shows a year, until the end of 2007.
This is truly a family show, which can be hard to find in Las Vegas. Oh, and before or after the show, stop in at Wolfgang Pucks Spago restaurant. It is located in the Caesars Forum Shops just around the corner from the Colosseum. Try the meatloaf, the very best we have ever tasted.
