Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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photography by Denise truscello The residency goes on— but not without some new songs and "inspiring new visuals," according to the singer—as Celine Dion comes home to Caesars Palace. It's been more than a year since Celine Dion set foot on a Vegas stage, but the Canadian songstress is ready to return to the spotlight. "I am really excited about the new show," Dion says. "I have a few new band members that I'm excited to be working with, and I'm adding some new songs while still keeping parts of the original show." The fve-time Grammy Award winner certainly knows her way around the Colosseum stage at Caesars Palace, where she has performed a whop- ping 927 times since opening the venue in 2003. But for Dion, one of the most popular performers of all time, having sold more than 200 million cop- ies of her records around the world, the past year has been far from blissful. She put her residency on hiatus in August of last year so she could care for her husband, Rene Angelil, who is battling cancer. "We are taking it one day at a time," she says. "He is my champ, and I admire his courage." Dion has been more than willing to sacrifce standing ovations to focus on her family, including her three children. "That was my priority," she says. But it was at Angelil's urging that she decided to return to the stage: "Rene really wanted me to come back. I want to do this for him and for my fans." The new show has already been locked in for 40 performances, starting in August and running through next January. "I'm excited to return to the Colosseum. It's my home away from home," says the singer, who keeps a residence in town. "Playing in Vegas is different because it's my home. I can go home after the show and sleep in my own bed." Having her sons close by is an added perk. "We enjoy every moment with the boys, from bowling to pet shops, movies, muse- ums, and parks. We're always on the run!" Dion's shows generate so much attention and revenue for Vegas that she has been called a "one- woman stimulus package" for the city, although she's a bit more modest about her impact. "If my performing brings the fans to Las Vegas and helps out, I am all for it," she says. "Las Vegas opened its arms to me at the very beginning." And there's no doubt that this diva will go on. For tickets, call 866- 320-9763 or visit thecolosseum.com or axs.com. V Dion and On After tAking time off to cAre for her fAmily, VegAs's best- loVed diVA is bAck. by juliet izon vegasmagazine.com 57 CULTURE Hottest Ticket