The sun is
rapidly setting on "A New Day...", Celine Dion's
polished Vegas spectacular, so now is the time to give
yourself over to the pop extravaganza's bombast and
pleasure.
Since March 2003
the Canadian chanteuse has been thumping her chest at
the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, an arena the casino built
just for her. Nearly four and a half years later
neither singer nor venue looks worse for the
wear--Caesars remains Vegas's best theme casino, and
Celine is as toned as a whittled toothpick.
It's a thrill to
see the star, who still has an aura of untouchable
mystery, up close and personal. She's first spotted as a
tiny holographic figure descending a grand staircase,
her silhouette growing larger and larger,
until...oh, there she is!
Dressed simply in
flowing black, she dives into her hit "A New Day,"
sonically laying the groundwork for the show's themes
of optimism and beginnings. She knocks off a mixed bag
of ballads--"The Power of Love" (moving), "It's
All Coming Back to Me Now" (fun in a Meatloaf sort of
way), "Because You Loved Me" (mawkish), and "To Love
You More" (competent).
Franco Dragone,
the show's director, bathes Celine in beautiful light,
placing her in exotic locales (castles, Times Square, the
sky) while lithe dancers prance around her. There's
just enough distraction--including enormous
instruments gliding through the air--to keep the
eye as entertained as the ear.
The show's
middle is a melange of Celine's upbeat tunes.
"I'm Alive" is a good kickoff to the dance party, and
her cover of Cyndi Lauper's "I Drove All Night" is
phenomenal--just try not to tap your toe.
Celine moves
on to "If I Could," a sappy song about her kid. The
song stinks, but afterward Celine says how thankful she
is to ply her trade. She comes off as sweet and
spontaneous; she even allows a teary female fan
to run onstage and hug her.
It's now French
time. Who knows what she's singing about (lyrics aren't
really the point with her, anyway), but it sure sounds
"purty." Celine then pops out in a short, sparkly
Tina Turner dress that highlights her perfect stems.
She offers up Peggy Lee's "Fever" and Ike and Tina's
"River Deep, Mountain High." Not bad. She's no dancer,
but she's far from awkward. Oh, and there's a rap after
that. Yeah, don't ask.
Now it's time for
the finale, and the song everyone's been waiting
for--"My Heart Will Go On." She enters
stage right, looking ethereal in a beautiful baby-blue
gown, lights twinkling behind her. (There's no sinking
ship, thank God.) The ballad is sung straightforwardly; it's
a bit anticlimactic. But come on, being able to say
you heard the Titanic song live is a bragging right
that will long outlive this show.
"Celine
Dion: A New Day..." is at Caesars Palace, 3570 Las
Vegas Blvd. South until December 15, 2007 (Bette Midler
takes over in February). Tickets range from $87.50 to
$225: (877) 423-5463; ticketmaster.com.
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