It's a new day for Céline Dion as she wrapped up her titanic five-year engagement at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Since opening in March 2003, Dion's show, A New Day…, grossed more than $400 million US and was seen by nearly three million fans. One fan had reportedly seen the show more than 100 times.
Céline Dion, shown waving during a performance at Caesars Palace in May 2006, plans to start touring in February.
(Isaac Brekken/Associated Press)
Tickets for the final show were for sale on eBay for as much as $1,899 US.
Fans in the 4,100-seat venue, called The Colosseum and built specifically for the Canadian chanteuse at a cost of $95 million US, cheered as Dion went through her usual numbers — hits such as Because You Loved Me, My Heart Will Go On (from 1997 film Titanic ) and A New Day Has Come — interspersed with some emotionally charged commentary.
"At one point, it was like feeling like the Titanic was about to sink again.… But we believed and we went on with it," said the 39-year-old singer in reference to her rocky beginnings back in 2000 when the show was still in development.
The Quebec-born singer had become pregnant and told husband-manager René Angélil she did not want to continue.
"I had a life for the first time," said Dion. "I knew then that I wanted to have more success as a mother than a singer."
But Angélil told her that too much money was involved and many people were depending on her. Dion's initial three-year, $100-million contract broke records. She went on to do her show, but suffered through some bad reviews at first.
After her last number on Saturday, Dion invited husband Angélil and her son, René-Charles, 7, on stage with her as rose petals rained down on the final bow.
"Most of us have left our families behind to give ourselves every night," she said. "I can assure you it was worth it."
 Â
Dion's rest will be short-lived. She recently released her first English-language album in four years and sang the title song, Taking Chances, during her long finale.
She plans to start touring in February, starting with her first concert date in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Singer Bette Midler will take Dion's place at the Caesars Palace venue with a production called The Showgirl Must Go On… from Feb. 20 to March 9.
Related
More Music Headlines »
- Dutch conductor de Waart to take baton of Milwaukee Symphony
- Edo de Waart, chief conductor and artistic director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, will also become music director of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
- Live Earth wins new award for 'green' music events
- Midem, an international trade show for the music industry, has created a new award designed to honour figures who advance ecologically-friendly live music events.
- MC Hammer back with dance website
- Former rapper MC Hammer is taking on YouTube with plans for a new website dedicated to dance videos.
- Free Oscar Peterson tribute concert set for Toronto
- A memorial concert celebrating the life of the late jazz great Oscar Peterson is being organized for next week in Toronto.
- James Brown's final recordings locked in fight over estate: lawyer
- A lawyer for James Brown says the legal feud over the singer's estate is stalling the release of the soul legend's final recordings.
More Arts Headlines »
- Stinky Cheese man named U.S. kids' books ambassador
- Jon Scieszka, author of such bestselling picture books as The Stinky Cheese Man and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, has been named the ambassador for children's books in the U.S.
- Expect pickets at Golden Globes, striking writers say
- The Writers Guild of America is saying no deal to Golden Globe Awards organizers, who had hoped to negotiate a ceremony without a picket line.
- Sean Penn to head Cannes festival jury
- American actor and director Sean Penn will head the awards jury at the Cannes Film Festival this year, organizers announced Thursday.
- Artists face charges over fake nuclear blast on Czech TV
- A group of Czech artists who staged a fake nuclear blast over national television will be sent to criminal trial, a state prosecutor said Thursday.
- CTV buys U.S. series Mad Men
- Private broadcaster CTV has added to its slate of U.S.-produced shows with the purchase of the Golden Globe-nominated series Mad Men.
Arts Features
Blog Watch
Most Blogged about CBC.ca Articles