Country star Shania Twain announced her first Las Vegas residency during a press conference yesterday, June 8.
The singer’s two-year contract will put her on stage at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace beginning in December 2012. The first 10 performances of “Shania: Still the One” are booked for December 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14 and 15.
Although her first performance is well over a year away, public ticket sales will begin June 19, 2011. According to a press release, ticket face values will range from $55 to $250.
The 4,300-seat Colosseum is presently home to another Canadian superstar, Celine Dion. Her current performance calendar, plus those of returning residents Rod Stewart (starting in August) and Elton John (starting in September), will keep the venue occupied until Twain takes the stage.
“Without question, Shania Twain is an international superstar and one of the most beloved icons in country music,” said Caesars Palace president Gary Selesner in a prepared statement. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome her as The Colosseum’s first‐ever country music resident headliner.”
Twain’s residency marks her return to live performances since her last North American concerts on the 2003-2004 Up! Tour. The Vegas strip has already proven to be a lucrative launching point for another country artist’s comeback.
After announcing his retirement in 2000, Garth Brooks reentered the industry in late 2009 with the first performances of his five-year residency at the Wynn’s Encore Theatre. Despite some early controversy about the Wynn’s restrictive ticketing policies, Brooks has performed to sold-out audiences at the Encore and even increased ticket prices for his residency.
The exact content and structure of “Shania: Still the One” is still unclear, with Twain noting during her press conference that planning is in its “early stages.” While the show will probably be heavy in hits from the singer’s past, there is also the possibility that she’ll use the stage to debut new music.
Twain already has one new single on the way. “Today (Is Your Day)” is scheduled for a June 12 premiere and iTunes release. In published reports and interviews, the singer has also hinted that she could soon return to the studio to begin work on her fifth studio album and first release since 2002’s “Up!”
More details about “Shania: Still the One” are available on her official residency Web site. Video of Twain’s press conference can be founds on ShaniaTwain.com.
