OUR CELINE DION COUNTDOWN—JUST 12 SHOWS TO GO!
Here’s the Luxe Life highlights time-line of Celine’s amazing five-years with her A New Day show:
May 23, 2002: first tickets go on sale.
Jun 24, 2002: cast rehearsals begin at Franco Dragone’s HQ in Belgium
Oct 21, 2002: Celine and Franco fly to Vegas and announce show’s name.
Dec 9, 2002: Cast rehearsals begin at the new $95-million Colosseum.
Mar 25, 2003: First night with a celebrity studded red carpet and Justin Timberlake hosts one-hour CBS-live TV special.
Jan 6, 2004 : Celine receives her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Apr 11, 2004: Her Easter Sunday show raises $1-million for Opportunity Village.
Jun 15, 2004: Her record Live in Las Vegas with 13 live tracks from the show plus two previously unreleased studio tracks goes on sale.
Sep 15, 2004: Michael Douglas presents Celine with the Diamond Award for the “biggest selling female artist of all time” at the World Music Awards here in Vegas.
Sep 21, 2004: Even though only 18-months into a three year-contract Celine’s engagement is extended for the first additional year.
Sept 30, 2004: I’m the voice of a contest to get ready for the one-millionth ticket buyer and it turns out to be Amanda Gulbransen from Minneapolis who got to meet Celine before the mile-marker show.
Oct 10, 2004: Celine is awarded the Society of Singer’s 13th annual Ella Award on stage at the Colosseum before that night’s performance.
May 8, 2005: Celine’s Mother’s Day performance raises more than $1-million to UNICEF for Asian tsunami victims.
Sep 5, 2005: Celine and her partners donate another $1-million of the show’s proceeds to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina victims.
Feb 20, 2006: Celine teams with Sir Elton John and Jerry Seinfeld for a Harrah’s Entertainment artists fundraiser that netted $2.1 million for employees affected by the hurricane in New Orleans and the Gulf.
May 7, 2006: Celine donates $1-million from the 500th performance to benefit ten local charities and a waxworks figure of her is unveiled in the Colosseum lobby.
Nov 29, 2006: Celine battles mycoplasma bronchitis and, on doctors orders, cancels shows for a month’s rest and recuperation.
Jan 4, 2007: Celine announces the final performance of her show will be December 15.
Jan 27, 2007: Celine films A New Day for five-days in HDTV-DVD with behind the scenes footage.
Mar 1, 2007: The final block of tickets for the last December shows go on sale.
Mar 25, 2007: Celine celebrates the 4th anniversary of A New Day.
Dec 11, 2007: The five-hour long DVD complete with the full Vegas concert, backstage scenes and candid at-home interview goes on sale.
Dec 15, 2007: The show ends its run–FIN!–it’s all over!