Mariah Carey to perform in Las Vegas

By Melissa Arseniuk

Thursday, July 30, 2009 | 5:58 p.m.

As Beyoncé Knowles prepares to give the first of four very intimate shows in Las Vegas tonight, Mariah Carey announced that she, too, will come to town and give four similarly scaled-down performances.

Instead of the just-shy-of-1,500-seat Encore Theater, where Knowles will entertain tonight through Sunday, Carey will step into the spotlight at the 2,500-seat Pearl Concert Theater.

The quartet of shows at the Palms will be the most intimate of the multiple Grammy Award-winner’s career, and are scheduled for Sept. 11 and 12, and Oct. 9 and 10.

Tickets for the four shows range from $129 to $254 and will go on sale at noon on Aug. 8.

The September dates come just days before the release of Carey’s 12th album, “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.” The record, which features Mimi’s current single, “Obsessed,” is set to hit stores four days after opening night at the Pearl, on Sept. 15.

The singer and occasional actress’s choice of venue is hardly a surprise: She and husband Nick Cannon spent a fair chunk of time on property in May and celebrated their one-year anniversary at the resort, as well.

In addition to the lavish, 50-person dinner at Simon and anniversary party at Moon, Carey also spent a considerable amount of time in the resort’s recording studio during the weeklong trip this spring.

Though no official details were announced, the fruits of her Studio at the Palms-based labor will likely be featured on her soon-to-be-released record.

Since first breaking onto the scene two decades ago, the 39-year-old star has become the top-selling female vocalist of all time. Carey and her impressive, five-octave vocal range have sold over 175 million records worldwide.

With 72 total weeks at No. 1, she is currently tied with Elvis Presley for having spent the most time in the Hot 100’s top spot. She has 18 No. 1 songs and The King has 17, but both remain just shy of the all-time record for most No. 1 songs. The Beatles currently hold that title with 20, but if the Carey camp has its way, “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel” will achieve chart-topping perfection and render the Fab Four’s title a mere memory.

Melissa Arseniuk writes about Las Vegas entertainment and celebrity events. She can be reached at 702-948-7823 or by e-mail at [email protected].