Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Adele, Lionel Richie and more Las Vegas showbiz news

Lionel Richie

Danny Mahoney

Lionel Richie returns to Encore Theater in January.

Adele’s long-awaited residency opening at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on November 18-19 will go down as the historic Las Vegas entertainment event we thought it would be, and by all accounts the performance and production were described as worth the wait. Originally scheduled to launch in January before the singer pulled the plug and redeveloped her sold-out “Weekends With Adele” series, the show stunned opening night audiences with intimacy and large-scale theatrics, without the production ever overriding her voice and beloved songs. Adele spoke to the audience frequently, explaining how nervous she was and apologizing for the delay, and also thanking Caesars Palace: “There were rumors I had moved hotels or I was moving theaters, and never once did they ask any questions. They’ve been amazing.” Ultimately, she realized her dream of performing at the Colosseum because of its intimate environment, describing it as a representation of her unbelievable career: “Every day I have an out of body experience in my life, and that’s the reason why I wanted to play a small room, was to be so close to you.” The show goes on Fridays and Saturdays through New Year’s Eve, then she takes a break before returning to the Colosseum on January 20.

Wynn Las Vegas resident headliner Lionel Richie was presented with the Icon Award at the 2022 American Music Awards on November 20 at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The legendary singer and songwriter — who will return to Encore Theater performances on January 14, 15 and 18 — received the award from another Wynn headliner, Smokey Robinson.

Coop’s Cabaret and Hot Spot is set to open in January in the Commercial Center space formerly occupied by the Vegas and Nevada Rooms. The new entertainment venue operated by Akasha Svendsen will offer live music via state-of-the-art digital surround sound system and Strip quality food at affordable prices, according to an announcement. “I love old-school entertainment and the time when there was entertainment in lounges and bars. This town was jumping, and I want to bring that back to Commercial Center,” said Svendsen. “We have created a place to let your hair down and have a great time.” An entertainment schedule is taking shape at coopscabaret.com and tickets for a New Year’s Eve show are expected to go on sale soon.

Particle Ink: Speed of Dark,” the immersive experience set to wrap its limited run in Downtown Las Vegas on December 4, recently received the 2022 Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Immersive Live Experience category. The honor comes from the Themed Entertainment Association and the awards honor individuals, projects and technologies in themed attractions and experiences worldwide. For ticket information at The LightHouse on Main Street, visit particleink.com.

Tribute show “Carpenters Legacy” has settled into a residency situation playing six nights a week at the bustling Modern Showrooms at Alexis Park Resort. This week the musical production starring Sally Olson and Ned Mills transitions into its holiday presentation, “A Christmas Portrait,” on November 26 and running through January 1. This version re-creates the Carpenters’ classic Christmas TV specials of the late 1970s with plenty of the duo’s greatest hits mingling with holiday tunes. Find more info at carpenterslegacy.com.

Tropicana headliner Murray Sawchuck has released his first children’s book just in time for the holidays. The comic magician’s new work is “At Nighttime We Are All The Same Size,” and it was inspired by one of his rescue dogs, Bailey, who gave Sawchuck the idea to write a book about various animals big and small as a metaphor to teach kids not to judge people or things by the way they look. The book was just published on Amazon and Kindle and is available online.