Arturo Holmes
New Edition
Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023 | 2 a.m.
There’s nothing surprising about this week’s announcement of a New Edition residency show coming to Las Vegas, but the venue is certainly not what we expected for the R&B group that originated in Boston in the early 1980s and influenced every “boy band” that would follow. New Edition will launch its first Strip residency with six performances at Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas, set for Feb. 28 and March 1, 2, 6, 8 and 9. In recent years the reunited group of singers and dancers Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill have toured the country playing arenas and finding new fans (and reuniting with old ones) after the success of a biopic on BET. “Encore Theater's roster is comprised of legendary talents, and it only makes sense to have an iconic music group like New Edition join its ranks,” Bobby Reynolds, senior vice president at promoter AEG Presents, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to present a series of sure-to-be unforgettable performances to fans in 2024." Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday at ticketmaster.com.
Katy Perry with her cast on the night of the final performance of "Play" at Resorts World.
The Fremont Street Experience’s NYE Time of Your Life festival is back to ring in 2024 with a slew of notable names performing at its three outdoor stages on Dec. 31. Third Eye Blind headlines the 3rd Street Stage, Big Gigantic stars on the Main Street Stage, and Blackstreet will perform on the 1st Street Stage, all happening at 11:30 p.m. Other artists performing earlier sets include Beach Weather, Craze, local star DJ Eric Forbes, Kid ‘n Play, Tone Loc and Young MC. Gates open at 6 p.m, and tickets ($50) are available at vegasexperience.com/nye/.
Here are a few more Vegas entertainment announcements from the past week: Impractical Jokers will bring their Drive Drive Drive Drive Drive Tour to Resorts World Theatre on Jan. 13; Scorpions return to their Vegas home at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood for a run of nine shows from April 11 through May 3; and Pepe Aguilar’s Jaripeo Hasta Los Huesos Tour lands at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 3.
Celine Dion and her children were in the audience during the final performance of Katy Perry’s “Play” concert residency production at Resorts World Theatre on Saturday. Dion, originally scheduled as the venue’s opening resident artist before health problems changed her plans, was not the only celeb taking in Perry’s final Vegas bow: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden, Zoe Saldana and, of course, Orlando Bloom (Perry’s fiancé) were all in the audience for the 80th performance. “I want to say thank you first and foremost to my whole cast and crew, there are over 100 of us working on this show for two years. This show would have never have happened without my teammates at AEG, Direct Management, Squared Division, Baz Halpin, Silent House and Kris Pooley,” Perry said in a statement. “To my fans, what a wonderful celebration this has been. I have loved the energy and the creativity you bring to every era, without you, there would be no ‘Play.’ Thank you for taking me on this journey.”
