It’s the entertainment capital of the world, and draws the very biggest stars. But Adele will not be playing Vegas any time soon, having cancelled her forthcoming residency at Caesar’s Palace. Initially it was said to be due to crew members providing positive lateral flow tests, but the latest rumours suggest there’s more to it than that.
Viva Las Vegas
Think of Vegas and you think of the biggest names in showbiz who have had residencies there. Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and more recently Elton John, Celine Dion, Cher, Aerosmith to name just a few. They have all made Sin City their own, among the bright lights, endless casino games and razzmatazz that is unique to Las Vegas.
Adele’s name would certainly not look out of place among them. In her 15 year career, she’s sold 120 million records and been awarded 15 Grammys, 9 Brit awards, a Golden Globe and more than 100 other music awards.
Postponed – or cancelled?
Adele was scheduled to be appearing every weekend for three months at the Colosseum Theater, Caesar’s Palace, with the residency commencing in the last week of January. She pulled out of the entire residency just hours before the opening gig was due to commence, sharing a teary video on her social channels.
But her disappointed fans, some of whom had invested thousands in tickets, international flights and hotels were left unconvinced by her initial explanation of positive Covid tests among the crew, as rumours started to surface of furious rows with the set designers and sound engineers at Caesar’s Palace. Both Adele and the Colosseum have packed schedules for the rest of 2022, so it is hard to see how the shows can be rescheduled, despite Ticketmaster telling ticket holders to await details of revised dates.
What’s all the fuss about?
Prima Donna behaviour goes with the territory on a Las Vegas residency, so the set designers at the Colosseum are generally accustomed to dealing with petulance and the occasional bit of foot stamping from the venue’s headline stars. But it seems the relationship with Adele was doomed from the start.
First she insisted on ripping out the state-of-the-art Meyer sound system and replacing it with her own, and also installing a new, larger screen in front of the existing one. All this created logistical pressure and drove up costs, but the star’s demands were accommodated. The breaking point came when Adele saw the on-stage pool created for part of the show. The idea was for Adele to stand on a crane over it, giving the appearance of floating on water. However, on seeing the design, she dismissed it as a “baggy old pool” and pulled the plug on the entire show.
Stepping into the fray
Ticketmaster is granting refunds to any ticket holders who do not wish to wait on new dates. Meanwhile, Sin City will not be short on entertainment. Katy Perry has agreed to step into the Fray and has added 16 extra dates to her own residency – and not a pool in sight!
Comments