Celine Dion shines anew at Caesars — VIDEO
After a leave of absence to devote her attention to husband-manager Rene Angelil's battle with throat cancer, Celine Dion returns to Caesars Colosseum on Aug. 27, 2015. (Michael Quine/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Celine Dion pauses as she receives a standing ovation from the audience at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion performs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion performs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion performs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion performs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion performs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion performs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion performs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion pauses as she receives a standing ovation from the audience at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion performs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion performs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
A couple holds hands before Celine Dion performs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion acknowledges the crowd at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion performs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion performs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion performs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion performs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino, following a year-long hiatus, in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion listens to a question during a press conference before her first performance in more than a year at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion answers questions during a press conference before her first performance in more than a year at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion answers questions during a press conference before her first performance in more than a year at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion answers questions during a press conference before her first performance in more than a year at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion answers questions during a press conference before her first performance in more than a year at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion answers questions during a press conference before her first performance in more than a year at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion answers questions during a press conference before her first performance in more than a year at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion answers questions during a press conference before her first performance in more than a year at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion answers questions during a press conference before her first performance in more than a year at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
Celine Dion acknowledges the news media in attendance for a press conference before her first performance in more than a year at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace hotel-casino in Las Vegas on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow
In an interview with USA Today earlier this week, Celine Dion predicted that her highly anticipated return to Las Vegas would be emotional. "There will be moments, emptiness, laughter, awkwardness, tearing,” she said. “There will be. But that's the point of coming back. Otherwise, I just release an album. The bond, the sharing, communication." It was all of that and so much more.
Over the course of two hours, she treated fans to an absolutely mesmerizing performance that included plenty of poignant moments, the most touching of which being when she offered up a chilling rendition of Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" as a montage of footage of her with her beloved family played behind her.
There were also moments of laughter, like when she improvised while one of her guitarists tuned and then playfully teased him when he returned, during the spare acoustic section of the set, and there were so many other memorable moments, such as the hologram duets she turned in with Frank Sinatra and Elvis. It was a definitely a show to remember. Celine was poised and dependably elegant and eloquent.
