Some fans want more Celine hits
Some Celine Dion fans are grumbling that too many Celine hits are missing from her swanky old-Vegas-style show.
Only eight of her hits were among the 20-some songs on her opening night set list Tuesday, the dawning of her three-year engagement at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
A member of one of her biggest fan clubs, the 25,000-member CelineDionForum.com, contacted Vegas Confidential on Wednesday to express disappointment from some of the members.
"At last night's press conference, she said she'd change a song/songs if fans ain't happy," wrote a United Kingdom fan who goes by Shamrock2010 on his Twitter site.
"Well, fans think the middle of the show is too boring," he said.
Dion sings five of the eight hits early in the show before going with Ella Fitzgerald's jazz classic "(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)" from the 1930s, Billy Joel's "Lullabye," a James Bond tribute and Janis Ian's teen angst classic "At Seventeen" from 1975.
During the post-show news conference, director Ken Ehrlich said Dion's goal was to "modernize" the show, make it "more personal and musical."
CELINE MEETS THE MEDIA
No one asked, but Celine put it out there: She has breast-pumped milk delivered to her twin sons every night before her show.
She volunteered the personal information without hint of a blush while responding to a question about her daily routine at a post-show media gathering in her theater.
Vegas Confidential asked her if the musical interests of her 10-year-old son, Rene-Charles, lean more toward Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga or others.
"I have to say the kid amazes me tremendously," she said.
"I don't have time to play music in the house. I rarely sing songs, TV is rarely (on) and then he knows all of the music.
"One of his favorite things now is he takes his laptop, he chooses a song and then ... records himself (on video) and says 'Mom, see the video I did.'
"His knowledge of music is big, from Lady Gaga to Beatles and Elvis -- big, big!"
Apparently he doesn't have Bieber fever.
SIGHTINGS
NBC's "Today" show contributing correspondent Jenna Bush Hager, singing a sort-of duet during her interview with Celine on Tuesday. Celine confessed she loves singing in the shower and, spoofing her song "If You Love Me Like This," changed the lyrics to "If you scrub me like this. If you scrub me like that." That Celine impersonator spotted around Caesars Palace this week is Veronique Dicaire of France. She was Celine's opening act on the world tour. So was Golden Nugget headliner Gordie Brown.
THE PUNCH LINE
"I really hope Charlie will win an Oscar because that would be the greatest acceptance speech ever." -- Jimmy Kimmel, on reports that Charlie Sheen will appear in "Major League 3."
Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.
OPENING NIGHT SET LIST
Journey's "Open Arms," "Where Does My Heart Beat Now," "Because You Love Me," "It's All Coming Back," "Power of Love," "Mr. Paganini," "Lullabye," "The Reason" (co-written by Carole King and produced by the Beatles producer Sir George Martin), James Bond tribute (Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger," Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better," and Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die").
Her second half of songs include holographic duets with herself singing James Ingram's "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" and with Stevie Wonder singing "Overjoyed." Also: "At Seventeen," "Beauty and the Beast," songwriter Jacques Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas (If You Go Away)," Eric Carmen's "All By Myself," Michael Jackson's tribute ("Ben," "Man in the Mirror" and "I Just Can't Stop Loving You."
She finished with "Love Can Move Mountains," Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High" and "My Heart Will Go On" (from "Titanic").
