ENTERTAINMENT: Gladys Knight settling in at Trop

Gladys Knight returns to the Strip for her first weekly residency since 2005, moving into the Tropicana starting April 5.

The soulful pop singer will perform five nights a week at least through October, with the potential to extend if both sides are happy. Knight says she would like to stage a Christmas show at the property if the demand is there.

In a move that’s unusual for a limited engagement, the Tiffany Theater will be rebranded as the Gladys Knight Theater for the length of her run.

Knight’s deal is directly with hotel management, but she will share the room with Recycled Percussion and other titles helmed by independent producer Jay Bloom, who leased the showroom last year.

“I’m an intimate girl. I like to see the people that I perform for and to,” Knight, 66, told reporters Monday. “This is the perfect room.”

A longtime Las Vegan, Knight (pictured with Tropicana President Tom McCartney) did a three-year residency at the Flamingo from 2002 through 2005.

The singer of classics such as “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me” said not to expect her showcase to be over the top with production value. “You’d be surprised how many people want to get back to what’s basic,” she said.