The old showroom was set to be replaced by a sparkling new entertainment venue. The showroom had seen its last hurrah back in September 2000 when Steve and Eydie took the stage for one final performance. Now, the theater was being built just for Celine Dion and her glitzy Las Vegas spectacle, “A New Day…”. Park Place Entertainment spearheaded the construction to coincide with other upgrades planned for the hotel, like new shops, restaurants, spas, and a 20-story tower.
Initially, Park Place figured the theater would cost $65 to $75 million. But all the state-of-the-art technical wizardry they wanted to add drove the price tag above $100 million. Still, for a world-famous diva like Celine, no expense was spared.
The renowned design firm Scéno Plus drew up plans for the dazzling new theater the Perini Building Company would execute. Construction kicked off in December 2002, wrapping up ahead of schedule on February 4, 2003 – just six weeks before opening night. The theater opened its doors on March 25, 2003, ready for Celine’s high-heeled footsteps. To celebrate, she filmed a CBS TV special hosted by Justin Timberlake. It gave fans a sneak peek into behind the scenes as Celine prepared to take the stage on opening night.
Aside from having a moniker that draws attention to it, The Colosseum is also renowned for bagging several awards. In 2004, Billboard Backstage Pass Awards named it the Top Small Venue. 5 years later, Billboard Magazine awarded The Colosseum as the Venue of the Decade (for venues with a seating capacity under 5,000), and this is just a few mentions in the venue’s awards catalog.
Experience the epitome of world-class entertainment at The Colosseum, home to the greatest entertainers on Earth – book your tickets today and make your Las Vegas trip legendary!
