Jennifer Lopez is on top of the entertainment world as she prepares for the next phase of her All I Have Las Vegas residency. The Bronx-born ingénue has been experiencing her biggest year since her career resurgence began at the dawn of the decade—her Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino engagement debuted Jan. 20 in 2016, six days after her hit police drama Shades of Blue premiered on NBC. She extended her residency due to popular demand, re-signed to Epic Records, released a single with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda in tribute to Orlando’s shooting victims and stole the show with ex-husband Marc Anthony at last month’s Latin Grammys.
Lopez presented the Latin Grammys’ Person of the Year award to the father of her twins before she and Anthony debuted their new single “Olvídame y Pega la Vuelta” with an impassioned performance at T-Mobile Arena. The song subsequently rocketed to the top of iTunes’s Latino downloads chart, making it likely that it will be part of Lopez’s set when she resumes her residency. Her last show took place Aug. 13 and featured 22 songs spanning the length of her career, from the opening “Glamour” section (“If You Had My Love,” “Love Don’t Cost a Thing”) through the “Rave” finale (“Waiting for Tonight,” “On the Floor”).
As much as fans come to hear the hits, they expect an extravaganza fueled by breathtaking dancing and dazzling fashion. Lopez delivers on both counts, whether paying homage to the Bronx, burlesque, balladry, funk or her Latin roots. Under the direction of choreographers Nappytabs and backed by 16 dancers, Lopez draws on superhuman stamina and body movement to express the various phases of her life. All I Have also succeeds at both paying homage to classic Vegas with a nod to showgirl costuming and set design that includes a silver staircase she descends at the show’s opening, and pushing productions into the future with cutting-edge choreography and stage technology.
What started out as a 20-show residency has been extended for three years, with at least 26 shows locked in for the 4,600-seat The Axis through June 11. Lopez will drop a Spanish-language album produced by Anthony during that time, which could mean additions to the Latin section of the show should “Olvídame y Pega la Vuelta” be followed by more hits. Lopez developed a shoe line with Giuseppe Zanotti this year that will debut in 2017 and next December, she’ll appear in a new television production of musical Bye Bye Birdie that will be broadcast on NBC, creating synergistic cross-promotional possibilities that a savvy businesswoman such as J. Lo can’t ignore.
The only thing Lopez seemed to be unable to accomplish was parlaying her support of Hillary Clinton into an election victory, but she’s got little time to look back. Shades of Blue is in its second season, she’s been signed to play drug queenpin Griselda Blanco on HBO, her Nuyorican Productions company is producing a dance competition series and the twins are 8. She’s busy, but she’s clearly demonstrated it’s nothing she can’t handle.
Planet Hollywood Resort, 9 p.m. Dec. 13 & 16-17, starting at $79 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster
