Country music superstar Carrie Underwood launched her very first Las Vegas Strip residency show last week at Resorts World Las Vegas, and the timing couldn’t have been better. Her show, Reflection, is one of many concerts coinciding with the return of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, one of the biggest annual events in the city, after it took a temporary trip to Arlington, Texas, last year during the pandemic.
Underwood’s hit-filled spectacular also opened the newest state-of-the-art entertainment venue on the Strip, the 4,700-seat Resorts World Theatre. Celine Dion was scheduled for the first performances in the theater but was forced to postpone her residency shows due to medical issues. Next up is Katy Perry for New Year’s Eve, and then Luke Bryan in February.
But the splashy Vegas arrival of the singer and songwriter who won the fourth season of American Idol in 2005 and went on to sell more than 70 million records worldwide and win seven Grammys and 15 Academy of Country Music awards also welcomed in the holiday season in a way only she could. Underwood recently released a special edition of her first Christmas album, My Gift, a combination of traditional tunes and original tracks such as the John Legend collaboration “Hallelujah.” The accompanying holiday TV special is currently streaming on HBO Max.
Underwood also recently dropped the digital single “Stretchy Pants,” an ode to holiday family feasts, to which all her fans (and mankind in general) can surely relate. A portion of the proceeds from streams and downloads of the song are being donated to the Store, a Nashville-based organization co-founded by Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley that provides a free shopping experience for families in need during the holidays.
After winning a Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year in the fall for her team-up with CeCe Winans on “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” Underwood warmed up for her Las Vegas residency by performing “If I Didn’t Love You” with Jason Aldean on the 55th annual CMA Awards show live from Nashville. Then she appeared on the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to perform songs from the Christmas album and get fans and viewers into the holiday spirit.
Now she’s bringing Las Vegas audiences into her world in a more powerful way than ever before. Reflection continues its initial run with performances Dec. 8 and 10-11, then Underwood will return to Resorts World for six more shows in March and April. Whether you’re a devoted fan, a rodeo attendee or a Vegas visitor ready for a fabulous holiday season, this is one superstar residency that checks all the boxes and entertains all.
Resorts World Las Vegas, axs.com
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