Country-pop queen Shania Twain performed a now-legendary musical residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace from 2012 to 2014, and after some time touring and recording her first studio album in 15 years, 2017’s Now, she’s excited about her return to the Strip this month. Let’s Go! opens at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort on Dec. 6, and continues Dec. 7, 11, 13-14 and 18. Twain can’t wait to push the boundaries of what’s possible with a country concert production.
How excited are you to revisit a residency here and present your music in a new way?
I had such a great experience during the last residency and I feel very at home (in Las Vegas). I’m excited to get creative again with this platform and a Vegas residency is so unique. It’s such a luxury for an artist because you get to dive into all this technology you can’t take on tour. It’s like a playground and I feel privileged to be invited back. But I’m excited about so many things with this, and just to be back in the city.
You really have embraced Las Vegas, spent a lot of time here since then and connected with different aspects of the community.
When you’re on tour going from town to town, it’s such a brief experience. During the residency in Las Vegas, I got to know the city better and just fell in love with it. And I like to be in the audience there. I’m always out eating at the restaurants and seeing other shows and going to hockey games. I guess I delved into the spirit of being a member of the community, and you know you’re never bored in Las Vegas.
What shows have you seen?
I went to Celine’s last performance at the Colosseum and I’ve seen every show at Zappos Theater. I love the room and I know what it’s like from the audience perspective because I’ve gone so often and observed the stage and learned all the possibilities I can play around with.
You are the creative director on your show this time around, but weren’t you very hands-on the first time around?
I’m more hands-on this time around and I’m more familiar with the process. This stage is a bit smaller and more like a touring stage in the sense that it’s set up more like an amphitheater. It’s very rock and roll, a very interactive stage, less formal than over at Caesars. There’s more room to play with a hybrid of theater-meets-arena concert. I’m very comfortable creating there and very involved in the day to day, and because I’ve seen so many shows there, I’m very educated on how the room works. It’s going to be a lot of fun and I can’t wait.
Careful! You might build such a great show that the other Zappos Theater residents will want you to direct their shows.
Sure! I’ll just live there all year long and do that, become a resident stage director and show designer. I’m all for that!
Last year, you hit the road again and toured behind the Now album, which was a very personal record. What was that experience like?
The important part of it was to share it with a live audience and get their reaction and response. That was everything. Of course I didn’t make the record to play in my room alone, but it meant a lot to fans, too. It all came around in a really complete circle. It was an amazing tour and it’s also what drew me to doing another residency because I wanted to indulge more in that production. On the road, it was very exciting and different, and I thought, “I can do it even better in a residency in Vegas.”
And this residency will have all that new music to draw from. Are you working on more?
I am working on a new album and I look forward to that happening next year. I’ll be able to release new music for the second year of my residency and I will adapt the show for sure. The second year will be different from the first.
