Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/78247
Actually, the reason Dion connects with her fans isn't quite that simple. Much of her success has come the old-fashioned way: She's earned it. "I work with a lot of stars, but it's rare for me to see someone who is so con- nected with their audience," says Gary Selesner, president of Caesars Palace. "She's never gotten jaded, that's her magic. And she prepares like no one I've ever seen. There are countless rehearsals. She understands that many of her fans have saved up all year in order to come to Las Vegas to hear her sing." Selesner says that he's witnessed a few classic Dion moments when slip- ping into a seat in the first 10 rows to check on the show. "Sometimes there will be a bride, or maybe a little girl, and either way she'll make eye contact with them," he says. "I've seen her see tears and become immediately affected." The hotelier also isn't shy about laying out Dion's impact on his bottom line. He says successful residencies have a mission to pull visitors into casino restaurants, gaming areas, and shops year-round, "and Celine manages to sell out even in summer, which is traditionally a slower period for our town. So I'm incredibly grateful for her contributions." Dion's own gratitude is plentiful, much of it aimed at her adopted Nevada home. Though she maintains a primary $20 million residence in Jupiter Island, Florida, and recently listed the family's 24,000-square-foot island mansion in Québec for $29.3 million, her house in Henderson helps When Dion isn't on stage belting out romantic songs, she sleeps late ("usually until 10") and makes sure she gets her caffeine in before the twins see her—"I go in my closet and have my coffee." Then maybe it's ping-pong, Monopoly, or pool time with René and the kids, and sometimes René and René-Charles will head to the golf course. "I try not to stay outside too much," Dion says. Perhaps most interesting of all, music is rarely pumped through the house. Listening to it, after all, is a bit of a busman's holiday for the singer. "When I'm off, I want to hear my kids singing." That said, she does have a crush of sorts on one particular artist: Adele. "Celine never buys albums," René says, "but she made a point of asking me to get [Adele's], and she does 'Rolling in the Deep' in her show." When I questioned Dion about Adele's appeal, a rare and long silence pre- ceded her almost giddy answer. "I love literally everything about her," she says. "I love her extreme talent. I love her writing. Her songs come from the soul. She's incredibly beautiful. And I think it's very refreshing to see, and don't get me wrong when I say this, somebody who is not looking extremely anorexic." Here, Dion really gets revved up, revealing that her adoration of Adele centers on not only her amazing pipes, but also how the plus-size British singer might be able to impact the self-image of girls everywhere. "I know for a fact, as much as you do, that the music industry makes kids "Cel ne redef ned IN LAS VEGAS." what artists can do —GARY BONGIOVANNI, EDITOR OF POLLSTAR the singer feel grounded. "I have a regular house with a yard and a pool," she says. "We don't go out much. We play a lot of ping-pong. [The table] is now in the living room, and I think it's going to end up in the kitchen." The fierce mother of three has no time for anyone who disparages Las Vegas as a mere playground for adults. "Vegas, hah, people think that we raise our kids on the craps table," she scoffs. "What are they thinking? People have families here, they have jobs, they go to work. Vegas has given our family stability. It feels cozy." Could Dion actually be that rare breed—a working woman who has it all, a satisfying professional career mated to an enviable family life? "My kids give me the balance to live right," she says. "The hardest thing to find in life is balance. Especially the more success you have, the more you look to the other side of the gate. What do I need to stay grounded, in touch, in love, connected, emotionally balanced? Look within yourself. I think I am the luckiest woman. I have a wonderful husband, I have three amazing kids. What am I looking for? I'm passionate about my fans and my shows. But my biggest reward in the success that is my life are my hus- band and kids." 102 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM get sick," she says. "So we're not going to go further on that, but you know what I mean." She pauses, then continues. "Her beauty is extremely sophis- ticated as well. Her nails, her jewelry, her makeup, her hair. She's going to help us, she's going to help the world." But this talented diva love-fest has never been consummated; Dion has never met Adele. "It's going to be bad when I meet her," she sighs. "I'm going to give her the biggest hug, I'm not kidding." If that rendezvous is going to happen though, it will be with Adele heading this way across the pond. For Celine, traveling anywhere beyond the Dion Triangle—Québec, Florida, and Nevada—is out of the question, at least for now. "My shows [at the Colosseum] never take away from my family," she says. "The fact that I have the stability of my family, I'm a better singer. I can come here and perform and not worry." It's late afternoon, but the summer sun is still high in a blue southern- Nevada sky. Time for Dion to ride down to the Strip and prepare for another sold-out performance. Then it's back home to her husband, her boys, those fruit-covered pajamas, and the deep, satisfying feeling that life is rolling happily along. V