NEW YORK (AP) - Since Shania Twain launched her first residency in Las Vegas seven years ago, Sin City has been invaded with contemporary pop stars, from Lady Gaga to Drake to Christina Aguilera, jumping on the residency trend. Even Cardi B has plans for a short-term Vegas residency this year.
“I know! What are these people (doing) jumping on my bandwagon?” a smiling Twain said as she announced her return to Vegas for a new residency, starting Dec. 6. “Everybody knows that Vegas is awesome and it’s only getting better.”
Twain, of course, follows in the footsteps of other Las Vegas stalwarts over the decades, from the Rat Pack and Wayne Newton to Cher and Celine Dion.
On Monday, the queen of country pop announced 23 performances for her “Let’s Go!” residency at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Tickets go on sale Friday.
Britney Spears, Bruno Mars, Mariah Carey, Calvin Harris, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Aeromsith, Boyz II Men, Pitbull, Gwen Stefani and Backstreet Boys are just some of the acts who have bombarded Vegas with long and short-term residencies since Twain wrapped her first two-year stint in 2014.
“Not everybody gets invited to do a residency and certainly not a long-term residency. It’s one thing to go and do six shows or something like that, but when you’re in a long-term residency, it’s a commitment,” she said. “A really big commitment.”
After Vegas, Twain went on traditional tours - in 2015 and 2018 - but said there’s a plus side to performing at the same venue every night.
“You can really take advantage of the highest standard technology that is usually too sensitive to take on the road and travel. You can’t pack it up and take it down every day. So it’s a production dream, Las Vegas,” she said.
“And also, it’s just great for my voice to be able to be stabilized in an environment that I can control. And I really appreciate that these days with all my Lyme disease voice issues.”
Twain trained with coaches and worked extensively to rebuild her voice after she contracted Lyme disease. After 15 years, she finally released an album, 2017’s “Now.”
To keep her voice intact in Vegas’ dry heat, the 53-year-old said she will “take a steam shower every night as I start my warmups before the show.”
One of the best-selling artists of all-time, with hits like “You’re Still the One,” ’’From This Moment On” and “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” Twain has the title of creative director for the residency. She said she wants the audience to party alongside her each night.
“It (will be) like a giant nightclub,” she said. “I’m actually going to put a dance floor on the stage so there’ll be some fun audience participation.”
“I’ve got so many fans that in the ’90s were 3, 4 or 5 years old and now they’re graduating from college - they’ve got that to celebrate,” she added. “Or they’re maybe getting married now, and they’re bringing their parents to my shows these days, so it’s just a great party vibe.”
Some of those young fans - the Canadian Women’s Soccer Team - went viral last week when they sang Twain’s late ’90s hit “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” on a bus traveling to a game.
Twain said she was moved and “personally very touched” when she watched the clip, which she retweeted.
“That’s a good example of young adults that probably came to my concerts years ago on their parent’s shoulders, and now they’re in championship leagues and starting professional careers of their own,” she said.
“Like, I know with touring, whole teams would come to the show. It’s rowdy and you get a whole team of girls coming and singing along. … It’s what I’m really writing the show around - let’s get together and let our hair down and shake it out.”
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