Columnist Joe Delaney: Will Dion pack in crowds at Caesars’ Colosseum?

Joe Delaney

Thursday, May 24, 2001 | 8:16 a.m.

Joe Delaney's column appears on Thursdays and Fridays. Reach him at 259-4066 or joe@lasvegassun.com

When we learned that Caesars Palace was building a 4,000-seat showroom modeled after the Colosseum in Rome, our first thought was that it might be Lions vs. Christians, or a Battle of the Gladiators with meals minus utensils, a much earlier version of "Tournament of Kings" at the Excalibur ... Then it was announced that Celine Dion would perform there 200 times a year, starting in 2002 or early 2003.

The naysayers have beaten us to the punch, but we reluctantly must join them unless Dion will perform with some topnotch friends on a rotating basis ... Dion starring in a version of "Cirque du Soliel" is rumored as another possibility ... Prognosis either way: doubtful.

Whatever she does, she is going to need some positive exposure during this interim period, via recording releases and television ... The song from "Titanic," "My Heart Will Go On," long ago deserved to be put on the shelf along with "Feelings," "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" and "Impossible Dream" (except when the last-named song is performed by the Smothers Brothers.)

Checking some recent reports covering a six-week period, we noted that "O" (Bellagio) and Siegfried & Roy and Danny Gans (Mirage) are doing 100 percent capacity, and "Mystere" (Treasure Island) just missed at 99 percent in showrooms with a capacity of 1,790, 1,503, 1,265 and 1,615, respectively.

Blue Man Group (Luxor) and "Lord of the Dance" tied at 89 percent in rooms with capacities of 1,290 and 990 ... "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" and "Bill Acosta's Lasting Impressions" (Flamingo Las Vegas) and Steve Wyrick (Sahara) were near the bottom with just under one-third of capacity on average.

No figures were given for the afternoon offerings, but most seem to be doing well above average, especially those with special coupons where one can gain admission for the price of a drink.

Star-policy rundown

Acosta (Flamingo Las Vegas); David Brenner (Golden Nugget); Improv Allstars, through Saturday (Hard Rock); Clint Holmes, evenings, Mac King, afternoons (Harrah's); Fab Four (LV Hilton); Blue Man Group (Luxor); George Carlin, plus Rick Springfield starring in "EFX Alive" (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy, and Gans, in separate theaters (Mirage); Lance Burton (Monte Carlo); and Rita Rudner (New York-New York); there's more.

Air Supply (Orleans); Howie Mandel (Paris Las Vegas); Pete Barbutti (Plaza); Penn & Teller, "The Scintas" and Earl Turner in separate showrooms (Rio); Wyrick, evenings, and Michael Holly, afternoons (Sahara); En Vogue, Saturday (Sam's Town); Wayne Newton (Stardust); Frankie Randall and the Vincent Falcone Orchestra (Suncoast); Rick Thomas (Tropicana); and Andrew "Dice" Clay, Melinda, First Lady of Magic and Andre-Philippe Gagnon (Venetian).

Jazz notes: Circle June 1-3 on your calendars for the Las Vegas Jazz Festival at the Fremont Street Experience featuring 25 bands on 10 stages during the three-day period, 225 performances in all ... Check out two top local bands -- Chuck Diamond & the Royal Dixie Jazz Band, and Stan Mark & his Sin City Suitz ... Diamond is the founder of the original Dixie Jazz Band that went from the Barbary Coast to the Gold Coast.

More jazz: Denver would be a great place for jazz fans to get away to over Labor Day weekend, when great jazz pianist Ralph Sutton and his wife, Sunny, present the Sutton's Rocky Mountain Jazz Party at the Marriott City Center with some of the world's best jazz musicians ... Contact the Suttons at P.O. Box 1684, Bailey, CO 80421.

Jazz fans can enjoy Carl Lodico's Big Band, Thursdays (Pepper's); the action at Pogo's, Fridays; the World's Smallest Jazz Band, Sundays (Swede's Corner); and the Riviera with Lon Bronson, Saturdays at midnight and the Jimmy Wilkins Big Band in an 80th birthday celebration on Monday.

Brendan's Irish Pub is new at the Orleans; check out the original "Twin Piano Twins, Mark and Clark," Wednesdays through Sundays at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. ... Actors Repertory Theatre's production of "Gypsy" concludes this weekend (Summerlin Library Theatre).

Recommended: Las Vegas' Eighth Annual Tap Dance Day Celebration, a two-day event, 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday (Winchester Center) ... Choreographer Henri LeTang and Peggy Ryan and her TNT's will perform along with a number of top solo tappers, backed by the Carl Fontana Jazz Sextet ... Admission is just $7, $5 for seniors and students under 12.

Mexico's foremost composer-singer-performer Juan Gabriel performs at 8 p.m. Friday (Mandalay Bay Events Center) with special guest Christian Castro ... Please support the Sun Summer Camp Fund ... See you Friday.