Dion kicks off Las Vegas residency

Celine Dion took the stage at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas last night to kick off A New Day, a multi-million pound extravaganza that will test the French-Canadian star’s staying power.

Dion belted out 20 tunes in 100 minutes in front of an adoring crowd at the 4,100-seat Colosseum.

And the audience could not get enough.

“We love you Celine,” they shouted, and gave her a series of standing ovations.

“Tonight is the big day,” Dion told the audience. “I want to thank you for being here ... with everything that is going on in the world, let’s just try tonight to focus on peace. Let’s try to enjoy ourselves tonight.”

Dion, who turns 35 on Sunday, danced and flew from steel wires throughout the night. But the fans were there to hear her voice and got plenty of it.

She sang such classics as Fever, At Last and I’ve Got the World on a String. There was no encore.

The production by Belgian director Franco Dragone includes 48 dancers and the world’s largest LED screen.

Under her contract, Dion is expected to keep up the act five nights a week, 40 weeks a year until 2006.

She will receive about €96m, plus 50% of the profits during the three-year contract.

And to ensure she can belt out tunes for 200 shows a year, a stage humidifier has been installed to protect her voice – which is insured – from the desert climate.