The Colosseum
Caesars Palace Casino
When in 2000, Park Place Entertainment launched its major project to revamp the Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino and entertainment infrastructures, it approached Scéno Plus to develop an architectural concept and a theatre design of what was to become the Colosseum. Constructed directly on Las Vegas Boulevard, the building is loosely inspired by Roman aesthetics with contemporary overtones.
It is one of Las Vegas's largest and most elegant showrooms - a fitting site for Céline Dion’s return to the stage in the production A New Day, directed by Franco Dragone.
Outstanding features
Dimension
- The building, attached to the existing casino, is 120 feet high and 256 feet in diameter.
Capacity
- The orchestra level has a capacity of 2,283 seats.
- There is an additional 745 seats in the first balcony and 1,074 seats in the second balcony.
Stage
- The vast 22,450 square feet stage has an enormous 120 feet wide by 44 feet high proscenium arch, one of the largest in the world.
Microclimate
- For optimal singing conditions, a microclimate air conditioning system for enhanced ventilation and humidity was developed at the front of the stage.
“…this is one of the best places I’ve ever played all over the world… Let’s give the building a round of applause. Good building, well done building! Thank you very much building! Great sound! Great seats!”
-Extract of Rod Stewart show presented on April 6, 2012 at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace
Ideation drawing of the exterior of the amphitheater.
The Colosseum at dusk. Photo credit: Kabik
The lobby is located directly across from the casino.
Celine Dion and René Angélil at a press conference for the opening of the Colosseum.
After seven (7) weeks of intensive remodeling and transformation under Scéno Plus supervision, the following improvements have been completed:
- revision of seating layout and creation of new configurations
- VIP section refurbishment and addition of a new VIP experience closer to the stage
- seat revamping for increased comfort
- refreshment of interior design finishes inside the theatre
- replacement of all specialized equipment
- addition of a new orchestra lift in front of the stage.
Context
- Prized for its proximity to the public, technical equipment, and acoustics qualities, the Colosseum has hosted many world-renowned artists, including Céline Dion, who opened this hall in 2003.
- With 16 years of intense activity that have seen Cher, Bette Midler, Elton John and Rod Stewart, to name a few, Caesars Entertainment decided at the end of 2018 to renovate and modernize the Colosseum once Celine Dion's residency was completed in July 2019.
- The objective: complete the renovation and technical upgrading work within a timeframe of only seven (7) weeks.
VIP experience
- A new design has been created for the existing VIP section at orchestra level and the existing seats have been modernized.
- A brand-new VIP section with bottle service is added at the foot of the stage for greater proximity with the artists. Located on a new stage lift, this section can offer a sitting experience, on ultra-comfortable seats, or a standing experience in the heart of the action.
New stage lift
- The front part of the orchestra – which is also the new VIP area – now features a stage lift that allows the level of this section to vary, thus offering a sitting or flat floor configuration.
- Loading Capacity: 183,000 lbs static/61,000 lbs live.
Stage equipment
- Sound, lighting and video systems have all been upgraded or replaced by state-of-the-art equipment.
- A new 5.5 mm LED screen measuring 110'-0'' X 36'-0''replaces the original display and doubles the resolution, thus improving the transmission of stage performances.
The venue during Journey stage performance. Photo credit: Erik Kabik
The orchestra level VIP sections near the stage.
