Mark O'Sullivan
As the winners of Love In Las Vegas, you will be jetting off to Las Vegas - and you'll be spending Valentine's Night with one of the world's greatest singers, songwriters and performers - Elton John. Your prize includes tickets to the Million Dollar Piano at Las Vegas' most spectacular venue, The Colosseum at CaesarsPalace.
Elton's return to CaesarsPalace marks the beginning of a
three-year residency at The Colosseum and his second as a CaesarsPalaceheadliner. He is accompanied by his
band, which includes Davey Johnstone
on guitar, Bob Birch on bass, John Mahon
on percussion, Nigel Olsson on drums and Kim Bullard on keyboards with a
special appearance by percussionist Ray Cooper.
Nearly four years in the making, the state-of-the-art piano
is the perfect accompaniment to Elton's greatest hits displaying imagery to
complement the entertainer's fan favorites like "Benny and the Jets”, "Rocket
Man”, "Saturday Night” and "Circle of Life”.
Creating a whimsical, one-of-a-kind
entertainment experience, the piano weighs in at nearly 3,200 pounds and is the
brain-child of Elton, 29-year-old Yamaha industrial designer Akie Hinokio and
music industry veteran Chris Gero, Yamaha Artist Services vice president. Completing the show's design team are Mark Fisher and
Patrick Woodroffe. Fisher, best known for his design of Pink Floyd's "The Wall"
and his work designing the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing
Olympics, is the mastermind behind the show’s impressive set. Woodroffe is best known for his work with the Rolling
Stones, Bob Dylan and Depeche Mode as well as his work with Martin Scorsese on
the Rolling Stones feature, "Shine A Light."
In April 2009, Elton completed a highly successful five-year
residency at CaesarsPalace with the
critically acclaimed "The Red Piano". Originally booked for 75 shows over the
course of a three-year run, audience demand for "The Red Piano" was so
overwhelming the engagement was extended for a total of 241 shows over a five-year
period.
