Jennifer Lopez performed a rare no-cover gig Thursday night.
The “Let’s Get Loud” superstar played a free show for about 1,600 friends and family as “The J Lo Show” entered its final weekend. Eight cameras recorded video of the performance for an unspecified project.
Lopez told her devotees, “The more time passes, the more I believe this: Life feels different when you make a conscious decision to make every moment of your life beautiful.”
Reportedly, it was a beautiful experience.
Tabitha D’umo of the choreography team Nappytabs, who designed the show with her husband, Napoleon, explained all the hubbub from the stage to start the night.
“I’m really sad this is our last weekend, she’s been here all month, selling out shows and feeling the love from all you guys,” said D’umo, an Emmy Award-winner and, along with Napoleon, UNLV alum. “We wanted to record a show, and everybody in this room is here because you know somebody in the cast. You know someone in the band. You know someone who helped design the stage. You helped us build things.”
D’Umo emphasized, “It takes a village to do that, yes? There are J Lo lovers here … Jennifer really wanted to have a special friends-and-family night taping. So tonight, we’re taping this show. It will be a special you will see on TV, at some point.”
The project just before the residency’s last weekend indicates there won’t be an extension. Lopez opened the production, then titled “Up All Night Live in Las Vegas,” on Dec. 30. She played a dozen shows in all.
Thursday’s performance was a full run of her ticketed production, played out in four acts, “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” “Tales from Manhattan,” “Kiss Kiss Kill Kill,” and Shall We Dance.”
Judging from the guests’ video, the room was teeming — teeming, I tell you! — with pro dancers. Some impressive stripping to Ginuwine’s “Pony” in the run-up to Lopez’s arrival.
“I hope you had a good time. I had an amazing time,” Lopez said at the close. “… Do what you love with people that you love … To me, that’s the glamorous life. And one more thing: Don’t ever, ever, ever, rain …”
That led to “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” the Barbra Streisand number from “Funny Girl,” a fine show-closer and residency sendoff.
Updates o’ Killers
We’re also waiting for footage of The Killers (not to mention Adele) from the Colosseum. The Las Vegas rockers might be producing a documentary down the line, but no decisions yet.
And also, if I were wagering on the band’s next Vegas residency, I’d bet the Bulbous Wonder. Make it happen.
Bobby breaks out
Bobby Brown is touring anew, without his New Edition “fellas,” as he calls them, for a July 11 date at Pearl at the Palms (tickets on sale at AXS.com). The band’s all-star tour with Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton closes April 4 in Houston. The show played to a rowdy crowd at T-Mobile Arena in February.
Not Justin time
You might, or might not, have seen reports of Justin Timberlake in talks for a residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM. I’m reliably told there is not one bit of truth to that speculation.
A first for this …
Andrew Dice Clay adds The Palazzo Theatre to his lengthy, lingering list of Vegas venues. Clay premieres at magician Shin Lim’s home court at 10 p.m. Saturday.
The Diceman famously sold out Madison Square Garden twice in 1990. He has since headlined a host of Las Vegas venues either destroyed or rebranded.
The hot list: Bally’s (now Horseshoe), Stardust (taken down for Resorts World), the since-imploded Riviera Comedy Club, Shimmer Cabaret at Las Vegas Hilton (Westgate Cabaret today), Vinyl at Hard Rock Hotel (24 Oxford at Virgin Hotels currently) and Laugh Factory at Tropicana (demolished with the hotel in October 2024).
Clay was also a headliner in a SPI Entertainment production at Sushi Samba’s Sugarcane Live! lounge at The Venetian’s Grand Canal Shops. This was in the spring of 2009. Clay was on a serious (cough) roll in those days …
Get this …
Just before joining Siegfried & Roy as “The Evil Queen,” Lynette Chappell was Valerie Perrine’s understudy in “Lido de Paris.” This was in 1968, just as S&R were arriving in Las Vegas to perform in “Folies Bergere” at the Trop. Perrine died on Monday at age 82. She performed in Las Vegas through the early 1970s.
Cool Hang Alert
The Fourmers, ex-“Jersey Boys” cast members Jeff Leibow, Deven May, Lou Gazarra and Douglas Crawford, continue their run at South Point Showroom at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The guys are vocally superior, isolated or in harmony. The singers are effectively backed by music director Peter Fand on bass, Jimmy McIntosh on guitar, Matt Green on keys and Eddie Sarabia on sax in this vehicle from producer Sal Cucco. Go SouthPointCasino.com for intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.