It was a sad day in Las Vegas when Caesars Palace closed its storied Circus Maximus showroom, one of the city's most prestigious venues for live entertainment. "Playing Caesars" used to mean something special, even in a city with more superstar entertainers and lavish production shows than anywhere else in America.

With the signing of Celine Dion to a three-year contract, Caesars has returned to the forefront of the city's entertainment scene. And for its new empress, the resort has built a marvelous 4,000-seat theater, inspired by the Colosseum in Rome. Though the design is ancient in origin, the new Colosseum boasts state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and theatrical special effects. Total cost: $95 million.

Colosseum Tickets

The 22,450-square-foot stage has an enormous 120-by-44-foot-high proscenium arch, one of the largest in the world. But Dion expressed her wish to be as close to her fans as possible, challenging architects to create a space that is both immense and intimate. The farthest seat in the Colosseum is just 120 feet from the stage, a distance comparable to that in showrooms with one-third of its total capacity. And since there will be no such thing as cheap seats in the new venue, it's just as well that every seat is a good one.