Enigmatic: Lady Gaga’s Vegas star is born

Las Vegas is unmatched among entertainment destinations with its sheer level of talent. World-class acts come from everywhere to fill the city’s auditoriums, stadiums and intimate venues. Still, The Strip feels collectively starstruck to receive Lady Gaga.

Gaga, 32 and already a six-time Grammy winner, announced the 27-show residency in Park Theater at the newly-revamped Park MGM. It’s one of the most anticipated Vegas residencies this year - if not of all time. The first show will debut on December 28.

Gaga, a living legend in pop music with more instantly-recognizable hits than letters in her name, will bring her potent stage show to the intimate venue. What’s more, the show definitely doesn’t repeat night to night. Two completely different programs, Lady Gaga Enigma and Lady Gaga Jazz & Piano, will share Park Theater’s stage.

“We’re creating a show unlike anything I’ve done before,” Lady Gaga said in a statement. “It will be a celebration of all that is unique and different within us. The challenges of bravery can be overcome with creativity and courage that is grown out of adversity, love and music.”

Enigma is a journey of the icon’s pop triumphs, including “Born this Way,” “Bad Romance” and “Poker Face.” While details remain closely guarded, fans can expect the wild stage production and costuming Gaga has used to exemplify in her performances.

Jazz & Piano, with four limited engagements in 2019, showcases stripped-down versions of her smash hits, as well as music from the Great American Songbook. Jazz & Piano gives fans once-in-a-lifetime access to the star, with a bare-bones performance reminiscent of her work with Tony Bennett on “Cheek to Cheek,” made even more special by the up-close environs of Park Theater.

The venue, opened in 2016 to anchor the brand-new entertainment and sports neighborhood on the South Strip, is a 5,200 seat auditorium with the feel of a small jazz club or cabaret. Innovative seating arrangements ensure every audience member is no more than 145 feet away from the stage, for an experience impossible to find at a large touring show.

But despite the wonderfully intimate feel, Park Theater does not lack in modern tech. With nine 4K HD projectors aiming at over 240 feet of screen, Enigma will feature stunning visuals to draw audiences in to the spectacle.

With the upcoming movie “A Star Is Born” and its Oscar buzz promising to propel Gaga further into superstardom, the residency is the perfect opportunity to catch the Lady live before you can only see her on the silver screen.

The residency is the end result of two years of fruitful discussions with the global superstar, according to Chris Baldizan, the Senior Vice President of Entertainment at MGM Resorts International.

“The first six months was kind of like small talk,” Baldizan told the Vegas Guide exclusively. “A year ago, it got serious.”

Gaga is slated to perform just 12 times through next May, but Park Theater will stay loud thanks to all kinds of A-listers. Another pop royal, Cher, takes the stage in October to bring her four decades of hits to screaming fans. Jam rockers Widespread Panic take the stage for three dates in October, and country phenom Kane Brown arrives at Park Theater for an exclusive Vegas engagement on December 15.

In true Vegas fashion, VIP entry and seating, bottle service and other top-notch amenities are available for every Park Theater show for those looking to make their evening one for the ages. www.mgmresorts.com/en/entertainment/park-mgm/park-theater.html

-Genevieve Wong, Custom Publishing Writer