Long-running residency engagements on the Las Vegas Strip have been a Sin City tradition for decades. Legendary pianist Liberace began performing in Las Vegas in 1945 and continued his act into the 1980s at various hotel casinos, such as the Riviera Hotel and Casino and Las Vegas Hilton.
Even more popular than Liberace was Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack that made the Sands Hotel and Casino their home in the early 1960s. Then came the King of Rock and Roll.
Elvis Presley opened his long-running Las Vegas residency at the International Hotel in 1969 and would perform a record 636 sold-out shows before his death in 1977.
Barry Manilow getting close to the Elvis record
Popular 1970s icon Barry Manilow is currently performing at the International Theater at Westgate Las Vegas, where he is set to break Presley's record of sellouts at the venue on the weekend of Sept. 21-23. The Westgate was originally called the International Hotel, then it was the Las Vegas Hilton, and finally the Westgate.
Another legend on the Strip is singer Wayne Newton, who began performing in Vegas in 1963 with his hit song "Danke Schoen," and is known as Mr. Las Vegas, since he has lived in the city for so many years. The exact number of shows Newton has performed is not certain, but it runs in the thousands. In 1999, he signed a 10-year contract with the long-defunct Stardust that saw him perform six shows a week, 40 weeks a year.
The "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast" singer just extended his Wayne: Up Close and Personal residency at Bugsy's Cabaret Showroom at the Flamingo Las Vegas for 62 dates until June 2024.
Pop singers Donny and Marie Osmond performed an 11-year residency at the Flamingo, which ended in November 2019. Osmond Brothers singer Donny Osmond resumed his long-running residency at Caesars Entertainment's (CZR) -) Harrah's Showroom on Sept. 5, which is set to end Nov. 11. Osmond will embark on a UK tour from Nov. 28 through Dec. 14 and has signed on for 55 more shows in an extended residency at Harrah's Showroom beginning Jan. 23 and ending May 11, 2024. Osmond began his Harrah's residency in August 2021.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Lady Gaga wants her Vegas residency to last forever
Lady Gaga brought her Enigma + Jazz & Piano residency to the Strip, which ran Dec. 28, 2018, through May 1, 2022, at MGM Resorts International's (MGM) -) Park Theater at the Park MGM. Her residency reportedly had a big payoff as it earned $78 million at the box office, with Lady Gaga getting a guarantee of $1 million per show for the 74 initial shows of her residency.
The "Paparazzi" singer returned to the Strip at Dolby Live at the Park MGM for a 12-show Jazz + Piano residency. The engagement –which does not include her Enigma portion of her previous residency – continues Sept. 9, 10, 28, 30, Oct. 1, 4 and 5.
Lady Gaga during her Sept. 7 performance apparently shocked her band and the audience when she said she wanted her Dolby Live residency to be "forever," the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
"We’re gonna make a contract. Everybody on this stage will be here forever, we’ll do it. I’m not kidding. I make a lot of jokes on this stage. This is not one of them,” Lady Gaga said.
No other details about a permanent Lady Gaga Dolby Live residency were discussed, and MGM has not yet commented on Lady Gaga's statement.
