DVD review: SHANIA TWAIN – Still The One Live From Vegas

SHANIA TWAIN - Still the One Live From Vegas

Eagle Rock [Release date 02.03.15]

For the original country/pop crossover queen, and best-selling female country artist of all time who has shipped over 75 million albums worldwide – thanks primarily to the Mutt Lange trilogy of releases The Woman in Me (1995), Come On Over (1997) and Up! (2002) – the question is, is she ‘still the one’?

This DVD captures her spectacular residency at The Colosseum, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas which began its run on December 1st, 2012. Created by Shania and directed by Raj Kapoor the show takes in all her biggest hits, country favourites, and crossover songs.

And being Vegas, there’s no shortage of ‘glitz’ starting with her entrance suspended mid-air on a motorcycle in a shimmering body suit that would give Cher a run for her money, through numerous costume changes, a 13-piece live band and backing singers, dancers and live horses! To say nothing of the enormous and mesmerising visual backdrop.

Of course it all went ‘Pete Tong’ for Twain when her marriage to Lange collapsed, her hits and vocals dried up and others sought to claim her crown as the Nashville resurgence of the last decade unfolded. And, for many, a Vegas residency is little more than being put out to pasture, all be it in some style.

But it would be hard to guess as the 24 song set rattles along at a frenetic pace. Visually, it’s a spectacular that has all the hallmarks of a Disney production (and that’s a compliment).

There’s almost too much to take in visually at times and while it may not be ‘rock n roll’ (although the Red Storm interlude does a very passable impression) there’s something here for all the family. That’s, as the saying goes, ‘entertainment’.

Cheesey, yes. But hats off to her, Shania Twain still looks hot, and Still The One is a terrific show. It may be some years before her record selling exploits are bettered – if at all -and ‘yes’ there’s more contemporary artists and ‘country’ has moved on, but there’s still some mileage in much of this material.

A bonus documentary tells the story of the creation and staging of the show, but frankly it’s best avoided and the show accepted for what it is – a piece of showbiz theatre. And nowhere does ‘showbiz’ like Vegas. ***1/2

Review by Pete Whalley

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