SUNSET ON 'A NEW DAY'.

Byline: ROB LOWMAN

Staff Writer

Franco Dragone finds it strange that a show he created -- "Celine Dion: A New Day" at Caesars Palace -- will end on Dec. 15.

"It's very rare that a show closes at the top in Las Vegas," said Dragone, who was behind the success of Cirque Du Soleil's "O" and "Mystere" (both still playing in Sin City), as well as "Le Reve" at the Wynn.

Even two of his other Cirque shows -- "Quidam" and "Alegria" -- have life on the road. But "A New Day," the spectacle that showcases the pop diva whose voice is forever identified with the megahit "Titanic," will not go on.

But while Dion's contract is up just before Christmas, Dragone isn't planning to go out with a whimper, and what you see now is different from when the show opened four years ago this month.

Then, "New Day" was such an extravaganza that even megastar Dion seemed to fade into the background -- merely providing music to the ever-changing visuals. The show was filled with eye-popping theatrics that took their inspiration from surrealist Rene Magritte and the Hollywood musicals of the 1950s.

"When we opened, Celine was a little bit lost," said Dragone, "but slowly she took over the show."

Over four years, as with his other shows, "A New Day" has evolved, Dragone said. "We had such vocabulary that we created in a workshop before the show opened that when we needed to add a new song or dance we went -- shall I say -- to our bank ... because we knew Celine would not want to sing the same thing."

Recently, said Dragone -- who is also planning a revamp of "Le Reve" -- more new songs have been added to "Day," including a tribute to Frank Sinatra and the song "River Deep, Mountain High."

"Of course, as you can imagine it's not easy to change this type of show because it's so huge," he said. "One little change and you have to change big things."

Dion is always involved in the changes, Dragone added, but she's most involved in the costumes: "She loves costumes. For the rest, changes come from everybody, including the dancers. She's part of the team like everybody."

Changes are also in store for the Colosseum, a 4,100-seat, $90-million-plus arena Caesars built for Dion.

John Meglen, president and CEO of Concerts West, which is part of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, notes that Dion dates fill about 20 weeks at the Colosseum, and the show has "totally exceeded our expectations," never dropping below 90 percent capacity.

"Everybody has won in this situation," he said of the partnership between Caesars and Concerts West -- and, of course, Dion.

"I think the show is really tight. Making the changes is really refreshing -- not only for the audience but for the cast and the crew and Celine. We get a lot of repeat business."

So whoever follows Dion will have to fill some pretty big shoes -- and a lot of seats.

Right now Elton John does 10 weeks at the arena and Jerry Seinfeld does three weekends.

"We will continue to operate the Colosseum, and we're in the process of bringing in some new shows and new artists, but we're not ready to announce anything," said Meglen, noting that they've previously brought in other acts such as Stevie Nicks, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Pavarotti and a comedy festival.

As for Dragone, he feels the end coming but doesn't want that to affect the show. "We're stopping at the top of this ride," he said, "but I want it to be the craziest year."

"Celine Dion: A New Day" is at Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd S. Tickets range from $87.50 to $225. [phone]; ticketmaster.com.

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(color) Celine Dion's "A New Day," which has been a four-year success at Caesars Palace, will wind up its run in December.