Celine finishes Vegas run after 717 nights

Who would have thought Canadian chanteuse Celine Dion’s Las Vegas show would last five years - or, to put it in more impressive terms, 717 nights? Not even Dion herself, apparently.

"At one point, it was like feeling like the Titanic was about to sink again," the Quebec-born singer said during her final show last night.

"But we believed and we went on with it. Even though the vibe was not that positive for us."

The 39-year-old also had to contend with an unexpected pregnancy, revealed when the show was still in development in 2000.

"I had a life for the first time," Dion said. "I knew then that I wanted to have more success as a mother than a singer."

Knowing that a theatre costing $95 million was erected to house her show — and that she was being paid $100 million to complete said shows — helped Dion change her mind, however, and the ensuing years proved to her that the decision to move forward with the show, which grossed more than $400 million and was seen by nearly 3 million fans, was the right one.

"Most of us have left our families behind to give ourselves every night," she told the audience last night. "I can assure you it was worth it."

Next up for Dion: A tour, starting with a Valentine’s Day show in for Valentine's Day in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Bryan Ochalla © 2007 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.