Janet Jackson returns to Las Vegas for her newest residency

Are you a part of the #JanFam?  A soldier in the Rhythm Nation?  A fan of the original “Nasty” woman?  If so, thank your lucky stars because Janet Jackson is back on the Strip with a new, encyclopedic residency show courtesy of AEG Presents Las Vegas—in the Resorts World Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas. And in case you’re wondering, the five-time Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee answers the question “What have you done for me, lately?” (In this case, “lately” encompasses the past three and a half decades).

Clocking in at just over two hours, Janet Jackson: Las Vegas gives audiences more than just the standard hits one expects in a residency show. She also delivers B-sides and deep cuts that will be new even to fans who could recite the track lists from the Control, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814, and Janet albums as well as the chart-topping tracks in heavy rotation on MTV that came afterward.  And yet, during the performance I attended, there wasn’t a single moment where anyone was cracking their necks or checking their watches, because the energy level was dialed up to a ten from start to finish.

Not only does the track list for the show comprise 43 songs (broken down into four acts and a finale) over those two-plus hours, but Jackson presents them while delivering some blistering dance moves put to tight choreography, all decked out in custom Thom Browne and Christian Louboutin.  Meanwhile, she makes it all look so effortless (maybe it’s that 1,000-megawatt smile?).

All this movin’ and groovin’ is done on a two-story set that is lit.  And I don’t mean by the de rigueur pyrotechnics that accompany many concerts you see today, but actual fire!  There was one point where, dressed in a shiny black catsuit, with her hair (that I’m convinced had its own choreographer) billowing behind her, and fire blasting, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were watching a scene from a Michael Bay film.

All of which makes the Resorts World Theatre a perfect setting for Janet Jackson: Las Vegas, both for the performers (it’s one of the newest, largest, and most technologically advanced venues on the Strip), and for the guests (the seats are wide and cushy, there are cup-holders and wide rows, and there’s not a bad vantage from anywhere in the room).

For a truly elevated concert experience, level up to one of the VIP packages.  Not only will you be seated in an incredible orchestra seat, but you’ll enter through a separate VIP entrance that lets you off in the exclusive Gold Lounge where you can enjoy a cocktail or two before showtime without the lines and jostling. 

And since, as a matter of convenience, I always recommend enjoying dinner and a show on the same property, a pre-concert dinner at Carversteak is always on the menu. Afterward, if you’re feeling exhausted from all of Jackson’s hard work, do what I do and stop by Randy’s Donuts for a Bacon Maple Long John to go.