Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas has hosted everyone from Lionel Ritchie to Diana Ross to Justin Bieber and has become the mainstay stage for comedy acts like Nate Bargatze and Sebastian Maniscalco. But never has the venue sold out so fast than the six New Edition shows that began in February of 2024.

The theater, which holds 1,480 seats, is one of the go-to venues for performers who want a more intimate experience than some of its counterparts along the Strip. It sold out all six performances within 45 minutes, later adding another six. Now, the band has announced the fourth leg of its New Edition: Las Vegas residency—with a half-dozen shows in February 2025—and I cannot stress enough that if you are a member of Gen X, the levels of serotonin that will flood your brain when you hear this music will have you dancing in front of your seat and grinning like a new jack fool. This no doubt explains the show’s popularity with the likes of Mike Tyson, actors Jason Sudeikis and Mekhi Phifer, singer Macy Gray and rapper Big Boi, as well as Marlon Jackson and Jackie Jackson.

You know what you’re in for—i.e., the hits—but it is really so much more.  Sure, there are the OG New Edition classics (“Candy Girl,” “Cool It Now,” and “Mr. Telephone Man”) and later NE jams (the ballad “Can You Stand the Rain” and my favorite, “If It Isn’t Love”), as well as solo hits by Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, and Ralph Tresvant. There’s also a brief but electrifying appearance by Bell Biv DeVoe—the group formed by Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe in 1989. (The MTV Generation will instantly remember “Do Me!” and “Poison.”)  The band also shines spectacularly performing tributes to bands that influenced them, like The Jackson 5 (“Medley: ABC / I Want You Back / The Love You Save”); The Spinners (“I’ll Be Around” and “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love”); and Earth, Wind & Fire (“September”). No lip synching or lazy choreography here: You can expect the multiple costume changes, rigorous choreography, and amped-up energy of the band’s golden years in the 1980’s and ’90s.

The six gentlemen of New Edition—Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, Ronnie DeVoe, and Johnny Gill—have the audience in the palms of their respective hands, from the moment they take the stage until the confetti that falls during “September.”  For me, the highlights included Johnny Gill channeling both Luther Vandross and James Brown (and doing it well!) while performing “My, My, My,” and the band performing “If It Isn’t Love.” 

Simply put, the moves are tight, the looks are fierce, and the sounds are rich and multilayered.  It’s exactly what you want from a heritage act delivering a Las Vegas residency show in the intimate Encore Theater.

New Edition returns to the Encore Theater in February (12, 14, 15, 19, 21, 22)
Doors at 8:00PM