Jennifer Lopez Returns to Vegas With Jazz Hands, Ja Rule & 27 Songs: 5 Best Moments From Opening Night

Nearly 10 years since she launched her first Las Vegas residency across the street at the former Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood, Jennifer Lopez popped the cork on her new show, Up All Night Live, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace by popping out of a disco-ball inlaid champagne bottle.

A parade of dancers, wind machines, nearly-nude bodysuits, winks about her past high-profile romances and a few clapbacks to the haters filled the more than two-hour set, staged for a crowd of 4,000-plus on Tuesday (Dec. 30). As Lopez belted out song after song, hit every dance move and blew through more costume changes than anyone could count, she left it all on the floor of one of the city’s most important stages. Every part of the show worked in tandem to usher in a new era for Vegas residencies, leaning more toward the theatrical than a greatest hits rundown.

The production was maximalist, with cinematic transitions that made the evening feel less like a concert and more like an abstract autobiography set to a beat. Between moments of humor and defiance, Lopez reminded the audience why her Vegas return has always felt inevitable: the grand sets, the theater, the stage and an adoring fan forum fit her best here, where she has the creative license to let it all out. While only 12 dates have been announced so far, this residency could be a shoo-in to break her previous 120-date record and $100 million gross. 

These were the best moments from opening night of Lopez’s Up All Night Live residency.