shaniasupersite.com

Twain gallops into Caesars history

Las Vegas Review-Journal
By Norm Clarke
November 15, 2012

Shania Twain's traffic-stopping arrival on horseback Wednesday added to the lore of the fountains at Caesars Palace.

After taking a break of nearly a decade, Twain signaled her return by riding a horse onto a red carpet in front of the famed fountains.

She opens Dec. 1 at Caesars, where her new home, the Colosseum, will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary in March.

Caesars Palace had the west lane of the Strip closed for about an hour for the special welcome, which included Twain and her posse of wranglers pushing at least 20 horses past photographers and screaming fans.

They did a U-turn and came back to the front of the fountains, where the country star joined Caesars Palace President Gary Selesner and John Meglen, co-president of AEG Live, which operates the Colosseum.

Selesner welcomed Twain to the "hallowed ground" of Caesars. Lovers of Las Vegas history consider the fountains as ground zero of two of the city's epic moments.

The first happened not long after Caesars opened in 1966. Comedian Shecky Greene, with a snoot full of spirits, crashed his car into the fountains.

The other, about a year later, was the New Year's motorcycle jump over the fountains by daredevil Evel Knievel, which ended in a horrifying crash that broke more than a dozen bones.

Few TV clips have been played over and over around the world more than that one, helping boost the brands of Caesars and Las Vegas at Knievel's expense.

Turns out AEG's Meglen was a next-door neighbor of Knievel's years later in Butte, Mont., and helped the daredevil's son, Robbie, follow his father's footsteps.

Meglen said it took a decade to land Twain.

The pursuit began, he said, almost 10 years ago after attending the 2003 Super Bowl in San Diego.

"Celine (Dion) sang 'God Bless America,' and Shania did the halftime show," he recalled.

.