Industry Weekly

[Legend Status]

Lionel Richie’s hit-powered production returns to the Axis

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Lionel Richie performs at Planet Hollywood November 29-December 16.
Photo: Denise Truscello / Courtesy

Lionel Richie is embarking on a project sure to strengthen his Las Vegas connections. After years of legal negotiations with the estate of Sammy Davis Jr., a team of producers including Richie has finally received the green light to develop a feature film based on Davis’ extraordinary life, a movie likely to detail Davis’ many years as a Vegas headliner.

“It’s an honor for me to bring the life of one of my idols and friends to the screen. … I couldn’t be happier to be moving forward on this passion project,” Richie said earlier this year.

He’s following in his idol’s footsteps now. The hitmaking former frontman of The Commodores launched his “All the Hits” residency at the Axis at Planet Hollywood Resort in April 2016, and he’s back on the Strip this month with what has become one of the theater’s most popular productions.

Richie truly has “All the Hits” and knows members of his audience have memories tied to each legendary track. His arsenal of slower tunes are among the best-loved love songs of all time, from “Hello” to “Three Times a Lady.” But if all the headliners at the Axis are required to turn their shows into a massive dance party—and that appears to be the case—Richie is more than up to the task. After all, you don’t sell more than 100 million albums on ballads alone. Richie gets everyone out of their seats with “All Night Long (All Night)” and “Dancing on the Ceiling,” then pushes the idea of an arena-wide sing-along to the next level with anthemic hits “Say You, Say Me,” and the classic “Easy.”

This show has all the elements to become one of the all-time greats on the Strip, perhaps powerful enough to place Richie in the same Las Vegas legend category as Sammy Davis Jr. Lionel Richie: All the Hits at the Axis at Planet Hollywood, November 29-December 16.

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Brock Radke

Brock Radke is an award-winning writer and columnist who currently occupies the role of managing editor at Las Vegas Weekly ...

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