Celine Dion turns 50, to go on with Manila show despite illness

MANILA, Philippines — Like her heart, Celine Dion will go on and on with her Live 2018 Tour in Manila on July 19 at the Mall of Asia Arena. This has been confirmed in a Facebook announcement by the concert’s Philippine promoter, Ovation Productions, posted on March 30, Celine’s 50th birthday.

“Happy 50th birthday to the legendary Celine Dion. Manila is more than thrilled to see you in July for the very first time,” Ovation Productions wrote.

In a Facebook post, the five-time Grammy winner thanked her fans for sharing the milestone with her.

“Dear friends, I want to thank you all for the wonderful birthday messages and videos. They touched me deeply. I celebrated this day surrounded by family, while feeling the spirit of your presence. Thank you for your love and support and for being such a big part of my life for all these years,” the Canadian singer wrote in French, translated in English for her fans worldwide.

In the letter, the singer hinted that she is still not 100 percent well. “I can’t wait to get back to being 100%, and see you all again!” she wrote.

On March 22, Celine’s team announced in her Facebook page that she is cancelling her March and April shows in Vegas due to a middle ear condition.

“We regret to inform you that the performances of Céline at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace scheduled for March 27 through April 18 have been cancelled. Céline has been dealing with a condition in her middle ear known as Patulous Eustachian tube, which causes hearing irregularities, and makes it extremely difficult to sing,” the singer’s team explained.

According to the post, the singer has been experiencing this condition for the past 12 to 18 months, but it has been successfully treated with various ear drop medications.

“During the past couple of weeks these medications have no longer been working to treat the condition, so she will undergo a minimally invasive surgical procedure to correct the problem,” the team added.

“My luck hasn’t been very good lately... I’ve been so looking forward to doing my shows again and this happens…. I just can’t believe it! I apologize to everyone who planned to travel to Las Vegas to see my show. I know how disappointing this is, and I’m so sorry,” Celine said in the same post.

She is expected to resume performances at The Colosseum as scheduled on May 22. Ticket holders for the cancelled performances have been granted refunds through cash and credit card.

Filipino fans feared Celine would cancel her Manila show as well. But just like the lyrics of her popular “Titanic” soundtrack goes, the show will go on.

In a Facebook post on January 17, Celine said: “Hello Manila! This is Celine Dion and I’m coming to sing to you for the very first time in my whole life!”
 

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