On a typical Tuesday night, there is an energy building up at the heart of the Strip. Eager fans fill Planet Hollywood’s AXIS Theater while making conversation with one another.
Those with VIP access line the stage to get up-close and personal with the Puerto Rican heartthrob who will soon begin the show. The anticipation is sky-high for the one, the only, Ricky Martin.
After having taken the One World Tour to multiple destinations, Vegas has the honor of hosting the tour’s first U.S show. Over the course of a month or so, Martin will be performing around the country as well as Montreal and Toronto. The show celebrates not only Ricky’s latest album, A Quien Escuchar, but also a body of work that we have all come to know and love. So loved, that it has sustained a solo career of over two decades and ten studio albums.
The supporting act, Ha*Ash, consists of Mexican-American pop sisters Hanna and Ashley. The pair of songstresses, along with three other bandmates, alternate between heavy basslines, guitar-driven tunes and piano ballads. The soft-spoken ladies fill the auditorium with powerful vocals to truly warm up the crowd for the headliner.
From start to finish, the show is packed with energy, style and, well, sexiness. Ricky Martin is still as handsome as ever, not that anyone had any doubt of it. His movements are hypnotic as is his talent. Martin manages about 15 costume changes throughout the show in shades of leather, cobalt blue, and deep maroon. Unfortunately, none of those changes were done on stage. A guy can only hope.
The tour does a fabulous job of weaving Martin’s Spanish and English favorites. The opener, Mr. Put it Down, creates an intense climax of live instrumentals. Tal Vez and Adrenalina has the crowd swaying and singing in unison. The band joins in on the choreography while maintaining every note. Then, Martin and his dancers put on a show of muscles surrounding a muscle car for classics Livin’ La Vida Loca and She Bangs. After each time that Martin teases and asks the crowd if we want to hear one more song, a roaring wave of cheers rushes forward in what one could only assume is a solid and certain “yes, please”.
Yet within the flashy production, you cannot help but to get a sense of Martin’s heart. Over the summer, Martin launched a contest asking Zumba instructors to choreograph a dance to his single, La Mordidita. The winner, Dashia Del Rosario, and four of her friends were rewarded a trip to Las Vegas to perform on stage prior to the beginning of the show, promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. Later, Martin displays a moving performance of “Asignatura Pendiente” while the screens show images from the Ricky Martin Foundation, a non-profit organization that works for the well-being of children across the globe.
Ricky continues to bare his softer side as the show comes to an end. He tells the crowd to not care of others’ opinions of you, and has everyone chant, “I don’t care!”, showing the wisdom he has gained over the years.
In Ricky Martin’s world, you feel celebrated and united regardless of any language barriers. You will find a sense of pride here that makes you shout and dance without a care. It is a world running on a lively beat of simplicity wrapped in a heart of vigor.
In Ricky Martin’s world, we are still livin’ the crazy life.