Josh Groban announces Vegas shows full of 'gems,' talks upcoming holiday TV special
It feels as if Josh Groban should have conquered a Las Vegas stage by now.
But the gifted singer/actor, who has shared his stirring baritone not only in song but in two Broadway hits (“Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” in 2016-17 and “Sweeney Todd” in 2023-24), has been so busy that a proper Vegas engagement has been a one-of-these-days aspiration.
Those days will arrive May 9, when Groban plays a five-night run at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace for a hits-focused production dubbed Gems: Exclusive Las Vegas Engagement.
Presales for the shows – May 9-10, 14 and 16-17 – begin Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. EST for Citi cardholders and Dec. 4 at 1 p.m. EST for Caesars Rewards members and Live Nation and Ticketmaster customers. The public sale starts at 1 p.m. EST Dec. 6 via livenation.com.
The affable Groban, 43, will also steer the holiday special “Josh Groban & Friends Go Home for the Holidays” at 9 p.m. EST/PST Dec. 20 on CBS (live and on-demand streaming available on Paramount+ with Showtime and on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after broadcast).
Joining Groban are pals The War and Treaty – with whom he has a new duet – James Bay, Jennifer Hudson and Tori Kelly.
In addition to his upcoming Vegas stint, Groban talked in a recent call about his spirited Westie named George, his gratefulness to the Broadway community and how baseball is his “rival passion” to music.
Question: Before we talk about you, how is George?
Answer: George is a dream. But because he’s a terrier, getting him to do anything you want requires more treats than he probably needs. It took me three years after my beloved Sweeney died (to welcome a new pet). Sometimes your heart needs time.
So this is your first “special engagement” in Las Vegas. What took you so long to get in the Vegas pipeline?
It’s just lining up the stars to do it the way you want in the place you feel you can do the show you want to do. Right after COVID I hit the road and then Broadway was more than a year and 300-plus performances to do my dream role (in “Sweeney Todd”). I needed to decompress and see where my heart was creatively.
And Vegas seemed like a good fit?
We haven’t done Vegas properly in many years. I thought this would be a great time to test the waters and when The Colosseum offered their stage, it was an “a-ha!” moment. It’s the kind of venue where I can do everything I want with these songs. But just so people know, I’m not going to have a piano on fire (like Adele's Vegas residency). I don’t have “flaming piano” budget.
Speaking of, did you get to see either Adele or Celine Dion in that venue?
I saw Celine, but not Adele. I was there at one of the opening nights of Celine. She set the bar for Vegas and for what is possible there … so many singers I have admired have graced that stage that it’s in the walls now. I haven’t been to Vegas in three or four years, so I’m excited to get back there at all. It’s going to be a trip.
Let’s talk about Christmas. “Josh Groban and Friends Go Home for the Holidays” airs Dec. 20. Have you done much with A Home for the Holidays organization (which supports adoption and foster care) before?
I’ve been on the show two other times. Once as a guest when it was one of the first things I did on TV. Many years later they asked me to host it and this year they said we want it to be more like “Josh and Friends” so to have the reins was special. I just watched a rough cut and it turned out so beautifully it made me cry. The artists who joined me brought so much energy and heart and sang their faces off. One of the things I like about the holiday season is just how family forward it is. Everyone, with the chaos in the world, can sit on the floor and drink hot cocoa.
You have a beautiful version out now of “Do You Hear What I Hear” with The War and Treaty. Did the idea to duet with them germinate after you performed with (member) Michael Trotter Jr. at Clive Davis’ Grammy party this year?
That set it in motion for sure. … There are times in this business when you plan things to the minute and then sometimes you meet people and it happens spontaneously and organically. The song is older and dare I say, stodgy, but (producer) Bernie (Herms) did something to it that is so fresh and soulful.
It sounds as if you might pivot more to music next year, so another Broadway show is on the back burner for now?
One of the great, great fortunes of my life has been the welcoming of the Broadway community, probably beyond anything I've experienced in this business and I hold it very dear. I feel I'm two for two in choosing and I want to be very careful when I go back that I'm bringing something I really feel is worthy of the community. It will probably be at least a couple of years, but I will return.
Oh, and congratulations on your Dodgers beating my Yankees.
(Laughs) I like the Yankees, too, with coming between LA and New York so much. But I’ve always said that (your allegiance) is to the baseball team your dad took you to see when you were 9. I love the Yankees, but I will always bleed blue for the Dodgers.