Beyoncé creating a special show for cozy Encore theater

Beyoncé's shows at Encore cost more than any other stop on her "I Am ..." tour. But they aren't the same concerts either.

"It's an opportunity for me to create a completely different show than the one I've been doing on my tour. It is a small and intimate theater so it has to be special," the singer said in a prepared statement.

The extent of the difference stood to be revealed Thursday, in the first of four shows continuing through Sunday.

But Beyoncé's tour camp conveyed to Wynn officials last week that 10-hour rehearsal days were devoted to reconfiguring these final tour dates for the 1,500-seat theater.

The singer declined an interview, but her management provided an e-mailed statement attributed to her, which adds more details:

"My band, dancers and the whole team have been working on our days off and during soundchecks while on tour to get the show together. We are adding some different instruments and putting together a whole new set list. We have designed an elegant and beautiful stage and we will have new costumes that are being designed especially for this show."

The end purpose isn't clear. Sunday's concert also will be filmed for a future DVD; no details have been announced, but the venture apparently doesn't include a big cable partner such as HBO.

A DVD is one way to justify the cost of changing an already expensive tour. Another way is to bring the show back periodically as an exclusive showcase at Encore.

Nobody is commenting on that possibility. But it could explain why the larger tour didn't land in one of the arenas on the Strip, or even new stages at the Hard Rock Hotel or Palms which can accommodate a full-sized arena set.

The "I Am ..." tour seen in other cities lives up to the expectations of a Las Vegas-caliber diva forum. The spectacle rivals Celine Dion's "A New Day" as the singer transforms from fragile soul to the rock warrior alter ego of her album title, "I Am ... Sasha Fierce." There is an all-female band and a chrome bikini with automobile headlights. But one thing Encore audiences won't see is Beyoncé taking a harnessed airlift to a pod stage in the center of the arena floor.

The tour already has a Las Vegas connection: fashion designer Thierry Mugler, who was in charge of costumes for Cirque du Soleil's "Zumanity" before delivering 71 costumes for this tour.

"It has been great playing big arenas on this tour, but it's nice to be able to do a special show like this and do something really different for my fans," the singer said in the statement. "I love that the audience will be so close I can reach out and touch them."

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.