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With a tear, and a rose given to her by her son Rene Charles, the pop queen's long-running Las Vegas show ended Saturday night nearly five years after it began.
"It's hard to believe that we've come to an end," she told the audience gathered for her final performance of "A New Day" at Caesars Palace.
"It's a pleasure to perform for you, but I'm extremely passionate to be a mother," she said, explaining her decision to end her run.
Dion was emotional throughout the night, shedding tears following "My Heart Will Go On," and speaking candidly to the crowd in person and via video.
In a speech that ran before the show began, Dion said she actually wanted to end the show when Rene Charles was born. "I wanted to be more successful as a mother than as a singer," she said.
Following her final performance as a headliner in Vegas, Dion said, "it was a wonderful adventure... It was an emotional night. It was a wonderful adventure."
After her last number, Dion's husband, Rene Angelil, and her 7-year-old came on stage to embrace her.
Since her show opened in March 2003, "A New Day" has grossed more than $400 million.
Dion's departure from Caesars makes way for Bette Midler, who begins her residency on Feb. 20 with "The Showgirl Must Go On."
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