Photos: Il Divo ready to make fans swoon at the Colosseum for two nights

David Miller hails from Colorado, Urs Buhler from Switzerland, Sebastien Izambard from France and Carlos Marin from Spain, but fans across the world know the four men as Il Divo, the operatic pop vocal foursome created by Simon Cowell who have sold more than 26 million albums.
Il Divo -- “divine male performer” in Italian, but there is no Italian singer in the group, although they do sing in the language -- hits the Colosseum at Caesars Palace tonight and Saturday evening.
Miller, a tenor (Buhler also is a tenor, while Marin is a baritone and Izambard is a pop singer), talked with me en route to Phoenix on Wednesday afternoon, Il Divo’s stop before their two-night stand on the Strip.
Don Chareunsy: Are you prepared for the weather in Las Vegas? It’s 118 degrees right now.
David Miller: (Laughs.) It’s a dry heat! I grew up in Colorado, and as a child we would go on vacation in an RV to California, L.A., and stop in Las Vegas on the way or back. So I’m familiar with the heat there. Balmy!
D.C.: So you’re familiar with Las Vegas, having performed here previously, as well. What do you like to do when you’re in town?
D.M.: I like to gamble and dine at the world-class restaurants and check out the shows. There is always something fun and exciting to do in Las Vegas.
D.C.: What can the audience and fans expect Friday and Saturday nights at the Colosseum?
D.M.: We have evolved over the years, there has been an evolution in our performances in the pop, opera and classical spectrum. We have matured, and we now perform with a full orchestra. There used to be this tug-of-war of the band vs. strings and the different styles of music. But we know who we are as artists now, and we just perform what we’re best at -- opera, pop, classics.
There will be songs from the first and second albums, and about 30 percent will be from the last album. People may say, “We’ve been to an Il Divo concert.” But I think of our shows as reincarnations; each one is very different.
D.C.: What is your favorite type of music to perform? A favorite song?
D.M.: My heart lies in opera, that is where my heart truly is, and there are beautiful pieces in “Romeo & Juliet” and “La Boheme.” Our first album has the most variety and is still a favorite of mine. From our last album, I love that we have embraced “Come What May” from “Moulin Rouge.”
D.C.: Who are you listening to right now on your iPod?
D.M.: (Laughs.) There is so much on there right now. I have always loved dance music, techno, Tiesto, the Chemical Brothers. In high school, I loved Art of Noise. Of course a lot of opera, and I have the entire Beatles collection that was released last year.
Editor’s Note: The interview is interrupted for 30 minutes as Miller checks in at the airport.
D.C.:The Colosseum where you’re performing this weekend is home to Celine Dion, Elton John, Rod Stewart and, starting in December, Shania Twain. Who would you most want to see and why?
D.M.: That is a tough question! I really like them all. Shania is a great performer, and Celine’s voice is a gift. We worked with her on the second album. I would have to say Elton John because of his musical diversity, and he is truly a legend.
D.C.: OK, and now for some quick-fire Las Vegas-related questions.
D.M.: Shoot!
D.C.: Who in Il Divo is most likely to be gambling -- at the poker tables? The slots?
D.M.: (Laughs.) At the poker tables? Carlos. The slots? None of us. That’s not our style.
D.C.: Strip club?
D.M.: (Laughs.) Carlos!
D.C.: Who is most likely to be in bed first?
D.M.: (Laughs.) Me! It doesn’t matter if it’s Las Vegas. No matter wherever we are in the world, I’ll be the first one going to bed.
D.C.: And who is the most likely to drunk dial Celine Dion?
D.M.: (Laughs.) None of us would ever get to that point. We like to have a glass of wine, but we don’t get rip roaring drunk!
Il Divo performs at the Colosseum in Caesars Palace today and Saturday at 8 p.m.
Don Chareunsy is editor of VegasDeLuxe.com and senior editor, arts and entertainment, of LasVegasSun.com.
Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.