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Inside adele’s first las vegas residency concert: jitters, apologies and a shout-out to ‘the walking dead’.

"I am definitely going to need a shot after this," joked the singer at her long-awaited concert at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

By Melinda Sheckells

Melinda Sheckells

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Tears, apologies, screaming fans, a Céline Dion shout-out and 30-plus minutes of banter punctuated the long-awaited two-hour opening performance of “Weekends With Adele ” at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

Even before she took the stage of The Colosseum at exactly 8:15 p.m. on Friday night, it had been a monumental week for Adele, who received seven Grammy nominations. But onstage she revealed the biggest event for her will come Sunday because it’s the finale of her favorite show, The Walking Dead .

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This note was a lighter moment among heavier ones throughout the singer’s 20-song set. The evening was thick on apologies for last January’s abrupt cancellation hours before “Weekends With Adele” was set to begin its run because it “wasn’t ready,” as she told fans in a video message earlier this year. Almost 10 months to the day later, no one in attendance really seemed to care about that anymore. Ticket prices for the five-month run have soared into the five-figure range with fans happily paying record numbers.

As the crowd of 4,000-plus entered The Colosseum, they saw a single white piano on stage within an illuminated A-frame. With a strict policy that no one would be seated while she was singing, Adele came out right on time with her piano player Eric, in a black gown with a constellation-like design detail, by the looks of it a custom-made Schiaparelli.

She seemed visibly nervous as the music to “Hello” began. Her first words to the crowd were, “I’m shitting myself.” As the thunderous chorus struck, 180-degree floor-to-ceiling screens switched on and the room became surrounded by four enormous projected images of Adele, giving the crowd an up-close look at the singer.

“Easy On Me,” the second on the set list for the night, was appropriately placed with Adele telling herself and everyone, “Hopefully, over time my nerves will disappear.”

They quickly did. Soon, the singer seemed as excited to be there as everyone else. Paying homage to the goddess who “built” The Colosseum, she giddily shared, “I’m not going to lie, I feel like Céline Dion … was the only reason why I wanted to sing in here. [It] was because of her.”

After getting all that out of the way, she laid the game plan for the night. “This show, this one that we are all at now, this show grows and I wanted to start it small. I want it to be all about me and that is why I came on and did ‘Hello’ just me and him. I want to make it feel like for you what it’s like in the studio for me. What I do when I first start writing a song is I go and I sit at a piano and I just fuck around until something feels good. Then, I just start making a noise and eventually a lot of the songs that you have hopefully heard of materialize. It might be a little wobbly tonight because my nerves are out of control.”

After “Turning Tables,” a song that “just makes me really fucking angry,” she apologized again for the delay in mounting the show, telling an audience member, “It took nine months to get here, I’m fucking sorry.” 

For “I Drink Wine,” the intimate set-up of the singer and her piano player was transformed as a chandelier of hundreds of glasses descended and the A-frame widened for the introduction of the band and backup vocalists. 

As she took sips from a cup in between songs, Adele explained, “It looks like I am drinking wine, but I am drinking hot honey. I don’t drink while I’m working, but I am definitely going to need a shot after this.”

By “Water Under the Bridge,” about 30 minutes in, Adele loosened up, revealing that last week she was “sick as a dog” and quarantined herself to the top row of the theater. She said that she knew that if she didn’t perform her first Vegas concert, it would be game over and that “I’m just gonna fall off the face of the Earth.”

“So I was able to come to production rehearsals,” continued Adele, “and I had that very top balcony up there.” In a gesture of good will she pulled some fans from that very area — “the two worst seats in the house” — to the front row.

Presumably taking a break to touch up that makeup, Adele was offstage during a pre-recorded presentation of her song “Cry Your Heart Out” which included vaporous-like video images of her singing.

The show also wowed with even more stage effects. While Adele sang “Set Fire to the Rain,” the stage seemed to fill with cascading drops even as her piano and the stage partly lit up in flames, while during “Hold On,” the venue felt like a lantern festival as synchronistically programmed lighted orbs danced above the audience.

Taking a walk through the crowd, she asked everyone for their favorite childhood memories before going into “When We Were Young.”

After singing “Hold On,” she finally spoke her mind regarding rumors that swirled in the months since the postponement.

“There was so much shit written about me since and I tell you it is absolutely, completely made up and there’s been rumors that I moved hotels and I was moving theaters and all this and never once did [Caesars] ask any questions. They’ve been amazing, so thank you for having me,” she lamented. “It was the worst feeling I ever had, but it was the best decision I ever made.”

The final message on screen as Adele exited the building? “The Beginning.”

As thousands of people poured out of the theater, they clamored to get to the “Weekends With Adele” shop. With a line stretching across the casino, guests waited to snap up items such as a $250 Adele varsity jacket with her album titles 19 , 21 , 25 and 30 on the sleeve or a $45 Adele Saturn T-shirt — as well as nameplate necklaces with the words “Married,” “Divorced” or “Hello.” Gowns she’d previously appeared in were also on display, including the Schiaparelli from her 2021 Adele One Night Only television special plus lots of merch with song title “I Drink Wine,” and a Dear Adele postcard station complete with a red mailbox to drop a line.

If Lady Gaga raised the bar on Las Vegas residencies with her epic “Jazz + Piano” hit show, Adele has moved it along a bit further with “Weekends With Adele.” And judging by the vibe in the audience, it was well worth the 10-month wait.

Click the following song titles to see a clip of each being performed: “ Hello ,” “ Set Fire to the Rain ” and “ Rolling in the Deep .”

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Adele Merch Store

Adele, by the name of Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (born May 5, 1988, in Tottenham, London, England), is an English pop singer and songwriter whose soulful, emotive voice and traditionally crafted songs made her one of the most broadly popular performers of her generation. Buy Adele Merch Here!

Adele Merch - About

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins MBE (/dl/, [dw]; born May 5, 1988) (known mononymously as Adele) is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a record deal with XL Recordings. Her debut album, 19, was released in 2008 and spawned the UK top-five singles “Chasing Pavements” and “Make You Feel My Love.”

19 has sold over 2.5 million copies in the UK and was named one of the top 20 best-selling debut albums of all time in the UK. Adele was honored with the Brit Award for Rising Star as well as the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

Adele released her second studio album, 21, in 2011. It became the world’s best-selling album of the 21st century, with sales of over 31 million copies. It was certified 18-karat platinum in the UK (the highest by a solo artist of all time) and diamond in the US. According to Billboard, 21 is the best-performing album in US chart history, topping the Billboard 200 for 24 weeks (the longest for a female artist ever).

Adele Biography

Adele is an English singer and songwriter who rose to fame owing to her distinctive voice and has become one of the best-selling artists of our time. Born in England, she was raised by a young single mother in various working-class neighborhoods of London. She enjoyed singing contemporary pop music from an early age and later became interested in the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James. In her early teens, she considered a career in music while studying at the ‘BRIT School.’ 

 Her flair for music eventually caught the attention of record labels, and after graduating, she signed a deal with ‘XL Recordings.’ After building anticipation in Britain with some well-received live performances, Adele released her first album ‘19’ in 2008 which debuted at No. 1 on the British album chart.Subsequently, she received much praise for her unique and soulful voice. Later, her second album ‘21’ was released which comprised of several hit singles,including ‘Rolling in the Deep’ and ‘Someone Like You.’

Both the songs topped the charts in multiple markets and broke many sale records. She also received an ‘Academy Award’ for her song ‘Skyfall,’ which she wrote and composed for a James Bond film of the same name. With an incredible voice and an outspoken personality, she has become one of the most popular performers of the present generation.

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The official Adele store is an online store featured on Adele ’s website that sells official merchandise and exclusive items. The store has been updated at the beginning of each new album cycle with new products to represent Adele’s most recent release.

• 1.1.1 19 era
• 1.1.2 21 era
• 1.1.3 25 era
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Mariah Carey Drops Exclusive Merch On Amazon for Her Las Vegas Residency & It's Every Fan's ‘Fantasy'

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Mariah Carey's Las Vegas residency kicked off on April 12 and whether or not you still need to get tickets to The Celebration of Mimi , the "Touch My Body" singer has a surprise for the Lambily to remember her Sin City takeover. Carey and Amazon partnered together to release an exclusive merch collection fans are sure to be obsessed with - and you can shop the merch collection now .

Expect the "We Belong Together" singer's Vegas residency to be a toast to her album The Emancipation of Mimi , which celebrated its 19th anniversary on April 12. To help you dress your best, you can stock up on the limited-edition merchandise inspired by the album, that includes a mix of graphic T-shirts and loungewear as well as a statement fuzzy bucket hat that MC proudly showed off on Instagram (in case you're looking for a best bucket hat contender).

Keep reading to shop our picks or view everything available from Mariah Carey x Amazon here .

Mariah Carey Official Merch Mimi Fuzzy Bucket Hat

This pink fuzzy bucket hat shows off a vibrant hot pink shade that'll be the statement of your concert outfit. The material is made from 100% acrylic and is decorated with a silver embroidered butterfly (the artist's signature logo). It's also been labeled a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon for men's novelty bucket hats.

Mariah Carey Official Merch Mimi T-Shirt

This Mimi T-Shirt will easily become the MVP of your graphic tee collection as it features a black and hot pink picture of the singer on stage with the words "Live in Las Vegas" written underneath. You can look back and always remember her Celebration of Mimi residency while the soft 100% cotton material keeps you cozy all day long.

Mariah Carey Official Merch Obsessed Airbrush T-Shirt, White

Rather just sing along to the hit "Obsessed" you can now wear the lyrics on your back. This white and pink T-shirt comes with a graphic of Carey on the front while the back shows off the iconic line "why you so obsessed with me."

Mariah Carey Official Merch Butterfly Sweatpant, Black

These black sweatpants bring a '90s style to them with the word "Mimi" written across the back - similar to what you'd see on a pair of velvet Juicy Couture sweats from the decade. The loungewear also includes and adjustable drawstring waistband and cuffed ankles for extra coziness.

Mariah Carey Official Merch Mimi Las Vegas Zip Up Hoodie, Black

Complete your sweatsuit look with the matching black and pink sweatshirt . The hoodie comes with a zip-up closure and an eye-catching graphic of playing cards with a design of the singer and logos associated with her residency.

Mariah Carey Official Merch Mimi Crewneck Fleece, Black

If you prefer a hoodless design, you can pick up this graphic pullover instead. The front boasts a close-up picture of the singer while the interior is made with a mix of polyester and cotton materials to keep you warm. Amazon has also rated it a No. 1 bestseller for men's sweatshirts.

Funko Pop! Rocks: Mariah Carey – "The Emancipation of Mimi"

This Funko Pop! is a treasure-worthy keepsake that'll allow you to display the artist in your home. Carey is decked out in her iconic outfit seen on her album for The Emancipation of Mimi and comes in a decorative box to keep the figurine safe or you can take it out and display it on your mantle.

The Celebration of Mimi adds to the growing list of Las Vegas residencies of chart-topping artists including Christina Aguilera, Adele and Kelly Clarkson. Carey recently extended her residency with eight more shows to provide the Lambily more opportunities to watch her perform hit singles from The Emancipation of Mimi like "It's Like That," "Shake It Off" and "We Belong Together."

With travel deals going on you can take advantage of discounted flights, hotels and rental cars that'll help you save money and see the Grammy-winning artist live. And, if you want to stock up on more merch and collectibles, you can also snag the signature Barbie doll of the artist for 33% off and her Luscious Pink perfume .

For more product recommendations , check out our roundups of the best female musician memoirs , concert earplugs and travel necessities .

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Hatsune Miku Fans Left Reeling as Virtual Pop Star Appears on Screen, Not as a Hologram

The show played out on a large tv..

Hatsune Miku's concert tour has faced backlash after the virtual pop star appeared on a screen instead of as a hologram to perform her set.

The Miku Expo 2024 North America tour kicked off at the Thunderbird Arena in Vancouver, Canada, on April 4 but was instantly met with criticism, as concert-goers took to social media platforms such as X/Twitter and TikTok to express their anger and disappointment over the underwhelming experience of the show.

A lot of people had seemingly expected the world-famous Vocaloid star to step out on stage in her hologram form to sing for the crowd, typical of the character's other events and appearances, so those ticket-holders were shocked to learn that they had gathered together to watch Miku perform on a large flat-screen TV.

Videos from the event surfaced online, showing the pop idol on a screen in the center of a stage, surrounded by flashing lights and a live band belting out the music. Some fans shared their "expectation vs. reality" comparisons, while others demonstrated how easy it is to achieve a hologram effect with limited resources.

#MIKUEXPO2024 heres how it looked if anyone was curious pic.twitter.com/olr0v51uOS — C:\CHISEI\⭐️ (@balisonqs) April 7, 2024

Y’all…people paid 200-500 dollars for this lmfaooo. I’m sorry this is so pathetic. Y’all paid to watch tv together? #MIKUEXPO #MIKUEXPO2024 pic.twitter.com/fYlfH1p8XY — anoceangoddess (@Anoceangoddesss) April 5, 2024

Help, I already bought my tickets 💀 #MIKUEXPO2024 pic.twitter.com/BgHOs8jfN0 — fukustar 🌟 フォーチュンスター (@fukustar_) April 6, 2024

TW // MIKU EXPO SPOILER (kinda) i'm sorry but if THIS is the setup for all of Miku Expo 2024 than you definitely failed the fans. Theres no way you overcharged tickets to put on a performance with an LED screen. Like all that money for THIS?? 🤦‍♂️ #MIKUEXPO2024 #mikuexpo pic.twitter.com/BPi9y4KuOE — Aeøn (@KaiusMaddax) April 5, 2024

I thought I’d showcase my opinion on Vancouver, it’s a disaster, how miku concerts should be done a huge hologram that showcases millions of emotions with the band players next to her with millions of flashing lights not a black full screen where you can barely see anything pic.twitter.com/xsdRYbxg2R — Hatsune Miku (@HatsuneMikuFort) April 6, 2024

With the current state of MIKU EXPO 24, I took it upon myself to create my own Miku expo cuz it’s most likely gonna be the same for Dallas #MIKUEXPO2024 pic.twitter.com/CjmsBaXSsU — JessPezz (@Melikebacon96) April 8, 2024

My wife was so upset about the LED screen (since it was my first time experiencing Miku live) she made an at-home hologram set up. Crazy that she was able to outdo the expo set up with 1 hour at home and an $80 projector. #MIKUEXPO2024 pic.twitter.com/oD55J8gGFY — tofumon (@willie_wanderer) April 9, 2024

show this to whoever organised #MIKUEXPO2024 pic.twitter.com/hiWnmImEOD — dazai r34 real (@iwantdazaiinme) April 6, 2024

The official website for the latest leg of the Miku Expo doesn't clearly state how the virtual singer would appear at the event, though it does prohibit the use of LED lights, flashlights, or any battery-powered glow sticks that are not official tour merchandise "because they may interfere with the concert performance."

Instead of using glow sticks, some have used their words to shine a light on the experience that Miku fans can expect from the concert. A Change.org petition was set up shortly after the opening show as people demanded refunds because they were not forewarned about it being on a TV, and "not the signature, iconic hologram."

While event organisers do not seem to have issued any official response yet, the criticism from fans has certainly captured the attention of the internet, more than a month after another event debacle stirred up a storm, as the now-notorious Willy Wonka-themed experience garnered similar heavy backlash and online reaction .

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter @AdeleAnkers.

Cover image credit: hatahiro.

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Symphony on the Prairie 2024: Tributes to Taylor Swift, Tom Petty, Queen and more

The season of picnics, lawn chairs and outdoor concerts is finally headed our way, and Symphony on the Prairie will contribute 21 al fresco performances to Conner Prairie between June and August.

On the schedule are tributes to Tina Turner, Led Zeppelin, Whitney Houston, Tom Petty, Jimmy Buffett, Bob Seger and Taylor Swift, among others. The Indianapolis Symphony will perform on concerts through July 27.

Here's the schedule, how to buy tickets and what to know.

Symphony on the Prairie 2024 schedule

Concerts begin at 8 p.m., and gates open at 6 p.m.

• June 28: The Music of Queen with Windborne . The June concerts include vocalists, an amplified rock band and the symphony led by conductors Martin Herman and Brent Havens.
• June 29: The Music of Led Zeppelin with Windborne .
• July 3-5: Star-Spangled Symphony featuring "Rhapsody in Blue ," with Conductor Alfred Savia, pianist Kevin Cole and fireworks.
• July 12-13: Disco Fever! With Conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez and vocalists Maiya Sykes and B. Slade. Hits include "That's the Way (I Like It)," "We Are Family," "I Will Survive," "Stayin' Alive," "The Hustle," and more.
• July 19-20: The Best of John Williams, with Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly. Program includes selections from "Star Wars," "Harry Potter," "Jaws," "Jurassic Park," "Indiana Jones" and more. 
• July 26-27: She’s Got Soul, with Everly. Capathia Jenkins will sing hits by Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Adele and more.   
• Aug. 2: Evil Woman: The American ELO  
• Aug. 3: A1A: The Official and Original Jimmy Buffett Tribute Show
• Aug. 9: Arrival from Sweden: The Music of ABBA  
• Aug. 10: Yächtley Crëw with Rock E Bassoon   
• Aug. 16: Hollywood Nights: A Bob Seger Experience  
• Aug. 17: Let’s Sing Taylor: A Live Band Experience , with Swift-inspired outfits encouraged
• Aug. 23: Free Fallin: The Tom Petty Concert Experience  
• Aug. 24: Face2Face: A Tribute to Elton John & Billy Joel   
• Aug. 30: Proud Tina: Ultimate Tribute to Tina Turner  
• Aug. 31: Fab Four: The Ultimate Tribute  

The maestro who loved Indiana: With Netflix's 'Maestro' release, Hoosier musicians remember Leonard Bernstein's time here

Symphony on the Prairie tickets and what to know

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. April 23 at indianapolissymphony.org . Patrons can also buy tickets at most central Indiana Kroger stores, at the Hilbert Circle Theatre box office at 45 Monument Circle or by calling 317-639-4300. 

Patrons can scan a QR code at Kroger to receive a discount when they buy tickets on the symphony's website. Those who buy tickets to three or more concerts will receive a 10% discount. Mobile or printed tickets are required to enter performances, but kids ages two and under don't need them.

Patrons can bring in food and beverages and buy snacks on site, including beer, wine, and spirits.

Visit  indianapolissymphony.org  or call the box office at 317-639-4300 for more information.

Looking for things to do? Our newsletter has the best concerts, art, shows and more — and the stories behind them

Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or [email protected]. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.

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Critic’s Notebook

Philip Johnson’s Brick House and Its Hidden Boudoir, Exposed

The Glass House in Connecticut has its 75th anniversary, followed by the reopening of its long-mute twin, “warmer and toastier and sexier.”

Andy Warhol, frequent overnight guest, in the bedroom of the Brick House by Philip Johnson, 1964. Closed since 2008, it will reopen May 2. The sculpture is Ibram Lassaw’s “Clouds of Magellan.” Credit... David McCabe

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By Christopher Hawthorne

Reporting from New Canaan, Conn.

• April 13, 2024

Diptych, dyad, dialectic: The relationship between the first pair of buildings Philip Johnson designed for his estate in New Canaan, Conn., has taxed the metaphorical imaginations of critics and architectural historians since the structures were completed, just months apart, in 1949.

On one side, the Glass House, transparent and entirely self-possessed, a work of modernist daring framed in steel and inspired, as Johnson was only too happy to admit, by the designs of his hero, the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. On the other, the Brick House, sometimes called the Guest House, hiding behind its inscrutable exterior the bedroom Johnson called his “sex room,” as well as the mechanical equipment serving its more glamorous relative 105 feet away.

Point, counterpoint. You could write a book about the Freudian relationship between the two buildings, linked by a tunnel carrying water and power — a connection Johnson called the “umbilical cord.” And in fact somebody has: Adele Tutter, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, whose 2016 study “Dream House: An Intimate Portrait of the Philip Johnson Glass House” observes that the architect, fully exposed “in his transparent house, nevertheless remained ever-connected to a source of warmth and sustenance, hidden behind a forbidding and impenetrable facade, in a house of earthen brick.”

Yet since 2008 visitors to the New Canaan compound where Johnson lived with his longtime partner, the collector and curator David Whitney, before donating it to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, have arrived to find the Brick House shut up tight.

Its planned restoration, to address longstanding leaks and water damage, languished even as other structures by Johnson on the rolling 49-acre campus, including the 1970 Sculpture Gallery, got their own updates. In its middle age as in its youth, the Brick House stood mutely by, its feet brushed by a spotlight on the Glass House that never fully turned its way.

Until now, that is: To mark the 75th anniversary of these original buildings, the Brick House, its restoration finally complete, will open for public tours beginning May 2. The $1.8 million effort has faithfully preserved the structure as it looked in 1953, when the ever-impatient Johnson thoroughly redesigned its 960-square-foot interior. It was a makeover that hinted at Johnson’s turn, during the decade that followed, away from Miesian rigor and toward ornament and freewheeling historical quotation. In the bedroom, where overnight guests would later include Andy Warhol, he added wall panels of Fortuny cotton as well as slender columns and a vaulted ceiling inspired in part by the breakfast room of the architect John Soane’s house in London.

According to Mark Lamster, the architecture critic for The Dallas Morning News and author of a 2018 biography of Johnson, “The Man in the Glass House,” “You could make an argument that this is really one of the first works of postmodernism.”

Compared to the supreme rationalism of the Glass House, Lamster said, “The Brick House is an apostasy on the interior, with the columns that don’t actually hold up anything, and of course the incredible glamour of it, with these golden Fortuny walls and the dimmer lighting. There was no such thing as a bedroom with dimmer lighting before then!”

On a rainy morning last month, a small crew from Hobbs, Inc., the contractor, was finishing detail work in its bedroom in preparation for returning Ibram Lassaw’s welded bronze and steel sculpture “Clouds of Magellan” to its familiar place above the bed. The bedroom’s round, porthole-like windows, on a side of the building not visible from the Glass House, had been rehung and lined with a protective UV film. Down the hall, Johnson’s small personal library, with its purple carpeting, was nearly ready for the books to be reshelved. Work in the tiny but luxurious bathroom, a cocoon of black and white marble, was finished.

Unlike the Glass House, which occupies a prime site at the edge of a bluff, Johnson located the Brick House “at the bottom of a hill, which, you know, any architect or civil engineer will tell you is not the best idea,” said Mark Stoner, who oversaw the restoration as the National Trust’s senior director of preservation architecture, building on earlier work by the New York firm Li · Saltzman Architects. “Between the water coming up from the ground and down from the roof, the building was in such poor condition, and enough mold growth had set in, that it was not a healthy place to be.”

The reopening returns a certain architectural equilibrium to Johnson’s estate. The original paired structures, said Kirsten Reoch, who was named executive director of the Glass House campus last summer, “are two parts of a whole. Neither was conceived without the other. So the idea that we’ve been showing and interpreting half the story, it kind of blows your mind.”

The 75th anniversary comes at a moment, emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic and protests following the murder of George Floyd, when many cultural institutions are re-examining their own histories with new candor. The Glass House is no different. Bringing visitors back to the Brick House, with its resolute insistence on privacy, is an opportunity to explore the relationship of its architecture to Johnson’s homosexuality, which by professional necessity he kept largely hidden in the 1940s and 1950s.

As he grew older, he dropped some of the pretense. Leading an on-camera tour for the 1997 documentary “Diary of an Eccentric Architect,” Johnson smiles as he enters the sumptuous bedroom. “It’s meant to be a sexy place,” he says. “Against this modern world, it’s supposed to be a room that invites you to romance.”

He adds, “This was a great breakthrough for me, to thumb my nose at my mentor, Mies van der Rohe, and to say that things should be warmer and toastier and sexier than they are in modern, square-beamed architecture.”

Among the events planned by the Glass House this spring is a discussion on May 5, featuring the architectural historians Alice Friedman and Timothy Rohan, on “the cultural significance and queer social history of the recently restored Brick House.” According to Reoch, the Glass House is seeking to amend its listing on the National Register of Historic Places to include L.G.B.T.Q. history as an area of significance.

Then there is the question of Johnson’s politics. Scholars in recent years have devoted increasing attention to Johnson’s embrace of Fascism, which began in the 1930s after he left a curatorial post at the Museum of Modern Art and ultimately saw him accompany Nazi troops as they invaded Poland in 1939. The flimsy pretext for the trip was Johnson’s role as a correspondent for publications including the Rev. Charles E. Coughlin’s infamously antisemitic magazine, Social Justice.

Lamster’s book includes selections from a letter Johnson wrote in 1939 to his friend Viola Bodenschatz, whose husband’s brother, a German general, was chief of staff to Hermann Göring. “The German green uniforms made the place look gay and happy,” Johnson wrote to Bodenschatz. “There were not many Jews to be seen. We saw Warsaw burn and Modlin being bombed. It was a stirring spectacle.”

It is not that this history was unknown during the height of Johnson’s influence. In 1988, the critic Michael Sorkin called out Johnson’s wartime activities directly in an essay for Spy. But the architectural establishment, fairly quickly, fully welcomed Johnson back into the fold. In the final decades of the architect’s life — he died in 2005, at 98 — it was typical to hear of his “flirtation with Fascism,” as if it were little more than a youthful indiscretion.

Recent explorations of Johnson’s life and work, including Lamster’s biography and parts of the MSNBC host Rachel Maddow’s 2023 book, “Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism,” have pulled fewer punches.

“He spent more than a decade deeply invested in Fascist politics,” Lamster said. “I believe that history is essential to understanding who he was.”

There remains some disagreement about whether those politics are reflected in the design of the Glass House itself. While Johnson’s Fascist period, according to the architecture critic Paul Goldberger, chairman of the Glass House Advisory Council, “was longer and deeper than previously had been acknowledged, it’s also a period that I think had pretty emphatically come to an end by the time he built the Glass House.”

Other scholars point to an essay Johnson himself wrote for the Architectural Review, in 1950, in which he noted that the brick cylinder that holds the Glass House’s fireplace and bathroom, the design’s primary vertical element, was “not derived from Mies, but rather from a burned-out wooden village I saw once where nothing was left but the foundations and chimneys of brick.” This is widely understood to be a reference to one of the Polish towns he’d seen in ruins in 1939.

Reoch, the Glass House executive director, said she planned to hire a dedicated historian for Glass House programs, in part to probe Johnson’s politics more fully.

There are surely house museums where a sustained focus on ideology and sexuality might qualify as a distraction — extraneous to the core mission of the site. This is hardly the case at the Glass House. By his own admission, Johnson was more skilled as a power broker and packager of his own legend than as a designer. He used architecture consistently to propel larger ambitions, not least political ones.

Reoch and the rest of the Glass House leadership, as they work to explore Johnson’s political allegiances, have the benefit of collaborating with the National Trust, which has extensive experience in framing fraught conversations about architectural and cultural history, including at numerous sites of enslavement.

“Part of the problem that we have always encountered in public history and museums is that we tend to traditionally interpret things from a very monolithic lens, either deifying a person or demonizing a person, with no balance, no middle ground,” said Omar Eaton-Martínez, senior vice president for Historic Sites at the National Trust. He suggested the Glass House and Brick House, taken together, form an ideal backdrop for exploring the gray areas of Johnson’s life and career.

It’s certainly true that the more you examine the two buildings, the more you realize that — far from operating as perfect opposites — their relationship is fluid, with the sensibility of each structure creeping into and shaping its sibling. The Glass House has a foundation of brick, to go with its chimney, and seems to grow from that material; the Brick House, from the reflective sheen of its iron-flecked bricks to its luxe interior, is a good deal less utilitarian, and more prone to its own kind of vanity, than it looks at first.

The Glass House is a show horse, the Brick House a workhorse. Of course! Except when the reverse is true.

The Glass House 75th Anniversary

The Glass House opens for its 75th anniversary season April 15-Dec. 15. Visits to the restored Brick House begin May 2; 199 Elm Street, New Canaan, Conn. ; theglasshouse.org , (203) 594-9884 .

Christopher Hawthorne is senior critic at the Yale School of Architecture and the former architecture critic for The Los Angeles Times. More about Christopher Hawthorne

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