This Adele impersonator is what bummed fans get after Vegas residency goes bust
Say “Hello” to the Adele doppelgänger who’s setting fire to the bluesy diva’s would-be Las Vegas reign.
Janae Longo, a professional hair and makeup stylist, is belting out ballads such as “Easy On Me” and “Someone Like You” in proxy for the British singer, who postponed her much-ballyhooed, four-month “Weekends with Adele” residency at Caesars Palace due to COVID concerns.
And Adele devotees who purchased the pricey $800 to $2,000 tickets to her since-canceled showcase can check out the songstress’ impressive impersonator headlining the “Legendary Divas” show at the Tropicana for free through Sept. 5.
“When I first got hired, I was so honored, but I worried that all the Adele fans were going to throw tomatoes at me for not being her,” Longo, 45, jokingly told The Post.
In addition to a cosmetology license, Longo boasts a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and musical theater and has worked as a professional singer for the last two decades.
“But Adele’s fans are all so very gracious,” added the impressionist, who previously masqueraded as country soloist Patsy Cline for a tribute recital in Nashville, Tennessee, for several years. “I’m honored to salute [Adele’s] talent onstage every night.”
After a 14-year stint as a Carnival Cruise entertainer, the Buffalo, New York, native packed up her car and drove across the country to Nevada for a Christmas caroling gig four months ago.
But when she learned “Legends in Concert” — the longest-running and most-awarded celebrity tribute show in Las Vegas — was holding Adele impersonator try-outs, she stopped rehearsing her fa-la-la-la-la and began mimicking the 15-time Grammy winner’s signature sound.
“I immediately started practicing her innuendos and mannerisms,” said Longo, who nailed her rendition of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” at the Dec. 7 auditions and got the job shortly thereafter. “I listened to all of her songs over and over again until I memorized her vocal nuances. She shares a different piece of her heart in each song, and I really wanted to emulate that magic.”
Longo — alongside the “Legendary Divas” roster of A-list impersonators, including Celine Dion, Cher and Lady Gaga look-alikes — sings six Adele hits, six nights a week for the production, which opened this week.
And each evening she artfully transforms herself into the “Chasing Pavements” performer with her masterful glam skills.
“I do my own hair and makeup for the shows,” said Longo. “Celine, Cher, Gaga [impersonators] and I all do our own makeup. They’re outstanding makeup artists in addition to being excellent tribute performers, and watching everyone transform backstage is amazing.“
And Adele fanatics aren’t the only ones being offered free passes to this faux-pop star show.
Ticket holders to Dion’s canceled tour dates — concerts the “My Heart Will Go On” chanteuse reneged on at the top of the year due to “severe and persistent muscle spasms” — are also being admitted to the “Divas” show at no charge.
“I’m amazed that I get to perform alongside these outstanding tribute artists,” said Longo of her co-stars. “I’m very proud to be a part of this great team that gives fans a taste of their favorite singers, especially now when people need a little joy and positivity.”
But when it comes to digital detractors who’ve openly bashed her portrayal of the “One and Only” songbird — deeming the presentation “tacky” and a “scam” — Longo said she turns a blind eye to the hate.
“I did see some really terrible things people said about me online, and I’m not going to lie — it did hurt,” said the consummate copycat, admitting that her eyes welled up at some of the harsh cyber criticisms.
“But I’m learning to ignore the negativity. If they want to be miserable, that’s their choice,” said Longo, who jokingly told The Post that she’d “wet herself” if she ever met her inspiration.
The Post has reached out for comment from Adele’s representatives.
“My goal is to honor Adele, and I hope she knows that what I’m doing is out of respect and love,” she said. “I hope it makes her smile.”
