STORY:
Entertainers Earning Big Bucks

How much will you pay to see your favorite singer on a historical evening?

They are being called mega-meillennium concerts, and they are just a plane ride and few thousand bucks away. Almost every major entertainer is holding a concert on New Years’ Eve and getting paid handsomely for it. Of course, it's the fans that will pay the premium and are they ever. And as the saying goes, seats are still available.

The top ticket price: $2,500 per person to attend the Barbara Streisand concert in Las Vegas. The megabuck concert will be held in the MGM Garden Arena and begins at 9 p.m. There are some seats that cost just $1,500 also.

For $1,500 to $1,000 you can catch several musical acts at "Celebration 2000" in New York. The money will buy you a seat at the music-comedy-dining extravaganza that begins at 6 p.m. and continues all night. The lineup is impressive for the event: Aretha Franklin, Andrea Bocelli, Sting, Enrique Iglesias and Tom Jones will be performing for the expected crowd of 20,000 at the Javits Convention Center.

If you’re wondering why the tickets cost so much for one night of entertainment it’s because the talent alone cost organizers $10 million. That’s about four times the normal rate because of the historical date. There are still seats available if you want to hop on a plane and join the fun. No, the ticket price does not include airfare.

If $1,500 is a bit steep you can watch the event on the web, but that’s not free either, it’s a pay-per-view deal. If you want to catch a glimpse of the party for free you may want to have your remote control handy, Various broadcast networks will show small portions of the celebration throughout the night.

So where in the world are the other entertainers? They are all around the world and here’s a list so you can map out your destination. Most concerts still have seats available so it’s not too late to make those mega-millennium concert plans.

Gloria Estefan will usher in the New Year close to home. Estefan will be performing at the new American Airlines Arena in Miami. Tickets are available and there’s a wide range of prices from $150 to $1,500. The show begins at 10 p.m.

Rod Stewart will rock in Year 2000 with a concert in Las Vegas at the Rio Hotel. Concert tickets cost between $400 and $1,000. If you want to throw in a special hotel/concert package, which includes three nights and a bottle of Dom Perignon that will set you, back $4,000.

Also in Las Vegas, Bette Midler will ring in the New Year at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Ticket prices include party favors and cost anywhere from $95 to $500.

Celine Dion is home for the holidays with a New Year’s Eve concert at the Molson Centre in Montreal. Tickets cost between $69 and $499.

Chely Wright will be line dancing at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The new rising country star will be performing with SheDaisy and ticket prices range from $15 to $99.

Jimmy Buffett will be wasting away in Los Angeles at the Universal Amphitheater. This show begins at 7p.m. and includes dinner, dancing and drinking under the stars. This party promises to be perfect for Margarita lovers and will cost $1,000 to $1,500.

Several other performers are staying home on New Year’s Eve and singing a bit early. Elton John and Tina Turner will play together at Caesars Palace / Thomas Mack Arena a day early. The December 30^th concert runs $100 to $600. If you want a millennium wedding package thrown in, they’ll do it for just $7,500. Newlyweds get a minister a live musician and several other goodies.

If you want to celebrate the New Year twice you may want to catch Barry Manilow’s concert at the Foxwoods Casino in Ledyard, Conn. Manilow will play in a small 1,400-seat theater on New Year’s Day. Top ticket price $100.

Ok, so you want a free concert. There is one on QVC . John Tesh is performing what is being called the "first concert" of the New Year because he’s playing on New Zealand time. Tesh will perform at the "Millennium Wall", and because of its position in the world of international datelines the country will receive the first light of the first day of the New Year. If you can’t afford a ticket to fly to New Zealand then you can catch his concert for free on QVC at 11am est.

DATE: 10/20/99

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