(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The Marc Anthony's Nada Personal Tour has been postponed until further notice, according to Clear Channel Entertainment. The tour was to have kicked off June 11 in San Juan, PR and wound down July 29 in San Diego.
"Due to the delay in production of my two albums, I have chosen to postpone my Nada Personal tour until November," said Anthony. "Instead, I will allocate the summer months to the promotion of my new CDs. I look forward to seeing you all soon."
Fans who purchased tickets via phone or Internet will have their account automatically credited. Fans who purchased tickets at an outlet may return them for a refund at the point of purchase. –Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner
Celebrate Brooklyn Celebrates 26th Year
(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Celebrate Brooklyn 2004, one of New York City's longest-running, free ($3 suggested donation) summer outdoor performing arts festivals, and celebrating its 26th season of music, dance, word, and film at the Prospect Park Band shell, 9th Street and Prospect Park West in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY, is set for June 16-August 7.
Celebrate Brooklyn 2004 features 23 performance events with over 60 artists and ensembles from 19 countries. With a mélange of musical styles ranging from alt-rock to zydeco, classical to Caribbean, Mexican to Middle Eastern, Salsa to South African plus four eclectic films on a giant outdoor screen and the world renowned Mark Morris Dance Group, the season is eclectic.
Its second annual gala and concert features an exclusive New York City area performance by roots rockers Los Lobos. This year's gala will honor Brooklyn's own legendary music impresario Clive Davis and Robert B. Tierney, chairman, NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, with Corporate Chair Kevin Burke, president, Con Edison. The concert is free and gala tickets are available starting at $250, which includes dinner, best concert seats and an after-concert party.
Following in the footsteps of last season's monumental homage to Leonard Cohen, visionary producer Hal Willner kicks off a week of Canada in New York performance events and Celebrate Brooklyn's new Independence Community Bank Series with the Neil Young Project featuring Cat Power, Ron Sexsmith, Jane Siberry, Iron & Wine and others on June 26. The series continues with the Brooklyn Philharmonic celebrating the American immigrant experience on 10 with a multi-media program entitled "Ellis Island – The Dream of America," composed and conducted by Peter Boyer with narratives read by actors Barry Bostwick and Blair Brown. The series continues with Dan Zanes & Friends Musical Picnic on July 18 and concludes on Friday July 30 with Brooklyn's own favorite underground pop saboteurs, They Might Be Giants.
The Budweiser Latin Music Series kicks off July 3 with the heavily spiced Latin American and Caribbean music of Bacilos and Brooklyn's own Radio Mundial. The series continues on July 9 with Mexican alt-rap Control Machete on a double-bill with Mexico City's rising star Natalia LaFourcade, and on July 31, Plena Libre is one of several bands performing during the 7th annual Boricua Festival, an all-day festival dedicated to the music, dance, food and crafts of Puerto Rico.
The popular Friends of Celebrate Brooklyn membership program offers many exciting perks at the performances including an exclusive Friends entrance, food and beverage service in the Friends Tent, reserved seats, and receptions with the artists.
A model program, Celebrate Brooklyn has earned a reputation as an innovative presenter by offering an eclectic mix of over 1,500 artists and ensembles reflective of the borough's diversity, ranging from internationally acclaimed performers to talented, emerging artists.
The festival is produced by Jack Walsh. Rachel Chanoff is artistic director. Each summer Celebrate Brooklyn transforms the Prospect Park Band shell into an extraordinary outdoor theater which attendees regularly claim as the best outdoor performance experience in New York City. Celebrate Brooklyn attracts over 250,000 people each season and offers raked seating for 2,000 people and space for 5,000 people on the adjacent lawns. In addition, there is state-of-the-art lighting, projection for video and 35mm film, and a giant 50' wide screen. This summer Celebrate Brooklyn will feature a cutting-edge, state-of-the-art "line array" concert sound system provided by SLS Loudspeakers, which provides extremely even coverage, clarity and volume throughout the site while reducing "spill" into adjacent areas.
Series sponsors include Budweiser and Independence Community Bank. Major media sponsor Time Warner Cable will air weekly spots on MTV, VH1, Discovery, History Channel and others featuring what is happening each week at Celebrate Brooklyn. Season co-sponsors include Health Plus, Snapple and Nantucket Nectars. The Village Voice is the official newspaper. WNYC is the season radio partner. The opening night gala is sponsored by Con Edison. — Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
Three Rivers Music Festival
Columbia, SC (AP) – Columbia City Council might stop funding for the Three Rivers Music Festival after it lost money for the second year in a row. City Council is expected to decide by August whether to fund the event next year. This year's version last month lost 184 thousand dollars. City taxpayers already had provided 300,000 dollars for the three day event that attracted about 47 thousand people. Council voted Wednesday to cover the loss and provide 16 thousand dollars for preliminary planning for next year's event.
Nashville Star Tour Kicks Off On June 18
(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The Nashville Star Tour hits the road this summer, kicking off on June 18 in Kettering, OH, featuring the four finalists from USA Network's Nashville Star TV talent search. Brad Cotter, this year's winner, heads the package of young country talent with runners-up George Canyon, Matt Lindahl and Lance Miller.
"The Nashville Star Tour is really sizzling," notes Rob Beckham, the William Morris agent booking the tour. "We've had a terrific response so far." Currently there are 28 dates confirmed and producers of the our plan to carry it to as many cities as can be accommodated within the window of time established for the tour, which will stretch across the United States and into Canada.
"The Nashville Star Tour will recreate the energy and feel of the TV series," notes Brinson Strickland of 262 Five, Ltd., the company producing the tour. "The video screens at each concert venue will run highlights of each performer's segments from the series of shows. We're pleased to announce that the Nashville Star Band, the same group from the show, will be traveling with the tour and backing up each performer."
Each concert will run approximately 90 minutes. Performers will appear in reverse order of their finishes on the show. As the winner, Brad Cotter will close each show, preceded by George Canyon, Matt Lindahl and Lance Miller.
The Nashville Star Tour is also providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for local talent. "Promoters in the tour cities can run their own Nashville Star Tour contest," says Strickland. "Local winners will automatically go to the Regional Finals in the 2005 Nashville Star competition. They will also have a chance to open the Nashville Star Tour concert in their town."
Fans will have the chance to get up close and personal with the Nashville Star Tour performers. All four artists will be available for media interviews and meet-and-greet autograph sessions in each city. "We'll have Nashville Star merchandise along with items from each individual artist to sell," says Strickland. "We're hoping that each of the artists will bring CD singles or other original music that fans can purchase."
The Nashville Star winner receives a contract with Sony Nashville, along with other prizes. Last year's winner Buddy Jewell has already scored two Top 10 singles and a Gold album since his debut. "Fans will get to share the excitement and energy of Nashville Star all over again," adds Strickland. " It's really the TV show come-to- life!"
Nashville Star Tour itinerary:
06/18/04 Kettering, OH Fraze Pavilion
06/19/04 Cleveland, OH Palace Theater
06/20/04 Louisville, KY Palace Theatre
06/23/04 West Palm Beach, FL Kravis Center for the Performing
Arts
06/24/04 Tampa, FL Carol Morsani Hall
06/25/04 North Charleston, SC Oyster Shell at No. Charleston
Coliseum
06/26/04 Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues
06/27/04 Sarasota, FL Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
07/06/04 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
07/08/04 Albuquerque, NM Sandia Casino Amphitheatre
07/10/04 Englewood, CO Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre
07/16/04 Easton, PA State Theatre
07/17/04 Huntington, WV Big Sandy Superstore Arena
07/18/04 Hershey, PA Hershey Park Amphitheatre
07/22/04 Doswell, VA Paramount's King's Dominion
07/23/04 Cary, NC The Amphitheatre at Regency Park
07/24/04 Charlotte, NC Paramount's Carowinds Palladium
07/30/04 Paducah, KY Four Rivers Center
07/31/04 Kansas City, MO Beaumont Club
08/05/04 Columbus, GA Columbus Civic Center
08/06/04 Mableton, GA Mable House Amphitheatre
08/07/04 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theatre
08/12/04 Niagara Falls, ONT Niagara Fallsview Casino Avalon
08/13/04 Rochester Hills, MI MeadowBrook Music Festival
08/14/04 Mundelein, IL Sundance Saloon
08/17/04 Lewisburg, WV State Fair of West Virginia
Fairgrounds
08/21/04 Owensboro, KY Executive Inn Rivermont
–Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
Club Freedom Sold 200 Tickets For 'Clothes Free Family Rock Concert'
CLOVIS, Calif. (AP) – Owners of a water park have decided against hosting what was billed as one of the largest nudist gatherings in U.S. history.
Two organizations – Club Freedom and the International Naturist Association – had tentatively booked Wild Water Adventure Park for the September event. The groups said they had a contract with the water park that allowed either side to back out before a $25,000 deposit was due in August.
Kathy Siggers, co-owner of the family-owned business near Fresno, said no contract was signed.
"There was not a commitment for that event. There was a discussion," said Siggers, who apologized to community members for "any embarrassment or confusion that may have been caused."
Club Freedom said the nudists had sold 200 tickets for the "Clothes Free Family Rock Concert," which could have drawn as many as 15,000 nudists on Sept. 18-19.
The club alleged that local area churches had threatened to boycott the water park.
Siggers said she had no knowledge of boycott threats.
However, "we're not in the business of offending people," she said. "We've been in the community for 30 years and we've built our business on this community."
Circus Performer Dies After Falling Around 30 Feet Without A Net
St. Paul (AP) Police and circus officials are investigating the death of a performer who fell around 30 feet onto a concrete floor during a show at the Xcel Energy Center.
Dessi Espana, 32, a second-generation performer with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, was doing an aerial ballet without a net when she fell about 3:15 p.m. Saturday. She died about 10:20 p.m., authorities said.
Police do not suspect foul play, but the city's licensing department would likely look into the accident to determine whether there were any violations and why a net was not in place. A city statute requires a net.
"Investigators are looking at that, but just because there is a law on the books does not mean that a criminal prosecution is going to ensue," said Paul Schnell, St. Paul police spokesman. "It appears that this is a terrible tragedy. We are not actively pursuing a criminal investigation and seeking charges against the circus."
Ringling Bros. also is investigating the cause, spokesman Mark Riddell said Sunday from the circus office in Vienna, Va. He said Ringling Bros. hadn't had a fatal accident in one of its circuses in at least the last 10 years.
James Honerman, a spokesman for the Minnesota office of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said his office will not conduct an investigation
"This type of risk is part of the act," he said. "This is part of the routine they do. It does not fit the typical OSHA fatality."
Shaken witnesses, who included many children, described the scene: Espana was upside-down, hanging on to long chiffon scarves by her legs and twirling around. Suddenly, a scarf loosened at the top and Espana plunged to the arena floor.
"The nature of aerial performance entails calculated risks," Riddell said, "and our safety record is a very good one over the course of 134 years."
A safety harness couldn't be used in Espana's act because of the way she had to move, and chiffon acts traditionally don't use nets, Riddell said.
Espana was taken to Regions Hospital about 12 minutes after she fell.
Witnesses had different accounts of how she landed — headfirst, on her stomach or on her back.
Immediately, there was silence. Clowns came out in what circusgoers described as an attempt to draw attention away from the scene. That worked for some of the younger children, but not for everyone.
"A little girl behind us asked, 'Is she still alive?' " said Kim Golembeck, of Big Lake, whose 3-year-old son didn't realize there had been an accident. "It was hard to hear."
Laurie Burnham and her 10- and 12-year-old daughters left after the accident because they were so upset about what they saw.
"They were really distraught, especially because the ringmaster started up again like nothing had happened," said Burnham, of St. Paul.
A performer on an adjacent piece of equipment was not injured, said Alexis Copeland, spokeswoman for the circus.
The 21/2-hour show continued as medical personnel and circus officials worked on Espana, who comes from a family of Bulgarian performers. She and Ivan Espana, from a Mexican family of performers, got married years ago during a show, according to circus promotional material. Their two children are in training to become circus performers.
Don Hughes was holding the spotlight on Espana when she fell. As soon as he comprehended what had happened, he moved the light away.
"It would have been undignified to keep it on her," said Hughes, who's spent 27 years lighting events and who said this was the worst accident he had seen.
Shows on Saturday night and Sunday went on as planned.
"The show must go on," Copeland said.
Last month, there were two accidents in three days when the Ringling Bros. circus performed in New York's Madison Square Garden. One man fell 30 feet from a trapeze into a net. Another slipped off a high wire. Both had minor injuries. Signs outside the venue had promoted the circus with the slogan, "Tempting fate daily."
In Minnesota, another acrobat was injured while performing an aerial maneuver before a crowd of 10,000 at the St. Paul Civic Center in April 1994. Shrine Circus performer Kristie Randall, then 19, of Pittsburgh, broke her hip and thighbone and underwent surgery after she fell 60 feet.
A rampaging circus elephant killed a trainer and injured another worker before at Circus International in Honolulu in 1994. In 1993, a Ringling Bros. elephant trainer was killed when an elephant stepped on him at the circus' elephant farm in Gainesville, Fla. In 1988, a Circus USA trapeze artist was killed in a fall during a performance in Hialeah, Fla.
Perhaps the highest-profile recent circus-related accident happened in Las Vegas last October when Roy Horn, of "Siegfried & Roy," was severely mauled on stage by a tiger, forcing an end to the duo's long-running show.
Circus performers take risks because they have "a desire to push the limit, to inspire people and show people what human beings are capable of," Riddell said. "The thing circus performers have in common is they're constantly striving to be the best in the world at what they do."
