MGM GRAND TO HOST AN EVENING WITH STING AND THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC CONCERT ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY STEVEN MERCURIO FRIDAY, JUNE 18
3/11/2010
Music Superstar to Perform Most Celebrated Songs; Tickets on Sale Monday, March 15 at 10 a.m.
LAS VEGAS – Live Nation announced today that Sting, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, will embark on a world tour this summer including a performance Friday, June 18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Sting will perform his most celebrated songs re-imagined for symphonic arrangement while the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will be conducted by Maestro Steven Mercurio. Mercurio has conducted shows for other stars including Andrea Bocelli and the late Luciano Pavarotti. The concert spectacular is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.
Tickets priced at $201, $86 and $51, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Monday, March 15 at 10 a.m. and will be sold at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
Drawing from a diverse and illustrious career that has produced numerous multi-platinum albums, a staggering list of No. 1 songs, countless accolades and worldwide record sales of nearly 100 million, Sting’s greatest hits will be re-interpreted with new orchestrations created especially for this tour. Selections of fan favorites will range from “Roxanne,” “Next To You,” “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and “Every Breath You Take,” to notable songs from Sting’s enduring solo career including “Englishman in New York,” “Fragile,” “Russians,” “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You,” “Fields of Gold” and “Desert Rose.”
Never afraid to blaze the path of new musical territory, Sting’s foray into the classical realm began with the crossover success of his No. 1 album Songs from the Labyrinth, a lute-based interpretation of the music of 16th century composer John Dowland, released in 2006 (Deutsche Grammophon). Following the completion of the enormously successful Police reunion world tour, Sting returned to pursue his passion of uniting musical genres with his 2009 release If On A Winter’s Night. The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s classical chart.
Sting’s interest in collaborating with an orchestra began in 2008 following an invitation to perform with the legendary Chicago Symphony Orchestra. After re-working selections from his expansive catalog, Sting and several members of his longtime band joined the orchestra in a performance that left an indelible mark on the musician. Eager to explore the possibilities of further symphonic collaboration, Sting was thrilled when the Philadelphia Orchestra asked him to join them in commemoration of the 153rd anniversary of the Academy of Music.
“Performing with both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Philadelphia Orchestra was truly a highlight of my career,” said Sting. “I’m delighted by this new opportunity to tour with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and re-interpret the songs I’ve been playing for many years.”
The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra has previously performed with internationally renowned artists ranging from opera luminaries Bocelli, Bryn Terfel, Renée Fleming, Kiri Te Kanawa and the late Pavarotti to popular cultural icons including Burt Bacharach, George Benson, Michel Legrand, Diana Krall, Tina Turner and Randy Newman. The 45-piece orchestra will be featured on all North American concert dates of the tour.
Sting also will be joined by a quartet comprised of Dominic Miller (Sting’s longtime guitarist), David Cossin (a multi-percussion specialist in new and experimental music and featured member of the Bang on a Can All-Stars), Jo Lawry (vocalist) and Ira Coleman (bassist).
The tour is promoted by Live Nation and produced by RZO Entertainment, Inc. in association with Universal Music Classical Management & Productions. For complete tour and ticket information, visit www.sting.com.
The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather and George Foreman vs. Michael Moorer; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, Gloria Estefan, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, Backstreet Boys, ‘N Sync, Sting, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also is home to the annual Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMA) and U.S. Open of Motocross.
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Contacts: Tracy Bufferd (212) 777-5110 Forge Ahead Media, Inc. tracy@tracybufferd.com
Danielle Engel/Mary Passarella (602) 870-5300 Live Nation danielleengel@livenation.com marypassarella@livenation.com
Scott Ghertner (702) 650-7565 MGM Resorts International Public Relations
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