Jennifer Lopez, JLo, Elton John and Sting to perform in PH

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October 13, 2012 | 9:24 pm

MANILA, PhilippinesThree big concerts headlining Jennifer Lopez, Elton John and Sting will be held one after the other in Manila in the next two months, but the prohibitive ticket prices may prevent many fans from seeing the major foreign music acts perform.

Watching Lopez or JLo, whose albums have sold over 80 million copies worldwide, may be very expensive to the average fan. Seats to the VIP section cost a whopping P25,840 apiece, while the cheapest ticket, at General Admission, sells for P2,590.

The exorbitant ticket prices could be due to JLos talent fee, estimated at $2 million (P84 million), a source familiar with offers made by US talent agents told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

JLo, a New York-born actress, dancer and recording artist of Puerto Rican descent, will perform on November 26 at the SM Mall of Asia (MoA) Arena in Pasay City.

The chance to see British singer-songwriter John playing the piano and singing his classic tunes costs P12,000 per VIP ticket. The lowest-priced seat, at General Admission, is quite affordable at P1,000.

John is performing in Manila for the first time. The cost of bringing him in is approximately $600,000 (P25.2 million), the Inquirer source said.

John, whose string of hit singles and albums, as well as film soundtracks and musical theater collaborations has made him one of the most successful artists of all time, will play on December 8 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Sting, another British musician who first found fame as the principal songwriter, lead singer and bassist of the New Wave rock band The Police, costs roughly the same as John, added the source.

A ticket to the first 10 VIP rows of his Arena show costs P15,840. The most affordable seat, at General Admission, is priced at P1,030.

Sting, who has moved on to release solo albums with jazz and classical influences, will perform on December 9 also at the MoA Arena. His first concert in Manila was held in January 1994.

The concerts will happen at a time when employed Filipinos are due to receive their 13th month pay and Christmas bonusesgiving them the opportunity to buy tickets within their respective budgets.

But even as the JLo showwhich also marks the artists debut Manila performancecosts an arm and a leg to many of her fans, the concerts promoter, Francis Lumen, is hardly worried about the financial returns.

Lumen, head of the FM station Radio High and formerly a franchise holder of MTV Philippines, has the backing of corporate sponsors, which are practically bankrolling the JLo concert.

Its actually a brand-building exercise for the sponsors, Lumen told the Inquirer. For example, a sponsor like a new beauty salon is offering free tickets if you sign up for a beauty treatment prog! ram. The sponsor is able to attract a customer to try its products and services. At the same time, that customer can watch JLo for free. Its a win-win solution.

The concerts main sponsor, a real estate company, is also offering free tickets via a raffle at its sales pitch sessions, said Lumen. The show, he added, is a good opportunity for the realty company to sell houses.

Renen de Guia, promoter of the Sting concert, has a simpler though risky approach. He does not totally rely on cash sponsorship and would rather sell the performer on his own merits.

If the artist is good and I myself will enjoy watching the concert, then I will produce it, said De Guia. All things considered, I think its the right thing to do. If the primary concern is to make money in a good concert, I think it will.

A member of the Araneta Group, which is producing Johns concert, declined to comment.

The JLo show is the artists 43rd stop in an ongoing world tour dubbed Dance Again.

John, still active in the tour circuit, has just resumed his Caesars Palace stint and will be coming from a series of shows in Australia, China and Hong Kong, before flying to the Philippines.

Stings Arena concert is part of his Back to Bass world tour, which will feature him playing his principal instrumentthe bass guitaronce again (hence, the tours title).

His website, sting.com, said the tour also showcases a tight, three-man band composed of Stings favorite sidemen Dominic Miller (guitar), David Sancious (keyboards) and Vinnie Colaiuta (drums), plus Peter Tickell (electric fiddle) and Jo Lawry (vocals) performing his most celebrated songs, stripped down.

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Tags: Concerts , Elton John , Entertainment , Jennifer Lopez , news , sting

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