Michael Jackson’s
millennium shows
still on—promoter
There were circulating
By Tim Ryan
rumors of cancellation
Star-BulletinPop singer Michael Jackson has yet to make a public announcement of his double millennium concerts on New Year's Eve in Australia and Hawaii, but the promoter says the shows will go on.
Marcel Avram, who heads Mama Concerts in Germany and is Jackson's tour promoter, this week in a written statement said "further announcements with regards to the two millennium events in Sydney and Honolulu will be made within the next two-three weeks."
Another Mama Concerts' executive told the Star-Bulletin the concerts will occur "as originally planned."
Mama Concerts has not signed a contract or made a cash deposit with the Stadium Authority to formally reserve the Dec. 31 date, an Aloha Stadium official said.
As for news reports that a prominent promoter pulled out of the Jackson concert in Australia, Avram said, "As it looks, Kevin Jacobsen might not be involved" and that Mama Concerts is in negotiation with other promoters in Australia.
"The question as to which promoters will have the honor to present Michael Jackson is alone, our decision," Avram said. "At the present, everything looks positive."
Jacobsen recently bailed out of Jackson's millennium concert in Sydney forcing Jackson's management to fly to Melbourne to try to save the show with other local promoters, according to news reports.
In a story last week in Australia's Undercover magazine, the Jackson show ostensively was going to be canceled because Sydney's airport curfew prohibits aircraft from entering or departing Sydney airport after midnight because of noise pollution. The Jackson camp reportedly said that if Jackson can't leave Sydney immediately after the show there, he won't make it to Honolulu in time to perform.
The King of Pop will be able to play two concerts on New Year's Eve because Hawaii is 20 hours behind Australia, on the other side of the International Date Line.
Marek Lieberberg Presents in Hawaii has been assisting Mama Concerts in organizing the Hawaii event.
A Marek Lieberberg official offered no new information about the Aloha Stadium concert other than saying "we're planning that it will happen until we hear differently from Michael." One of the reasons Jackson isn't talking about the concerts is because he's busy recording his first album in several years.
But even that album for Sony Music Entertainment is not being released this year as planned, the New York Daily News reported this week. The album now has a release date of early 2000, the Daily News said.
