Mariah Carey concert canceled in Hong Kong; charges traded between manager and promoter



NEW YORK -- Mariah Carey's manager says a financial default by a promoter, and not poor ticket sales or demands by the pop star, caused the cancellation of her weekend show in Hong Kong.

Carey, who recently finished her nationwide "Adventures of Mimi" tour, was to perform Saturday at an outdoor space in Hong Kong. It was to be the last stop on the tour after performances in Japan this week, her manager, Benny Medina, said Thursday.

But in a posting on its Web site, promoter Concerts Asia said the Hong Kong date was canceled because the 36-year-old singer had made "specific last-minute demands which we find wholly unreasonable and not with the best interests of Hong Kong, us and also the fans."

The promoter also said it had only sold 4,000 tickets, despite a "substantial" advertising campaign.

In an interview with The Associated Press, however, Medina disputed those claims. He said 8,000 tickets had been sold, and blamed the cancellation on the tour promoter's failure to pay Carey money that was due to her.

"If there were only 10 people in this venue, and this particular promoter ... had fulfilled his contractual obligations, we would be there. Mariah Carey loves her fans in Southeast Asia," Medina told the AP. "He has defaulted several times, right up into the last 48 hours. Literally we tried to hang in there with this guy."

The tour was Carey's first since the release of last year's multiplatinum "The Emancipation of Mimi" album, which won three Grammys. Medina said she planned only to tour the United States but got specific requests to tour Japan and then Hong Kong.

Medina, who called the tour the most successful in the singer's career, said Carey's team was talking to other promoters to see if the date in Hong Kong can be completed with another promoter. However, she is due back in the United States to film a movie and to work on her album.

"There's no question that Mariah is excited to go back to Hong Kong in the very near future," said Medina.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

she's gonna film a new movie?

SoulAlive said:

i thought the rumour around tinsletown was that she was janet's replacement for "tennessee"?

Ottensen said:

Wonder if this means that she will have to gain alot of weight,the way Janet did earlier this year

their ain't no weight gain, that was Janet lying about her own
--

Lee Daniels Entertainment, the official website for producer Lee Daniels, now has a page for "Tennessee," the upcoming film co-starring Mariah. The page includes an advertisement image (right) and the film's details (below).

Synopsis: Brothers Carter (James D’Arcy) and Ellis Armstrong (Ethan Peck) have only each other and their rundown trailer home in the mountains outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. But when their lonely lives are shattered by misfortune, their only hope is to return home to Tennessee and the father they once fled. In journeying through the Southwest, the brothers bond with determined waitress Krystal (Mariah Carey) and reconnect with their past.

Cast and crew: Mariah Carey, James D’Arcy, Ethan Peck

Producer: Lee Daniels

Status: Pre-production
[Edited 10/31/06 4:00am]

you know,I can't see why the waitress character would have to be fat,anyway why did Janet feel like she needed to put on the pounds for that role?

SoulAlive said:

That was just Janet covering up not wanting to admit she was comfort eating. I think she could have really touched to Oprah audience more if she had fessed up and admitted she was human too.

jayaredee said:

but wasn't she really planning to be in this movie?

SoulAlive said:

I don't know, but would she really need to gain 60 pounds for a small role. Special effects could have easily made her look more chunky. Why would anyone eat unhealthily and damage their health for a movie roll? I really don't buy it.

She was facing a backlash from the Superbowl, her album tanked, her brother was facing child molestation convications. She was most likely comfort eating at the time, which is not good, but normal under those circumstances.
[Edited 10/31/06 4:22am]

PricelessHo said:

Thank you. I've been following Lee Daniels projects for awhile and my best bud works in indie film and we've heard alot about Tennessee from way back but never heard talk of Janet being attached to it except from Janet. Not saying that it couldn't have been true but usually you get wind of this from other folks somewhere along the way so I was always a little skeptical. Maybe she was to be another character in the film and Daniels agreed that she could use that as her story for the public.

Could never understand why someone who struggles with weight would put it on for any movie roll when acting is not their main focus. Not like she's Charlize Theron or Hilary Swank. Besides I thought Janet looked her best when she was going to Michael's trial in that all white suit. She was beautiful. She had a suitable thickness there that could translate well on film without having to play into an overweight southern waitress. Why go through all that when they could have hired Queen Latifah?

I think she put on weight from stress and it wound up being a great cover story to take the weight off just in time for the album release. I agree that the public would relate better if they knew she struggled with weight gain related to stress or whatever more than taking of 60lbs in 4 months which is difficult for anyone with or without a trainer, nutritionist, delivered meals and no 9 to 5 or kids in the picture.

As far as Mariah cancelling the show, alot has been said about attendance issues, but she had already played shows in Asia the same week, so you can tell it had something to do with the promoters of this concert and what they would make. This happens alot when american artists go to other countries to perform, they sometimes dont realize how much the promoters keep and where that money goes, similar to the infamous Beatles incident in the Phillipines. Alot of people think artists dont wanna play when there are low ticket sales, the deal is if they play they get paid, if they cancel they get nothing, and depending where they are they sometimes are lucky to get away without getting hurt. Infamous incident in Mexico with BonJovi back in 1989, where the govt stole the money and over sold shows, Bon Jovi refused to play and riots broke out, equipment was stolen and destroyed, well Bon Jovi decided that had to play, they did back to back 2 + hour shows, got off stage, hopped on the bus and then the plane and left everything behind and didnt get paid.

jayaredee said:

I totally agree.

jayaredee said:

WORD 2 SHERMAN KLUMP!!!!!