Céline brings 150 production crew on tour to South Africa

[Mippa]

Article from 'The Times'

Céline brings her own dentist on tour to SA

 

Once dubbed Canine Dion, she’s taking no chances.

 

Singing sensation Céline Dion is used to making people smile with her melodious voice and heart- wrenching lyrics. More difficult is maintaining the smile on her own face during her forthcoming tour of South Africa: Dion will travel with her own personal dentist.

 

One of the world’s biggest-selling female artists, Dion is clearly still sensitive about dental problems after being dubbed “Canine Dion” in the late ’80s, before she had her front teeth capped.

 

She will also have her own physiotherapist and an entourage of 150 dancers, acrobats and concert personnel. In addition, on performance days she requires a voice or throat specialist to be on call from 7am until 7pm.

 

These are some of the requirements in Dion’s 67-page contract with the concert promoter Kusasa, which is organising Dion’s long- awaited tour of South Africa in February, part of her “Taking Chances” world tour.

 

The Canadian singer arrives on her private jet, accompanied by her seven-year-old son René-Charles, his nanny and an assistant to look after him.

 

Her husband, René Angélil , is also her long-time manager, who she married in 1994.

 

Eleven security guards must be on stage while she is performing, eight of them on chairs that can swivel 30 degrees.

 

Her “medium-sized” dressing room must be in a convenient, well- lit place, heated to 22°C and with a “connected, cleaned and turned-on” telephone line.

 

Bavarian figs, French cherries and watermelon are among her catering requirements, which also include one mixed bowl of two kinds of potato chips, a pack of mint chewing gum, three lemons, a kettle and three large bottles of mineral water at room temperature. Her choices in order of preference are Figi, Naya or Evian.

 

Dion will be sipping water in one of six water glasses in specified colours of white, black or navy.

 

While her seven-member band are only allowed to drink beer and wine after a performance, the pop queen ensures that they toast the show’s success with only the finest champagne beforehand — Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label or White Star or Moët & Chandon.

 

Afterwards, 24 Budweiser Lite beers and 12 domestic beers, along with bottles of “good quality” French and Italian wines must be sent to the dressing rooms.

 

Two hundred large bath towels must be provided for each performance.

 

Dion requires three local menus each day to be approved by her management before catering is confirmed.

 

At hotels, the star will stay in presidential suites while 75 “premium hotel rooms” must be reserved for production crew.

 

Ticket Connection financial director Darren Ebb said Dion’s world tour was among the biggest music events ever hosted in South Africa, with more than 300000 tickets on sale.

 

The previous local record was held by Michael Jackson, with more than 200000 tickets sold.

 

“Ticket sales (for Dion) are exceeding expectations, with the most pre-sales ever done,” Ebb said.

 

Additional tickets will be released at some of the venues shortly to cater for extra demand.

 

“We are expecting 313 international fans from the Team Celine fan club to come to South Africa and attend every concert.”

 

The online members-only VIP Club offers Dion fans special privileges and ticket prices.

 

Ticket Connection has received strange requests from over-eager fans, such as “Jaine” from London who said she planned to attend shows in three cities and wanted backstage passes to speak to Dion about a business idea.

 

 

Another fan, Bianca, said it would be a great pleasure to finally meet Dion in person.

 

“I know that I am close to Céline Dion in spirit and have dreamt about her often,” she wrote.

 

 

She wanted to know which seats were closest to the stage at any South African venue.

 

Dion, winner of multiple Grammy awards, will perform at eight South African shows in 14 days, starting at the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg on Valentine’s Day.

 

She will also perform in Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/New....aspx?id=685979

 

I'm confused, I though Rene-Charles didn't have a nanny? And some of the requirements on this list seem a bit much. Celine comes off a tad bit divaish if you ask me!

[peo]

Are these tour requirements true? I think Celine doesn't ask that much.

[Bellamy]

Ticket Connection has received strange requests from over-eager fans, such as “Jaine” from London who said she planned to attend shows in three cities and wanted backstage passes to speak to Dion about a business idea.

That's Cheerfuljane?

[Gorgeous]

150 dancers, acrobats???????????????????????????????????????

[Edwin]

"Over-eager Jane".

[Krys]

omg Jane made it into the article. but i dont think backstage pass is a "strange" request

[Bellamy]

150 dancers, acrobats???????????????????????????????????????

I believe 150 people for all her production crew.

75 “premium hotel rooms” must be reserved for production crew

[ashleylovesceline]

I just read this - and it seems like a bit much to me. I mean, "Dion will be sipping water in one of six water glasses in specified colours of white, black or navy." Specified colours?? Seriously? Acrobats - huh? And I wondered if that was Jane too... why do they make it sound like a strange request when a fan asks to meet her or go backstage?

[Bellamy]

The contract is not too mcuh actually. 75 premium rooms for 150 crew is just ok. Only 1 President suit for her family. It may sounds weird that they demand how much water, how many lemons in room. But actually when you sign a concert contract, they would always list all the details as much as possible. So everything would be done by contract, no less, no more. She doesn't demand any outrage thing like some other celebrities.

[Edwin]

It may sounds weird that they demand how much water, how many lemons in room. But actually when you sign a concert contract, they would always list all the details as much as possible.

 

Yep. And reading just the blip of it, it's all very reasonable. She is settling for water from Fiji . Can you imagine if it said "...and I would also like to request my water come from the moon...:

[dionfan07]

that sounds crazy!!! wow can i have some fruit celine???? lol i dont think this is 100 percent true.

[Love,]

Okay, I'm going to start off with JANE!

 

OMG!!! My JANE is published in her motherland's newspaper!!! I bet you Rene's itching right now, curious as to what this business plan is...

 

Now, with the demands: THEY ARE TRUE!

 

When you are a top-notch diva like Celine and performing in the biggest tour in South African history - you gotta be at your highest comfort zone, to do your very best. When are away from home, you gotta "feel" at home, some way, shape or form. So, these demands reflect the daily demands of her life.

 

Celine has to concentrate on her voice, her performance - these are what matters when you have 300,000 fans waiting for you!

 

The demands are not hard at all. They're all reasonable.

 

It's not like she's asking for WATER FROM THE MOON! :laugh:

 

 

Anyway, I prefer Fiji and Evian water, too!

 

Edited January 20, 2008 at 08:06 AM by Love,

[sgcpc]

The contract is not too mcuh actually. 75 premium rooms for 150 crew is just ok. Only 1 President suit for her family. It may sounds weird that they demand how much water, how many lemons in room. But actually when you sign a concert contract, they would always list all the details as much as possible. So everything would be done by contract, no less, no more. She doesn't demand any outrage thing like some other celebrities.

 

 

i think i totally agree with you tho! she is not demanding to much at all! as she on her level, the contract must be complicated not only her personal safety and money issues but also the crew safety, and i also think the record label is also trying profit as much as possible out of this! so 67 pages is not really much, i know a friend who works in LiveNational, and she was recently involved in Enrique's UK tour, even his contract was 50 pages long, and when he was performing in london, i think he required a president suit in Ritz and another 20 rooms for his crew in Savoy. so i think she is not demanding too much at all, and plus consider the security issues.

[Bellamy]

It may sounds weird that they demand how much water, how many lemons in room. But actually when you sign a concert contract, they would always list all the details as much as possible.

 

Yep. And reading just the blip of it, it's all very reasonable. She is settling for water from Fiji . Can you imagine if it said "...and I would also like to request my water come from the moon...:

If I'm not wrong, I had read Mariah Carey demanded heated Evian water for her bath or something. That's some kind of diva demand.

[Prince Whiskers]

OOohh, a voice doctor will be a part of her titanic entourage.......

[aicee]

WoW! That's something new... And interesting. 150 dancers acrobats.

[RLAAMJR.]

Cool! The show will totally be awesome! Sold-out show again!!!

[LD1977]

When you think of it, these demands are not outrageous. I like the fact that she is having 'local diners'. So this means she wants to get a taste of the country she is in. Its good!

 

And the Fiji-water... I have my bottle coming from her dressing-room right in front of me. They offered us some drinks so I took the water. I could not drink it though, because I was too nervous!

[Céline's Blues]

Show'em how it's done, Céline.

[karatedude317]

OOohh, a voice doctor will be a part of her titanic entourage.......

 

That's a GOOD SIGN, it means she'll be USING her voice on tour. LMAO

[Thomas]

Celine is no diva, I doubt she has requirements like that. Bavarian cherries and specially coloured water glasses?? And 11 bodyguards on stage with her at all times, with "eight of them on chairs that can swivel 30 degrees"? LMAO! What a load of rubbish! When her requirement documentation for the LTAL tour was leaked all she asked for was a doctor to be available on the day of the show.

[Bellamy]

I think those are reasonable requirements. I don't think she would sign a contract only ask for a doctor to be available. That's too simple.

[Thomas]

Celine never performs with bodyguards on stage. Ever! And why the hell would they need seats that swivel 30 degrees? Totally made up. I wish I could find the site that had a photocopy of her LTAL tour itinerary. It listed what time the kids choir was needed on stage, what time Celine would be entering the arena etc. And apart from bottled water in her dressing room, all it had under special requirements was the telephone number for a local throat doctor.

[Bellamy]

"Dion will be sipping water in one of six water glasses in specified colours of white, black or navy." This sounds weird too. Maybe some parts are made up. Not sure if the 150 crew part is true or not. There's another Chinese report said she would bring 80 people crew to China.

[Cheerfuljane]

Ticket Connection has received strange requests from over-eager fans, such as “Jaine” from London who said she planned to attend shows in three cities and wanted backstage passes to speak to Dion about a business idea.

That's Cheerfuljane?

 

IT'S NOT MEEEEE

 

I did, however, enter a competition to meet Celine... fingers crossed

 

I'd say most of it was true. I think Celine WOULD be specific about her requirements. Nice to get details about the catering

You're right about the colour of the glasses, though. Way over the top.

[Teodora]

This sounds a lot like those articles that said she flying on a helicopter from her home to the Colosseum in Vegas... So totally made up to make her look like a demanding diva...

 

True or not, I'm glad they talk about it everywhere. I'm starting to feel the buzz!

[Nikosn17]

I love Celine being a Diva

[tcherno]

at first, i thought it is too much exaggerated but later, i guess they need to specify everything in the contract to avoid legal actions from anyone. Celine is a DIVA and she can ask for whatever she wants.

[Costa Santos]

Celine's the queen...

[kathy4]

thanks for sharing that with us.