Sarah Brightman To Launch Second Leg Of ìLa Lunaî Tour As Album Nears Platinum

13-Jul-01

Sarah Brightman is set to continue her reign. Alongside artists such as Elton John and Sting, Brightman is one of the top British touring artists in the U.S. The next leg of her triumphant ìLa Lunaî tour will take her to nearly two dozen cities beginning March 3rd in Las Vegas. With this distinction, the critically acclaimed multi-Platinum diva impressively builds on her status here in the United States as a successful touring and recording artist who has sold over 8 million albums worldwide (last three Angel releases including ìLa Lunaî) and nearly 3 million albums in the U.S. alone. Her latest release, ìLa Luna,î which entered the Billboard Pop chart at #17, has been certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. and is well on its way to Platinum. The album has remained on the Billboard Pop charts since its release date on August 29, 2000.This leg of the tour follows Brightmanís 42-city Fall ìLa Lunaî tour. Among the widespread rave concert reviews:ìBrightman is a truer diva in the traditional sense than any of the pop vocal acrobats who have been so dubbed-Mariah, Whitney, Celine, et al. While she has a powerful voice, she never pushes or overreaches; Brightman more often compels and even soothes to enchant with an elegant mystery.îHOLLYWOOD REPORTERìThey say a star must be a study in contradictions, someone mysterious and difficult to define. If thatís the case, Sarah Brightman strongly qualifies. She is a delicate waif one minute, operatic diva the next. She offers her own form of rock - soprano belting - switches to classical and then expertly combines all her identities. Through transitions from sweetheart to seductress, she maintains a majestic distance, like a queen dispensing generous gifts to her adoring subjects.îDAILY VARIETYMs. Brightmanís latest Angel Records release, ìLa Luna,î marked the highest American chart debut of her career and represented a major mainstream breakthrough. The album, produced by Frank Peterson, sold more than one million units worldwide in its first month of release. At the same time, ìLa Lunaî (which features Procol Harumís ìA Whiter Shade Of Paleî), entered ìBillboardísî Classical Crossover chart at #1. The stunning video for ìA Whiter Shade Of Paleî (directed by the renowned Paul Boyd, who is known for his work with Shania Twain, Sting and Tina Turner, amongst others) has been seen on such national television shows as ìLIVE with Regis,î ìCNN World Beat,î ìE! Entertainment Televisionî and ìCNN Showbiz Today.î A Bravo Network hour-long ìProfileî on Ms. Brightman is scheduled to air in March.With her unique crossover mix of classical and pop, along with her crystalline soprano voice, Sarah Brightman has dominated ìBillboardísî Classical Crossover chart for the past four years. ìLa Lunaî continues the momentum of success developed with her previous Angel recordings, including her Platinum breakthrough, ìTime To Say Goodbyeî (1997), which topped the ìBillboardî Classical Crossover chart in the U.S. for a staggering 35 weeks, sold over three million copies worldwide, and went Gold or Platinum in 21 countries. The title track, a duet with Andrea Bocelli, sold five million copies worldwide and stands as the biggest selling single in German history. Ms. Brightman followed that with the 1999 release of her Gold recording, ìEden,î which hit #1 on the Classical Crossover chart and spent an amazing total of 51 weeks on ìBillboardísî Classical Crossover chart, in addition to debuting on the trade publicationís Pop Chart at #67.The DVD and VHS of the ìLa Lunaî concert extravaganza, capturing Brightmanís live concert in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, will be released in March. It is directed by Bruce Gowers who has helmed recent TV specials starring Britney Spears and Ricky Martin. Along with Ms. Brightmanís stunning performances of music from ìLa Luna,î the video, ìLa Luna Live In Concert,î also contains such favorites as ìTime To Say Goodbye,î ìMusic Of The Night,î and ìMoon River,î as well as interview footage. The performance also served as Ms. Brightmanís third PBS special, which premiered in December and will air again in March. The DVD will include never before seen exclusive backstage footage as well as other previously unseen special intimate moments with Sarah on film. A ìBravo Profileî will air on April 4th.Ms. Brightmanís North American tour will continue through April 4th in Miami, Florida and is part of a world tour, which has taken her magnificent new production featuring a dramatic stage design to Europe and will head to Asia later this year.