Tenor Andrea Bocelli unveils North American arena dates for November
Prolific Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli is set to perform November concerts in seven North American cities as he continues to support his two-disc May release, "Tosca," and his 2002 pop album, "Sentimento."
The outing opens on Nov. 7 at Fresno, CA's new Save Mart Center arena, and currently is set to wrap in Providence, RI, on Nov. 23.
"Tosca"--featuring Bocelli as Cavaradossi and Italian soprano Fiorenza Cedolins as Floria Tosca--is the second full opera Bocelli has recorded for Decca Records (the first was "La Bohème" in 2000).
Of his character, Bocelli said in a statement: "Not only is he Tosca's lover, he is also an artist and a man interested in and involved in politics. I've studied the character closely and I now feel I can really identify with him."
According to Bocelli's label, his previous classical releases--"Aria," "Sacred Arias," "Verdi" and his recordings of Puccini's "La Bohème" and Verdi's "Requiem"--have made him the top-selling classical artist in history, with worldwide sales of more than 45 million.
"Sentimento," a collaboration with New York Philharmonic Music Director Lorin Maazel, is Bocelli's latest pop release.
In 2002, Bocelli's 13 North American concerts grossed more than $17 million, according to concert-industry trade magazine Pollstar. The average ticket sold for more than $138, and promoters reported that, despite the premium price tag, an average of more than 9,400 tickets were sold to each show.
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