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"Mama Concerts & Rau" Four-Concert Deal Signing

Date confirmed in “E! News” (archived) (“Jackson had, on January 14, 1999, signed a four-concert deal”)

Honolulu Star-Bulletin (April 20, 1999) (archived)

Michael Jackson has chosen Aloha Stadium as the United States location where he wants to perform New Year's Eve in a millennium extravaganza expected to include other groups, last from late afternoon to well-beyond midnight, and pay the "King of Pop" more money than any other artist working that night in the country.

Details of the show, including its official name, the other acts, types of festivities within the event and ticket prices will be announced within "days or weeks," said Marcel Avram, producer and promoter of the concert.

"Michael felt he should perform in Hawaii at the millennium because it's the last chance and place in the United States where an American can enjoy this once in a lifetime experience," Avram said in a telephone interview from Germany.

"Michael's desire was to close the millennium in the United States with a beautiful event and Hawaii is a place he very much enjoys."

Although Avram calls the concert "a plan," a contract between Jackson and the promoter's company, Mama Concerts, for the Aloha Stadium event New Year's Eve has been signed, he said.

Mama Concerts already had Jackson under contract to perform New Year's Eve in Sydney, Australia, before the agreement was reached for the Hawaii show, he said.

After the Sydney concert, Jackson will board a private jet bound for Honolulu. Jackson's Aloha Stadium stage will be in place by the time the performer arrives in Hawaii, which will be "early" Dec. 31, Avram said. Sydney is 20 hours ahead of Hawaii.

The Sydney and Honolulu concerts will be Jackson's only for-profit shows of the year, Avram said. He will perform in charity concerts in June in Munich, Germany, and Seoul.

The official announcement of the Hawaii concert will be made after several important details of the show have been completed, Avram said.

"There are a great many things to coordinate," he said. "This is not the usual concert like the last time Michael performed in Hawaii (in January 1997). A millennium show is a huge enterprise and until we have everything decided from the technical point of view and the other acts, we don't want to make any incomplete announcements."

Avram, 61, was the promoter for Jackson's two 1997 Hawaii performances, which both sold out.

Promoter Marek Lieberberg, Avram's former partner, last week signed a contract and made a deposit with Aloha Stadium on behalf of Avram for use of the venue New Year's Eve, said Lieberberg, who in February promoted the Celine Dion concert at the stadium.

Plans being considered for the concert include surrounding the stadium's exterior with several large tents, where special entertainment will be presented and some of Hawaii's premier chefs will serve food.

Though the top ticket may be the highest-priced ever for a concert in Hawaii, Avram said other ticket prices will fit regular budgets.

“E! News” (June 26, 2000) (archived)

It's another legal thriller involving the King of Pop and his longtime concert promoter.

Marcel Avram, Michael Jackson's Munich-based promoter for nearly three decades, slapped Jackson with a $21.2 million lawsuit last week, alleging the Gloved One pulled out of two millennium concerts that cost Avram millions.

Avram's lawyers filed the suit Friday in Santa Barbara, California, Superior Court, according to a statement issued by Avram's company, Mama Concerts & Rau, from its Munich headquarters.

The statement claims Jackson had, on January 14, 1999, signed a four-concert deal that included two New Year's Eve concerts straddling the international date line: one in Sydney and, a speed jet ride later, one in Honolulu.

The suit, which claims damages for breach of contract and fraud, acknowledges Jackson did perform two charity concerts in Seoul and Munich as stipulated by the contract, but that "ticket sales were dismal."

According to the suit, Jackson didn't tell Avram until October 1999 that he wouldn't be playing the Y2K Eve concerts in Sydney or Honolulu.

When Jackson dropped out, Avram said, he "was left to explain Michael Jackson's erratic behavior--and to pay all of his bills."

The suit says Avram, who paid Jackson $1 million upfront, tried to settle with the megastar amicably for six months--even though the singer's contract allegedly had no escape clause.

"There is nothing else we can do but to remind Michael Jackson of his responsibilities as an artist and businessman. Saying 'I love you' is not enough," Avram, who has been Jackson's concert promoter since 1972, tells Reuters.

Avram wants $10 million for out-of-pocket losses (including advanced costs associated with promoting and producing the four concerts); $1.2 million to pay for old debts incurred by Jackson; about $10 million in lost profits from the millennium concerts; and yet-to-be-determined costs arising from damage to Avram's professional reputation.

Not that Avram had that great a rep to begin with. The last time he made headlines was in 1997, when he was jailed for three and a half years in Germany on 12 counts of tax evasion.

And this isn't the first time Avram and Jacko squared off in court. In 1993, Avram sued Jackson for $20 million for canceling his "Dangerous" world tour--that complaint was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

Jackson's company, MJJ Enterprises Inc., had no comment on the latest suit.