Surgery halts Jackson’s tour – U2 tops

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NEW YORK, Dec 25, (Agencies): Pop superstar Janet Jackson has announced a temporary halt to her global tour to undergo surgery for an unspecified condition, raising fears for her health.

Jackson, 49, who has returned with an extensive global tour after several years of relative quiet, said late Thursday that doctors told her she needed an operation “soon.”

“It breaks my heart to tell you that I am forced to postpone the ‘Unbreakable Tour’ until the spring,” she said in a statement on Twitter.

“Please pray for me, my family and our entire company during this difficult time,” she said, adding that she would not give further comment on her health condition.

Jackson was due to resume her tour on Jan 9 in Denver and has dates across the United States, Canada and Europe lined up through late June.

She did not give an exact date for resumption of her tour but promised she would reschedule all concerts and honor tickets.

Jackson began her tour on Aug 31 in Vancouver, playing across North American along with several dates last month in Japan.

She earlier postponed a handful of US shows to avoid strain on her voice.

Jackson in October released “Unbreakable,” her first album since the death of her brother Michael in 2009.

The death of the “King of Pop” had led Janet Jackson to retreat from the public eye, although she returned with a global tour in 2011.

Jackson’s 1990 “Rhythm Nation” tour is often considered a landmark in modern concert promotion, combining a lavish dance routine with socially conscious messaging.

The Top 20 Global Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows Worldwide. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

Top 20 Global Concert Tours

* U2; $6,338,471; $119.63.

* Taylor Swift; $4,125,466; $109.80.

* One Direction; $3,097,745; $85.82.

* Madonna; $2,415,278; $127.30.

* Ed Sheeran; $1,842,142; $61.20.

* Maroon 5; $1,609,980; $92.12.

* The Weeknd; $1,368,999; $77.08.

* Marc Anthony / Carlos Vives; $1,270,624; $111.81.

* Violetta; $1,107,450; $77.81.

* Juan Gabriel; $1,074,520; $119.19.

* Foo Fighters; $1,028,586; $61.29.

* Muse; $952,727; $68.51.

* Shania Twain; $906,681; $94.77.

* Zac Brown Band; $870,938; $54.00.

* Andre Rieu; $865,975; $79.91.

* Simply Red; $798,447; $67.79.

* Janet Jackson; $721,781; $83.64.

* Trans-Siberian Orchestra; $711,497; $55.24.

* Chayanne; $686,971; $86.07.

* Dave Matthews Band; $662,253; $59.28.

In celebration of Jonathan Larson’s Tony award-winning musical “Rent’s” 20th anniversary, original cast members from the show will be reuniting next month at BroadwayCon in New York City.

As announced by Playbill, the “Rent” reunion will include cast members Anthony Rapp (Mark Cohen), Adam Pascal (Roger Davis) and Daphne Rubin-Vega (Mimi Marquez) as well as choreographer Marlies Yearby, original conductor Tim Weil and original casting director Bernard Telsey, who will all participate in a BroadwayCon 2016 panel on Jan 22, the 20th anniversary of the musical’s off-Broadway debut.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky has withdrawn from four February performances of Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” at the Metropolitan Opera because of ongoing treatment for a brain tumor.

The 53-year-old Russian baritone announced his diagnosis in June and canceled performances through August to undergo treatment in London.

He returned in September to sing three performances of the Count di Luna at the Met, including one televised worldwide. Audiences greeted him with loud ovations and orchestra members threw white roses at him during the curtain calls.

Hvorostovsky currently is singing in a run of Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” at London’s Royal Opera through Jan 2.

The Met said Wednesday he will be replaced by Juan Jesus Rodriguez, who will be making his company debut.

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