Friday, August 24, 2007

Ricky Martin to Open Renovated Fillmore Miami Beach

Ricky Martin to Open Renovated Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater With His Acclaimed Black & White Tour Returning to Miami for a Three Night Stand

Live Nation Continues to Expand on the Fan-Centric Fillmore Music Venue Concept with Opening of the Sixth North American Fillmore-branded Venue

MIAMI BEACH, Fla., Aug. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Live Nation Miami announced today that GRAMMY & LATIN GRAMMY winning superstar Ricky Martin has been scheduled to perform at the highly anticipated opening of the intimate Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason Theater, bringing his highly-acclaimed "Black & White Tour" back to Miami for a three night stand on October 10th, 11th and 12th.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070814/LATU055LOGO)

Having already played to a sold-out arena audience in Miami earlier this year, The Miami Herald described Martin's "Black & White Tour" as a "spectacular production ... that showed [Martin] not only kept his star status, he's deepened and solidified his artistry ... he puts on a hellaciously good show... [and is] more in command of the stage than ever." In addition to sold-out stadium and arena concerts across the world, this past year has seen Martin's most recent album: Ricky Martin: MTV Unplugged reach platinum sales status in the U.S. Latin market and numerous countries throughout Latin America. The album's smash single "Tu Recuerdo" has also been declared "the #1 charting Latin single of the year" thus far by Billboard. Later this fall, Martin is set to receive a star on the iconic "Hollywood Walk of Fame" and plans to release a live CD/DVD from the "Black & White Tour."

Live Nation, the world's largest live music company, took over the storied Jackie Gleason Theater earlier this year, and is in the process of making $3.5 million in renovations to the 2,700 capacity music venue.

When doors open to Ricky Martin's 3-night stand, Miami Beach music fans will notice a difference. Upon entering the venue, there will be fresh apples for hungry live music aficionados and a greeter to let them know about upcoming shows. Five new sparkling chandeliers will shine light on red walls which will be hung with posters, pictures and newspaper articles reflecting the local history of the Jackie Gleason Theater as well as that of the original Fillmore San Francisco. Fans will also notice that the floor of the main music hall is terraced with hardwood floors to allow for both seated and standing configurations and the carpet has been removed from the lobby to make room for rich ceramic tile flooring. After the show, a collectible poster commemorating the evening will be distributed to concert goers, a tradition that will continue for select shows throughout the year.

To devotees of the Fillmore in San Francisco, which was founded by legendary concert promoter Bill Graham in 1965 and is one of contemporary music's most respected and enduring live concert venues, these traditions will seem familiar. So while it's no easy task to improve upon Miami Beach's Jackie Gleason Theater, local music fans will undoubtedly appreciate the new traditions and aesthetic that will infuse the refurbished venue, which, upon Ricky Martin's christening concert, will be known as The Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason Theater.

"We are thrilled to be re-opening the Jackie Gleason Theater under the Fillmore banner," said Neil Jacobsen, President of Live Nation Miami. "We have worked hard to make significant improvements to the theater that will enable us to draw world class talent to The Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason Theater for many years to come. We are confident that music fans are going to love the renovated venue and we couldn't be happier that an artist of Ricky's stature will be kicking things off for us."

The Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason Theater joins five other Fillmore-branded venues across the United States, including San Francisco, Denver, New York, Philadelphia and Detroit, which complement the company's 11 House of Blues clubs.

Like the Fillmore, the Jackie Gleason Theater has a rich history as one of South Florida's most celebrated venues, hosting some of the entertainment industry's brightest stars including of course, the legendary Jackie Gleason, who filmed his successful television variety show at the theatre beginning in 1964. Over the years, many musical greats have graced the stage at the Theater as well, including Marc Anthony, Lenny Kravitz, Seal and Elvis Costello.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, August 24th at 10:00a.m.

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