Italian consumer groups call Streisand concert ticket prices "immoral", "absurd" and "shameful".
While inexplicably refraining to pronounce Streisand herself "absurd" and "shameful", the Adusbef and Codacons groups have appealed for her Rome concert to be cancelled because of ridiculously high ticket prices. Tickets range in price from the euro equivalent of US$200 to US$1200 for the June 15 launch of Streisand's European tour.The groups are appealing to the municipality of Rome, and CONI - the sports association that own the Stadio Flaminio stadium where the concert is being held. They claim that the stadium is a public venue and should not be used for "immoral deals that are shameful to a civilized country".
The appeals follow outrage in the UK that Streisand was charging the same kind of prices for her three performances at London's O2 Arena. The first date reportedly sold out in 20 minutes regardless of the obscene cost.
Billboard reported that Streisand grossed almost US$100 million dollars for her 2006 US tour. The eight-date June/July European tour is first her visit to the continent since 1994.
