MICHELLE OBAMA’S BIG BOOK TRIP
‘It’s like you’re looking at a Madonna tour’
A fifth-row seat at the Barclays Center goes for $1,256. A seat in the front row, with a “meet & greet package” thrown in, will cost you up to $3,000. Wheelchair seating in the back of the house is listed at $400, while a spot in the upper tiers could be had for $29.50.
The latest megaproduction from U2 or Beyoncé? Nope. It’s the price of admission to see Michelle Obama on tour for “Becoming,” the former first lady’s memoir, which is scheduled to be published Nov. 13.
After keeping a relatively low profile since leaving the White House, Obama is returning to the public sphere in dramatic fashion.
While other authors typically follow a circuit that may include podcast interviews and stops at the 92nd Street Y in New York and Powell’s Books in Portland, Oregon, Obama is set to embark on a 10-city tour put together by Live Nation, the world’s largest concert promoter, which manages about 500 artists, including Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé and U2. Tickets are available, while they last, from Ticketmaster.
The tour is to begin in Chicago, Obama’s hometown, at the United Center. The arena, the home of the Chicago Bulls, has a usual seating capacity of 23,500. After wending its way through venues of similar size in Inglewood, California, Washington, D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, Denver, San Jose, California, and Dallas, the monthlong run will end in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center
(seating capacity: 19,000).
On its website, Live Nation said Obama’s show would “feature intimate and honest conversations between Mrs. Obama and a selection of to-be-announced moderators, reflective of the extraordinary stories shared in the wide-ranging chapters of her deeply personal book.” Because of high demand during the presale period, which ended Thursday, the promoter recently added second shows in Washington and Brooklyn.
Hearst Magazines will promote “Becoming,” with content sprinkled through its publications and websites, according to seven people familiar with the arrangement.
Steven Barclay, a book agent who has planned largescale tours for authors Ina Garten and David Sedaris, was virtually speechless as he checked the Ticketmaster landing page for Obama.
“Huh,” he said. “Wow. OK. It’s like you’re looking at a Madonna tour. That’s the first thing that comes to mind.”