George Michael on Sunday became the first pop singer to play a gig at the Paris Opera, with a special gala concert backed by a symphony orchestra for the AIDS-related charity Sidaction.
The British star, on top form and fully recovered from a bout of pneumonia which forced him to postpone his Symphonica tour of the UK and Europe last year, filled the majestic 2,000-seat Palais Garnier, management said.
He performed a selection of his biggest hits and American standards before the swaying crowd, winding up with an explosive finale of Freedom and White Light.
Photo: Reuters
照片：路透。
Tickets for the concert went at up to 1,300 euros (NT$50,000) with a special dinner thrown in. An auction raised 68,000 euros, with a dinner for six with George Michael at his London home bringing in 31,000 euros.
After the show some 250 celebrities met George Michael at the invitation of organizers Line Renaud and Pierre Berge.
Berge, the companion of late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and co-founder of Sidaction, declared: “The only vaccine against AIDS is the condom” while singer and entertainer Renaud praised George Michael as having always promoted “sex without risks.”
Photo: Reuters
照片：路透。
The concert and dinner swelled the coffers of Sidaction by some 289,000 euros.
(AFP)
喬治‧麥可週日在一場為慈善團體「愛滋防治行動」募款，並有交響樂團加持的一場特別演出中開唱，讓他成為首位以搖滾樂登上巴黎歌劇院演出的流行歌手。
經紀公司表示，這位身體狀況佳且已從去年大病中痊癒的英國巨星，擠滿建築雄偉的加尼葉歌劇院（巴黎歌劇院的別名），其內有兩千個座位的觀眾席。麥可去年因罹患肺炎，致使他不得不將英國與歐洲名為的「Symphonica」巡迴演唱延期。
他在搖擺著的群眾面前，演出他選出的幾首最暢銷歌曲與美國標準歌曲，並以「自由」與「白光」成為爆炸性的壓軸曲目作結束。
這場演唱會最高票價為一千三百歐元（約新台幣五萬元），包括一份特別的晚餐。一場拍賣會募得六萬八千歐元，其中募得的三萬一千歐元，則是有六人可與喬治‧麥可在其倫敦住處共進晚餐。
演出結束後，大約有兩百五十位名流在主辦人皮埃爾‧貝爾傑與麗娜‧雷諾的邀請下，與喬治‧麥可見面。
「愛滋防治行動」共同創始人貝爾傑聲明表示：「防治愛滋病的唯一疫苗就是保險套。」貝爾傑也是已故時裝設計師伊夫‧聖羅蘭的伴侶。而歌手兼藝人的雷諾則對於喬治‧麥可一貫提倡「安全性行為」的做法，表示讚揚。
這場演唱會與餐會讓「愛滋防治行動」募得二十八萬九千歐元的大筆款項。
（法新社/翻譯：林亞蒂）
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