Celine Show A No Go

Officials in Halifax, Nova Scotia were left wondering what happened after a Celine Dion concert went from confirmed to canned within a matter of weeks.

Dion’s promoter, Gillett Entertainment Group, recently contacted officials in the city to book an August 2008 date as part of the upcoming "Taking Chances" world tour.

"Gillett came to us," Mayor Peter Kelly told the Chronicle Herald. "They met in my office with me and with (municipal) staff, they toured around (metro) and they saw the venue and knew its capacity."

The promoter booked the city’s Commons for the performance, reportedly going so far as to post the date and venue on Dion’s Web site. About a week later, that date was pulled.

"Following discussions with various professionals and experts, it was agreed that the venue is not appropriate for the concert’s elaborate production needs and would not satisfy the best interests of Celine Dion’s public," GEG said in a statement. "For all of the above reasons, Gillett Entertainment Group thanks fans for their understanding of the unfortunate situation."

There may have been more to the unfortunate situation than GEG let on.

Dion’s husband, Rene Angelil, reportedly told a French-language newspaper that "even before the sale of 20,000 tickets, journalists have to write that it was a place for the Rolling Stones to rock, not Celine Dion."

Kelly said the situation was unfortunate, but officials had no control over the media’s coverage of the concert.

"At the end of the day, we don’t dictate the way in which the press certainly write their stories or give their perspectives," Kelly told the Herald. "That’s something we have no control over."

But besides the negative press, public reactions to the announcement were apparently lukewarm as well.

Fred MacGillivray, CEO of Trade Center Ltd., which runs the provincial booking agency Events Halifax, told the paper the public clearly wasn’t impressed with the choice, and the decision to pull the show could impact the city’s future efforts to book performers.

"For all the right reasons, the concert came together and it was announced and for some reason the community said vocally, ‘Gee, we really don’t want that concert,’" he said. "The community is impacted … and we’ve lost millions in economic spinoffs. The losers here are us."

The singer is now set to give a free performance at the Plains of Abraham historic site in Quebec City the day before she was scheduled to play in Halifax, the Herald reported.

Kelly said in a statement that he is disappointed by the cancellation, but will continue to seek out other prospective concerts for the city.

"There are other proposals for other concerts on the Commons next summer," Kelly said. "It is our intention to continue our due diligence regarding these proposals and, hopefully, to reach agreements with the promoters soon. We believe we have one of the finest outdoor concert venues in the country, and I am confident there will be concerts on the Commons next summer."

The mayor was previously criticized by some officials who claimed he was stepping on toes at the provincial booking agency Events Halifax by directly contacting promoters through his office.

Gillett could not be reached for further comment.