Sting, Elton John, James Taylor and Ravi Shankar have been confirmed as the first round of performers for the tenth annual Carnegie Hall benefit for the Rainforest Foundation. The event is set for April 13th in New York City.

Various special package tickets are already available: the Platinum Package offers First Tier Box seats for $50,000 ($46,000 of which can be deducted as a charitable donation), which includes a sixteen-seat block of seats, two backstage passes, a table at the post-show party and Rainforest Foundation membership. Gold Package seats include eight tickets, concert mementos, a table at the post-show party and Rainforest Foundation membership for $25,000. Super Seats run $2,500 per ticket along with a party invite and various concert mementos. For $600, one gets Wonderful Seats, which consist of just that, without a party invite or any additional perks.

"Cheap" tickets will be available to the general public through the Carnegie Hall box office in March. Those seats will range from $150 (Rear Balcony) to $350 (Second Tier).

The concert is part of the weeklong Rainforest Awareness Week, which also includes Central Park Run for the Rainforest and a benefit at a SoHo art gallery.

The Rainforest Foundation was started by Sting, his wife Trudi Styler and Menkragnoti Kayaop Chief Ranoi in 1989 in an effort to protect the world's diminishing rainforests.

ANDREW DANSBY
(February 19, 2002)