International Superstar Mariah Carey and Empire’s Jussie Smollett Announce Concert in Hawaii

MARIAH CAREY, INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR
ANNOUNCES HER FIRST CONCERT IN HAWAII IN NEARLY TWO DECADES

“SWEET SWEET FANTASY”

THE MOST EAGERLY ANTICIPATED CONCERT OF THE YEAR
ARRIVES ON HAWAII’S SHORES NOVEMBER 25, 2016 FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY!

AWARD-WINNING SINGER, SONGWRITER, ACTOR AND COLUMBIA RECORDING ARTIST
JUSSIE SMOLLETT FROM THE MONSTER HIT SERIES EMPIRE
JOINS MARIAH CAREY FOR A ONCE IN A LIFETIME CONCERT EVENT

Special Kama’aina pre-sale tickets available for Hawaii residents and military only*
starts Saturday, September 24th at 9:00 A.M. HST

Rick Bartalini Presents is proud and delighted to announce that Mariah Carey, the best-selling female artist of all time, will be returning to the Hawaii stage this fall with her “Sweet Sweet Fantasy” tour. On the heels of a sold-out Las Vegas residency, the forthcoming launch of docuseries Mariah’s World on E!, and one of the most exciting years of her extraordinary career, the global superstar will be taking her fans on a thrilling journey of wonder as she performs her biggest, career-defining hits. To reward her legions of super-loyal Hawaiian fans, the Sweet Sweet Fantasy tour will play Honolulu’s Neal S. Blaisdell Arena on Friday, November 25, 2016. The one-night-only engagement marks Mariah’s first performance in Hawaii in nearly two decades.

International demand for the one-night-only engagement is expected to be unprecedented. Therefore, concert promoter Rick Bartalini Presents will honor the residents and military of Hawaii with an exclusive Kama’aina pre-sale to purchase the best seats first. Starting Saturday, September 24th at 9:00 A.M., Hawaii residents and military can get early access to tickets before they go on sale anywhere else in the world. No password is required for local residents, only a Hawaii zip code. Hawaii residents and military may purchase up to eight tickets each. Tickets go on sale worldwide October 1st at 9:00 A.M. HST. Fans can get further information by signing up for Event Alerts at RBPconcerts.com.

Drawing on a back catalogue of over 18 No. 1 singles, Mariah will be performing her biggest hits, including the timeless “Hero,” “Fantasy,” “Always Be My Baby,” the global smash hit “We Belong Together” and many, many more.

After two seasons of speculation, Mariah will appear on the third season of the hit Fox series Empire. Carey will play a singer named Kitty who collaborates with Jamal (Jussie Smollett) at Empire and helps him craft an “explosive new song.” Mariah will appear on the October 5th episode.

“Aloha Lambily, it’s been too long!! I’m so excited to be coming to Hawaii to perform for you all. I’m thrilled my extraordinarilytalented friend Jussie Smollett will be joining us for this special night in paradise. I promise we’re going to share the most amazing moments together and I have so many surprises in store for you daahhlings! Can’t wait to see you all. Love Mariah xx”

Mariah Carey’s last performance in Hawaii was in February 1998. The sold-out concert at the Aloha Stadium sold an astonishing 33,000 tickets. The performance was filmed for her HBO special Mariah Carey Live Around the World.

Mariah Carey is a music icon, a soul legend, a pop phenomenon, a breathtaking live artist and planet Earth’s best-selling female artist of all time. She has sold over 220 million records and 17 of her 18 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles have been self-penned, including ‘Fantasy’, ‘Always Be My Baby’, ‘Hero’, ‘Touch My Body’, ‘One Sweet Day’, and ‘We Belong Together’, more than any other solo artist.

With her distinct five-octave vocal range, prolific songwriting, and producing talent, Mariah has defined the modern pop artist. As a singer/songwriter/producer, amongst her countless awards, she has been recognized with multiple Grammy Awards, 21 American Music Awards, Billboard’s “Artist of the Decade” Award, the World Music Award for “World’s Best Selling Female Artist Of The Millennium,” and BMI’s “Icon Award” for her outstanding achievements in songwriting.

She has topped the charts globally and has played to packed audiences in stadiums and arenas around the world. Her combination of stellar talents has inspired her dedicated fans in almost every country and set new standards for excellence in the music industry.

Mariah Carey’s ongoing impact transcends the music industry to leave an indelible imprint upon the world at large. Her docuseries “Mariah’s World” will premiere internationally this fall on E! and takes a look behind the scenes in her busy life. She has made substantial marks in film with critically acclaimed roles in Precious (2009), Lee Daniel’s The Butler (2013) and last year Mariah made her directorial debut in A Christmas Melody, a special festive feature for Hallmark, in which she also starred. A Congressional Award recipient, Mariah has generously donated her time and energy to a range of philanthropic causes near to her heart including Save the Music, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, World Hunger Relief, and the Elton John AIDS Foundation, among many others. A tremendous supporter of children’s charities, both domestic and international, Mariah founded Camp Mariah in partnership with the Fresh Air Fund, a retreat for inner city children to explore career development.

Jussie Smollett is an accomplished singer, songwriter and actor. In 2015, Jussie was catapulted to international fame playing Jamal Lyon opposite Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard on monster hit television series, Empire. Tonight on Fox, Jussie enters his third season starring on the multiple award-winning hit series that continues to shatter records, finishing the second season as the No. 1 show on broadcast television.

Jussie co-wrote the songs “I Wanna Love You” and “You’re So Beautiful” on the Grammy nominated Original Soundtrack from Season 1 of Empire album. In addition to numerous BET and Teen Choice Award nominations, Jussie is a six-time NAACP award winner including “Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration” and “Outstanding Song” for “You’re So Beautiful” as well as “Outstanding New Artist.” Jussie is signed to Columbia Records.

“The word ‘honored’ doesn’t begin to explain how I feel about being on the same stage as the incomparable Mariah Carey. She is one of the greatest artists of all time and now a dear friend. I know I will cherish these moments forever and I know that this lighting is about to be POPPIN. Aloha Hawaii…see you soon.” Said Jussie Smollett about his upcoming concert with Mariah Carey, his first in Hawaii.

Jussie is actively involved in numerous charities and was named by the Black AIDS Institute as one of the 30 artists under 30 truly making a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS. He recently was inducted into its hall of fame. He sits on the Board of Artists for a New South Africa, and he supports the Jenesee Foundation, a shelter for battered women.

Tickets for Mariah Carey’s “Sweet Sweet Fantasy” tour with Empire’s Jussie Smollett November 25th at 8:00 P.M. at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arenaare $255.50, $155.50, $85.50, and $65.50 plus service fees. Tickets will be available at http://www.ticketmaster.com and in-person at the venue box office (Monday – Saturday, 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. HST) or charge by phone at (800) 745-3000. Neal S. Blaisdell Arena address: 777 Ward Ave, Honolulu, HI 96814.

*Rick Bartalini Presents welcomes non-Hawaii resident military to purchase tickets in-person at the Blaisdell Box Office during the Kama’aina pre-sale.

Stay up to date with Mariah Carey at http://www.mariahcarey.com/tour and follow Mariah on social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each ticket benefit the Rick Bartalini Presents Never Surrender Foundation for at risk LGBT youth www.NeverSurrenderFoundation.Org