Of course with all this teeth gnashing there had to be an other hand. And this came through to me quite forcefully last evening following a conversation with the concert promoter who happened to be in Phnom Penh and stopped by Garage [3] for a couple of cold beverages and to talk about the Cohen show.
So yes, on the other hand rabbi, what about the beneficiaries?? Is it really important who does the giving and what their motivations might be? Or put more directly in terms of the Cohen concert: If the primary goal of this concert series is to raise money for two worthwhile local charities, and if the maximum fundraising can be achieved by filling this venue at these ticket prices, is there any obligation to cater to fans by offering lower ticket prices and thus reducing the charitable benefits? Can one morally justify writing off, let's say $30,000 (that might go to the Red Cross (300 tickets x $100) so that 300 fans can attend the show who might otherwise not?
From a moral perspective I think it's a tough argument to make. Leonard and his promoter have considered this carefully I'm told and have come down clearly on the side of maximizing the proceeds available to the charities. Whether the promoters are correct in their calculus is a separate issue but they certainly know more about maximizing concert revenue than I do. Of course the moral high ground is lost if the monies don't get spent by the charities as they should. I will presume that Leonard's people have done their homework here regarding the charities.
Mr. Cohen has a history here to consider: 100% of the proceeds of his September Tel Aviv concert, a very pricey ticket, went to the Fund For Reconciliation, Tolerance and Peace he established to aid organizations doing good work in Israel and Palestine. And that includes 100% of the promoter's earnings as well (I looked it up).
What about from an artistic point of view? Will it be the same show, as good a show as if Cohen were playing to an arena of primarily fans? Well I am assured that Leonard will play the same quality show he does around the world regardless of who is filling seats, and with Leonard being known as an artist of extraordinary integrity, I don't doubt this. Ok, there may be less foot stomping and hooting, but that might be the same in say Tokyo.
Does the elitist nature of the concert limit the extent to which this is meaningful event for the larger Cambodian community (which of course is another main goal of the concert series)? From a cultural point of view, yes I think it would if Leonard and his peeps simply fly in and fly out. But it seems that this event means a great deal to Leonard so I'm expecting more from the man. I know a lot of local fans are hugely disappointed at the high ticket prices but I for one am anxious to see how this plays out.
Following on from Part I - Gnashing of Teeth Among the Coheneem? [4]
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