Stadium of Fire tickets hot

PROVO — Reba's a hot ticket.

Tickets to this year's Stadium of Fire — headlined by country music legend Reba McEntire — are expected to sell out shortly after they go on sale Saturday.

"We've just had a lot of calls — more than ever before — and people wanting to buy blocks of seats for 20, 50 or 70 people," said Carl Bacon, chief organizer of America's Freedom Festival at Provo, which organizes the concert-and-fireworks show.

The strength of the talent lineup is being credited for the unprecedented interest. The July 3 show is part of McEntire's first tour in three years.

"She's like the Madonna of country music. There is nothing better than Reba," said fan DeAnne Mackey. "People love her, and they will pay to see her."

Many folks in GOP-heavy Utah County also want to see radio talk-show host Sean Hannity, whose appearance last year was the catalyst for controversy.

In the weeks leading to the Independence Day event, many questioned if the festival, located in the heart of a valley once called the most Republican in the nation, catered only to conservatives.

In March, Hannity offered 1,000 promo seats for $100 each as a way to generate early excitement. Within 24 hours, the tickets were gone.

And like last year, this year's Stadium of Fire will be broadcast live via the American Forces Network to members of the military in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Asia, Europe and aboard U.S. Navy ships.

Bacon said that there has been little controversy surrounding Hannity's return, aside from the host's run-in with Utah Democratic Party Chairman Donald Dunn on the radio.

After calling Hannity "divisive" and a "pimp for the GOP," Dunn declined to accept an invitation to debate at a book signing for Hannity's book, "Deliver Us From Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism and Liberalism."

"I still believe that Sean Hannity is a lackey for the GOP," Dunn said.

Bacon usually encourages controversy — it helped to bring record crowds to the Stadium of Fire last year.

"We can never assume that it's going to sell out, but this is one of those years when you have a pretty good feeling," Bacon said. "I'm concerned for people who are not going to respond early because they'll be disappointed."

Tickets go on sale Saturday at 8 a.m. at the BYU Marriott Center ticket office and will be available during regular weekday hours, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets can also be purchased by calling the ticket office at 378-BYU1 or toll-free at 1-800-322-BYU1, online at www.byutickets.com or at Smith'sTix.

Tickets are $20, $30 and $45, with premium seats in front of the stage for $100 and $250.

---

E-mail: lwarner@desnews.com