Tea With Mussolini (1999)

 Cher: success in Concert
Some Top Grossing Tours according to Ray Waddell and Billboard

$558,255,524 Rolling Stones "A Bigger Bang"
August 21, 2005 to August 26,2007 -144 Worldwide shows -4,680,000 sold

$389,047,816 U2 "Vertigo"
March 28,2005 to Dec 9,2006 - 131 shows - 4,619,021 tickets sold

$109.7 million (from Pollstar) U2 "Elevation" Tour
3-24,2001 to 12-2,2001 - 113 shows

$385,115,516 "Celine Dion:A New Day"
March 25,2003 to Dec 15,2007 - 714 reported shows, of 717 shows - 2,814,577 tickets sold

$340 Million estimated gross (Billboard 2-14-2008)
$212,227,302 The Police -from Billboard Boxscore Year End Chart 2006
May 28,2007 continuing into 2008 - 66 shows - 1,858,456 tickets sold

$320 million Rolling Stones "Voodoo Lounge"
August 1, 1994 to August 30, 1995 - 130 shows

$299,520,230 Rolling Stones "Licks" tour
September 3,2002 to Oct 2,2003 - 115 shows - 3,470,945
plus 2 shows in Hong Kong-11-7&9, 2003 not included in this earnings tally


$194,683,927 "Cher:The Farewell Tour"
June 15,2002 to April 30,2005 - 280 North American shows - 2,880,726 tickets sold
she did an additional 45 shows Worldwide which are not counted in this earnings tally "Cher played 325 dates,grossing well over $200 million and playing to more than 3 million people" 5-28-2005 Ray Waddell Billboard

$221.5 million Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band "Rising Tour"
August 7,2002 to Oct 4,2003 - 121 shows - over 3 million tickets sold


$194,754,447 Madonna "Confessions Tour"
May 21,2006 to Sept 21,2006 - 60 shows - 1,209,618 tickets sold
--9-20-2006 Billboard reports that Madonna has the Top Grossing tour by a female artists, besting Cher's Farewell tour gross of 192.5 million from 273 shows. (Cher's tour DID have 325 shows)
Wikipedia has Madonna's Confession's tour gross at $260,119,588

$192.8 Million The Rolling Stones "Bridges To Babylon Tour"
Sept 4 1997 to Sept 19 1998

According to Nielsen Media Research:
"Celine Dion:A New Day" CBS 3-25-2003 9.1 rating and 13.8 million viewers
"Cher:The Farewell Tour" NBC 4-8-2003 11 rating and 16.6 million viewers
*Cher had Three Variety shows from 8-1-1971 to 8-31-1977, the shows ended when Sonny and Cher chose not to renew their TV contract (according to Robert Wussler CBS-TV President April 1977)
Bruce Springsteen CBS 2-28-03 3.7 rating and 5.4 million viewers
Madonna Confessions Tour" 11-22-2006 NBC 4.6 million viewers
"U2 Beautiful Day" CBS 11-29-02 2.2 rating and 3.6 million viewers February 16, 2008

 The most beautiful bad movie you'll see
Zeffirelli's artistic eye is evident here; there are tableaux strewn about the movie that are wonderful gems, visual little treats of costume, design, and Italy. Unfortunately, you'll have to tolerate some very spotty acting and weird pacing and awkward plot development to see them. Fortunately, you'll also be rewarded with some very lovely acting by a cavalcade of British lionesses. Look up "withering" in Wikipedia, and you'll see Maggie Smith's picture. And Joan Plowright's puppy eyes are ageless...she is so darling in this film, she acts as salve to Ms. Smith's saltiness. January 24, 2008

 A beautiful place going through ugly times
"Tea With Mussolini" on the surface is a women's film. The lead characters are a group of elderly English women and two Americans (Cher and Lily Tomlin). These woman have chosen to live in Florence, Italy during the 1930--1946 time frame which begins with fascism and ends with the Scottish coming to take back the city.

What makes this film is foremost the cast, and the city itself which is a gem, and finally the careful brush of history upon the women's everyday lives. "Tea" is one of the best "Coming of Second Age" films I have seen in a long time. November 19, 2007

 Tea with Mussolini
I am a big fan of Judy Dench and Maggie Smith, and Joan Plowright. This was a great movie. Great job of casting. November 12, 2007

 MEMOIR VALENTINE TO AN OLD ITALY
As memoirs go, this is one of those "life films", the kind that have no immediately discernible plot but ride instead on the charm of their vignettes and characters. The ensemble cast hardly needs a spiel. Suffice it to say that fans won't be disappointed as all of them realize their eccentric characters with joyfully unmitigated indulgence. They're blithe, they're insouciant, and they strut their stuff with elan. It's a comical but inspiring scene when our happy band stands up to the Germans.

What's more, the sense of time and place is impeccable. Italy itself is practically a character. Expect travelogue-worthy shots of Florence. The calendar says 1935, that haunting time of a Europe sandwiched between the wars. Even before the first sounding of tanks or dictators, in every word and deed there is just the slightest trace of irresolution, an uneasiness.

Impatient viewers stand warned: this is a mood piece that unravels quite leisurely, meanders almost, using its entire first half for character exposition and sowing little story details. But viewers with an eye for culturally uplifting entertainment will find that Tea With Mussolini hits the spot with great aplomb. November 7, 2007

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