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Political uncertainty kills Unique Lives This week, local ticket subscribers for the Unique Lives and Experiences tour-the one that brings a parade of women celebrities to town for cheesy chit-chats-got some bad news in the mail. Each received a postcard informing them that the tour would not be coming through Montreal in 1999. As a result, Montrealers will not be able to hear the stories of such women as chimp-champ Jane Goodall, novelist Toni Morrison or former flying nun Sally Field. In the past, the Unique Lives tour has brought personalities such as Joan Rivers, Sarah Ferguson, Gloria Steinem and Mary Tyler Moore to Montreal. Producer Robert Benia told the Mirror he cancelled the tour's 1999 Montreal dates due to "political uncertainty." Says Benia: "November is my prime subscription renewal time, and Quebec is headed into an election. People are too concerned about politics, and about whether or not they will have to move to Toronto, to think about my artists coming through town. "The last time this happened was during the 1995 referendum, and sales went way down." After that tour, Unique Lives switched venues in Place des Arts, from the 2,800-seat Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier to the 1,600-seat Théâtre Maisonneuve. Benia says he intends to put Montreal back on the schedule for the year 2000 tour. -Philip Preville
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