Streisand’s spokespeople don’t apologize for the plan. The star reasoned, they say, that by giving charities prime seats to sell for $1,000, fans would buy from them rather than from scalpers-especially since the $650 markup is tax-deductible. And because Streisand will buy back unsold tickets, the charities can’t lose. “Barbra does an enormous amount of philanthropic giving. This was separate,” says Margery Tabankin, director of the Streisand Foundation, the singer’s philanthropy. “This was a nonprofit, entrepreneurial experiment.”
That doesn’t sit well with some nonprofit charities that have spent thousands of dollars on promotion to lure big-ticket buyers. “It would have been much easier and cheaper if she’d donated them and we had the tickets to sell at $350,” says another charity leader. “It’s been a real sweat.”
