Posted on 05/22/2006 6:13:07 AM PDT by Aquinasfan
LOS ANGELES - Madonna launched her first world tour in two years on Sunday, delighting an enthusiastic Los Angeles crowd by hanging herself from a cross, insulting President George W. Bush, and dusting off some of the sexy moves that have sustained her career for more than 20 years.
The "Confessions" tour will keep her on the road for two months in North America, and then resume on July 30 in Wales for a five-week stadium swing through eight European cities. Shows in Japan are also on tap for mid-September.
The 47-year-old dance diva spent two hours churning out most of the tunes from her new album, "Confessions on a Dancefloor," as well as a few old hits such as "Like a Virgin," "Ray of Light" and "Lucky Star."
The audience at the Los Angeles Forum included Madonna's Kabbalah guru Rabbi Yehuda Berg, socialite Nicole Richie, and gay icon Rosie O'Donnell, who upgraded herself to a premium seat on the floor and left her spouse alone in the stands.
The meticulously choreographed Vegas-style routine began 50 minutes late when a giant mirror ball was lowered from the ceiling to the end of a catwalk stretching deep into the floor. Out popped Madonna, in S&M-styled riding gear and whip, singing the new tune "Future Lovers" as four bare-breasted male dancers writhed around with ball gags in their mouths.
MADONNA, HITLER & BUSH
Later on, she donned a crown of thorns and suspended herself from a giant mirrored cross to deliver the ballad "Live to Tell." Video screens showed images of third-world poverty and reeled off grim statistics.
During one of her half-dozen costume changes, another video montage juxtaposed images of Bush, members of his administration and British Prime Minister Tony Blair with footage of Adolf Hitler, Osama bin Laden, and Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe. Midway through the new song "I Love New York," she deviated from the script and made a crude reference to Bush and oral sex.
Beyond that, she barely spoke to the audience, largely focusing on keeping control of a busy nightclub-style stage that boasted 15 dancers, four musicians and three backing vocalists. For the most part, she joined in the tricky choreography, her voice evidently not affected by the aerobic workout. She did pause for a few songs during which she appeared to play a shiny Gibson Les Paul guitar.
A disco segment near the end, where she dressed in a "Saturday Night Fever"-style white suit to perform "Music" thrilled the crowd, as did the "Like a Virgin" routine, when she climbed aboard a carousel-style black leather saddle.
There was no encore, and the lights came up as soon as she had completed a medley of "Lucky Star" and latest hit single "Hung Up" while sporting an illuminated white cape with "Dancing Queen" embroidered on the back.
Billboard magazine has forecast ticket sales could reach the $200 million range, making it the most successful tour by a female artist. Cher holds the record with $192.5 million from 273 shows on a "farewell" world tour that began in June 2002 and lasted almost three years, according to Billboard.
Madonna, on the other hand, is scheduled to play fewer than 60 dates on this tour. Similarly, her $125 million-grossing Re-Invention tour in 2004 and the $75 million Drowned trek in 2001 were also relatively brief.
What catapults her to the top of the leagues is her ticket price, topping out at $380 (including Ticketmaster fees) in most U.S. venues. However, it did not stop her from adding dates to accommodate demand.
I wasn't sure what that meant, and I don't want to know!
She's certainly easier on the eyes than Madonna.
It's official. She's finally lost her mind.
You're 100% correct about Madonna having the ability to continually "reinvent" herself and being a model capitalist. She has essentially been one of the top five female vocalists for twenty-three years and made herself a multi-millionaire in the process.
I don't agree with Madonna's politics and viewpoints, but for people to call her without talent is just silly.
~ Blue Jays ~
Boy, that Kaballah sure is an interesting religion...Shame on her.
I disagree with you..it's certainly a talent to stay relevent for 25 years or so. She's the queen of that. But let's get back to the Kaballah thing. So, is is part of the Kaballah doctrine to mock other people's religions?
I still haven't forgiven her for ruining the career of a very, very promising director by marrying him.
She's miffed, so no muff for Rosie!
Oh well.
YIKES, that's what a concert ticket costs these day?
Heck, you could buy an aluminum fishing boat with $350.
Madonna is a washed up idiot. The only way she can stir controversy is to do things that are outrageous because her talent is gone.
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I put that in the same category with a report that the Clintons might lose their credibility. What has never existed cannot be lost.
I still haven't forgiven her for ruining the career of a very, very promising director by marrying him.
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To be fair, I would assume that he did not marry her under duress...so any "ruin" would be as much his fault as hers.
At least Sinead O'Connor has a voice. A beautiful voice... too bad her head's so effed up.
We're in complete agreement on this topic. We conservatives can make a much more convincing statement if we criticize Madonna's absurd actions without resorting to ad hominem attacks against her.
Her show and accompanying film footage sound like they were outrageous. Comparing and contrasting President Bush with Adolf Hitler is juvenile. At the same time, when we conservatives label her a no-talent slut or something sophomoric like that, we erode our message.
Madonna has been selling millions of records and performing shows to huge crowds for over two and a half decades. She clearly knows something about the music business and has remained relevant or she wouldn't be sitting on that huge mound of money she has earned.
~ Blue Jays ~
YIKES, that's what a concert ticket costs these day?
Heck, you could buy an aluminum fishing boat with $350.
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That's nothing -- in some places, the prices can be much higher...especially if you get your tickets from some scalper. I've heard of prices of upwards of $5,000 or more.
People complain about concert ticket prices, but as long as there is someone out there willing to pay such outrageous prices, those prices will continue to be high. I guess that's part of the way our economy works.
To be fair, I would assume that he did not marry her under duress...so any "ruin" would be as much his fault as hers.
...and I suppose he did the re-make of Swept Away under his own free will? No director in his right mind would attempt to re-marke a Lena Wertmuller. She must have drove him bonkers....
One of my big pet peeves here on FR is the moment you post a thread about a celebrity, you're guaranteed that 75% of the replying posts are how that person has no talent, they're ugly, they're a has-been...and it's just not true. You don't have to minimize someone's talent to criticize their message.
What does Madonna have to with movies? Her connection to them is tenuous at best and she's been an British subject for years.
Does Madonna still"Protect"her children from the CRAP that she shovels out to Our Chidren with such alacrity???
...and I suppose he did the re-make of Swept Away under his own free will? No director in his right mind would attempt to re-make a Lena Wertmuller. She must have drove him bonkers....
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Possibly. I have to say though that Sean Penn's acting career has recovered somewhat. For some time while he was married to Madonna and then after their divorce, he couldn't do anything right. Perhaps Mr. Ritchie, if he gets around to leaving her, will enjoy success again.
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