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.
For a VERY BRIEF moment I considered Googling it, but came to my senses.
Madonna....you ignorant $lut.
She's such a rebel and iconoclast... my mores and values are summarily challenged and my formerly closed mind has, subsequently, been opened by her sexually suggestive dance music and artistic use of ball gags.
What an artist, what a maverick, what a BRAVE GENIUS... We've never seen anything like that before...
It was much better than Cats...I'm going to see it again, and again...
"When I look at you, I'm thinking, 'fourteen in the side pocket.'"
Damn. This article lied. I was really hoping she did get crucified.
God saved her Mom from the embarrassment of watching her daughter's career. I'd say He is a merciful God!
It was much better than Cats...
Me singing covers from Steely Dan in the shower is better than Cats...
I got excited there for a minute! Thought she really curxified herself! What a washed up old hag looking for attention. Can't sing so does antics.
Who would be stupid enough to pay $5000 to see Madonna?
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Apparently quite a few people. Although I'd be leary of most scalpers. You could pay $5,000 for a bogus ticket.
And don't forget Warren Beatty -- not that he had much of a career, but Dick Tracy? Uh, I mean, what the...
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Yes, but Beatty also eventually recovered from his time with Madonna. Married Annette Benig (probably spelled that wrong) and unless he squandered his money over the years, he probably doesn't have to work now.
If I had $5,000 to blow, I'd by me a used bass boat and a pop up camper.
Guess everybody's priorities are different.
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I could take a nice vacation. Or maybe get something done around the house.
I agree....I wouldn't pay that kind of money even if I liked the artist. But as I said, some would.
Yes, but Beatty also eventually recovered from his time with Madonna. Married Annette Benig (probably spelled that wrong) and unless he squandered his money over the years, he probably doesn't have to work now
Madonna is where talent goes to die.
Being a massive Steely Dan fan, I'd have to agree with you. Hell--me doing a cover of the guitar solo from Bodhisatva with toilet paper and comb would be better than Cats... or Madonna...
Quick -- who was steely dan's first drummer, before they were steely dan?
It was fun, though--at one of her parties, she ended up reading it to a number of us like a school teacher to an assemblance of grade-schoolers, (Often changing pages while saying, "And then the littlest Elf said..." and then displaying whatever godawfully boring photo Maddy was spread eagled in...)
When it comes down to it, freaks like Madonna think they're being so shocking and in your face about sex--thinking she's really socking it to the rest of us uptight prudes--when the only person REALLY shocked by her behavior is Madonna herself.
Reminds me of the scene in one of the Beverly Cleary Ramona books when Ramona, who's about 5 at the time, is so angry at her family that she jumps up on the kitchen table and screams at the top of her lungs the nastiest, angriest, most horrible word she can think of. That word was "Guts!" Of course, the father, mother and older sister just break out in hysterics because its just so cute.
Madonna is a repressed pre-adolescent amazed by her own blandness.
How about a tear-away burqua, with a cone-shaped brassiere on the outside? Could be cool--belly-dancing and all. And show videos of women getting their brains shot out in a soccer stadium. A harem scene. There's all kinds of rock-n-roll potential with the Religion of Peace.
I guess she just has too much artistic courage.
Someday she will learn that the Savior, merciful as He is, does not view as humorous such blasphemous displays as hers..............
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