Off to a running start:
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.
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.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 22 May 2006 13:16 (nineteen years ago)
my friend anna-marie and i have emailed liz rosenberg asking for tickets for this. we opened a gmail account in the name of anna wintour to do it. we are hoping that liz will be, er, amused.
i must go to this!
― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 22 May 2006 14:02 (nineteen years ago)
How would anyone know she "deviated from the script" at the first show of her tour?
Her last tour was one of the coolest looking arena shows I've seen, barring the "Imagine" debacle. Shame she seems to have found a similar way to ruin her best song.
― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Monday, 22 May 2006 17:20 (nineteen years ago)
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.What, no giant puppets? No Uncle Sam on stilts? Sorry, Madonna, but you've got a long way to go before you catch up to those legions of of smug, confused leftists fighting the good fight in their twilight struggle on the streets when it comes to political theatre.
― vartman (novaheat), Tuesday, 23 May 2006 05:34 (nineteen years ago)