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Why Madonna’s Girlie Show Tour Was A Two-Fingered Triumph

Why Madonna’s Girlie Show Tour Was A Two-Fingered Triumph

Madonna’s Girlie Show world tour set new standards not only for the “Queen Of Pop”, but also for the blockbuster live shows of the future.

Just a decade after her self-titled debut album hit the shops, Madonna ’s career appeared to have completed an entire orbit around the supernova of global fame. Her breakthrough had swiftly scaled once MTV got the Like A Virgin album ’s singles in their sights: she’d enjoyed a solid run in the super-league with that record’s follow-up, True Blue , and basked in creative recognition with Like A Prayer , while the controversial Erotica pushed the envelope beyond anything yet seen in pop music. Launched in the autumn of 1993, The Girlie Show tour was crafted to remind everyone just what had made Madonna one of the best musicians of the 80s .

Listen to the best of Madonna here .

The setlist: a sharp, slick affair.

The structure and storytelling of Madonna’s previous tour, Blond Ambition, had established a new template and creative standard for stadium concerts. Three years later, The Girlie Show was a sharper, almost slicker affair, segmented into four simple sections.

Opening proceedings with Madonna’s recent hit single, Erotica , the Dominatrix portion showcased the erotic, voyeuristic themes omnipresent in Madonna’s early-90s work. The next section, Studio 54, started as an effervescent headrush before, almost as quickly, darkening with reflections on the AIDS crisis, which was arguably at its vicious peak as The Girlie Show made its way around the world. In 1993, there wasn’t much optimism that the health disaster would be over any time soon, and as one of the most pioneering LGBTQ+ musicians of the era, Madonna made awareness of HIV’s dangers and the plight of those affected a signature of her work.

The third segment, Weimar Cabaret, was the show’s lightest, with campy crowd-pleasers such as Like A Virgin performed in a Marlene Dietrich style, along with a rare airing for I’m Going Bananas, from 1990’s I’m Breathless soundtrack album . The final two songs of The Girlie Show setlist – Justify My Love , in a Cecil Beaton homage, and a celebratory Everybody – made up the fourth act: the night’s inevitable encore.

After a decade in the business, Madonna wasn’t about to take the easy option by simply parading her catalogue of hits in a crass attempt to win favour. Many of the best Madonna songs , among them Vogue , Express Yourself , La Isla Bonita and Holiday , were present and correct with the aforementioned Like A Virgin, but that was it. Anyone hoping for a quickfire rendition of Madonna’s groundbreaking run of No.1 singles was at the wrong show, with the “Queen Of Pop”’s restless focus on moving things along already in evidence on what would become her last international tour of the 20th century.

The tour dates: A challenge to her “enemies”

Across Madonna’s international tours, The Girlie Show stands out for the places she didn’t visit – the entire East Coast of the US, plus continental Europe outside Paris (a Frankfurt date got cancelled due to technical problems) – while taking in less-routine territories such as Turkey and Israel. The Girlie Show also marked Madonna’s first concerts in Australia and South America, with performances in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. It wouldn’t be until 2016 that Madonna would play in Oceania again, where she closed the Rebel Heart Tour in Sydney. Fans left unable to visit the countries she did play on The Girlie Show were rewarded with a 1994 VHS cassette and LaserDisc release, filmed in Sydney’s Cricket Ground on 19 November 1993. The Girlie Show: Live Down Under was later reissued as a DVD.

Launching The Girlie Show on 25 September 1993, in London, where the tabloid reaction to Erotica and the Sex book had been particularly combative, was a brave move, but Madonna wasn’t in the mood to take prisoners at this juncture in her astonishing career. She went on record saying she was opening the 39-date tour in the UK because it was where she had the “most enemies”. Fans were dazzled by the 17-song set, though controversy would follow (there were protests by Orthodox Jews in Israel). Madonna, however, had long since stopped worrying about the storms that trailed in her wake.

The legacy: Repositioning Madonna as a masterful live performer

The Girlie Show was an attempt by Madonna to reset focus away from the headlines and back on her ability to stage a spectacular live show. With brother Christopher Ciccone as tour director, plus a troupe of world-class dancers, including Carlton Wilborn, who had appeared with Madonna on Blond Ambition and in its groundbreaking documentary feature, Truth Or Dare (aka In Bed With Madonna) , and many costumes created by Dolce & Gabbana, this was a glittering tour de force, drawing on the edges of what staging technology could create in the early 90s. The tour broke attendance records in Brazil and grossed a reported $70 million in US dollars.

More importantly, The Girlie Show repositioned Madonna as a masterful live performer with an adoring audience. The “Queen Of Pop” had arguably never looked or sounded so confident on stage, and each night demonstrated just how inspiring she can be when she comes out fighting. The musical renaissance of Ray Of Light was five years in the future, but The Girlie Show tour set Madonna’s live legacy on an even footing with her studio creations, and would be something she would lean into more strongly in the next millennium.

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After 1990’s groundbreaking Blond Ambition Tour, Madonna continued to push boundaries — and buttons — with The Girlie Show, her most titillating trek of all, in 1993.

But while the Queen of Pop was ever the provocateur, she turned to some old Hollywood royalty, Gene Kelly, for a touch of classicism. The “Singin’ in the Rain” stepper swooped in to choreograph a number for the “Erotica” ballad “Rain.”

“When he came in, we were just in awe,” The Girlie Show background singer Donna De Lory told The Post. “He would tell us stories about how back in the day, when he danced with women, he couldn’t touch the women — he had to keep his hand, like, two inches from their body.”

But it’s no surprise that this collaboration ultimately didn’t click, with Madonna firing the screen legend, given all the risqué business in The Girlie Show.

After the raunchy rollout of her “Erotica” album, “Sex” book and “Body of Evidence” film, the pop superstar had reached a new level of controversy. Still, that backlash didn’t make her back down when The Girlie Show opened 30 years ago on Sept. 25, 1993 in London — where Madge will also launch her 40th-anniversary Celebration Tour on Saturday night.

Now, three decades on, The Girlie Show still remains just as shocking as it did in the early 1990s.

Niki Haris, Madonn and Donna De Lory in the Girlie Show.

From the moment that a topless Carrie Ann Inaba — now a squeaky-clean “Dancing with a Stars” judge —— slid down that stripper pole, it was a defiant descent into the sexual underworld in the age of AIDS.

“She was unabashed and just unapologetically herself,” said The Girlie Show guitarist Paul Pesco. “She was just saying, ‘Hey, this is me. This is what I want to do.’ And, you know, it was always very artistic and very tasteful … It felt natural and just strong.”

Inspired by Edward Hopper’s 1941 “Girlie Show” painting of a burlesque stripper, the international tour met with protests and calls for the concert’s cancellation.

“All that stuff — I just kind of tuned it out” said De Lory. “I mean, it just was like business as usual honestly. There was always somebody saying something about her … She was always pushing people’s buttons.”

Carrie Ann Inaba in the Girlie Show.

She was also pushing herself — and her creative team.

“The thing is, she’s a perfectionist,” said Pesco, who had previously played on Madonna’s 1985 Virgin Tour. “Once everything was worked out, she would run the show, have lunch, [then] run it again, and then maybe work out kinks. I always admired her work ethic — and her respect for the creative people she would collaborate with.

“As we would rehearse the set, we would actually craft the arrangements together, and if somebody had an idea, she would listen to those ideas and we’d try things out. It really was an organically fused performance.”

De Lory and her fellow background vocalist Niki Haris — who both sang with Madonna on 1987’s “Who’s That Girl” trek before returning for 1990’s Blond Ambition — would get a special spotlight in The Girlie Show thanks to the singer’s brother Christopher Ciccone, who was the tour director.

Madonna and a male dancer in the Girlie Show.

“I have to give a shout-out to him … because he was always advocating for Nikki and I,” she says. “He loved us being with Madonna. He loved those numbers [with] the three girls together and that energy. And I think that’s probably why we’re in it the most in that show.”

De Lory, who has a new “Praying for Love” remix out now, would go on to back Madonna up on 2001’s Drowned World Tour, 2004’s Re-Invention Tour and 2006’s Confessions Tour. And she and Harris continue to perform together — they’ll be at Phoenix Pride Festival on Oct. 22.

Meanwhile, Pesco — who first played with Madonna before she was even signed — is working on a project with The Girlie Show drummer Omar Hakim three decades after they opened that tour at London’s Wembley Stadium.

Madonna in the Girlie Show.

“I do remember being nervous … hoping everything runs smoothly and that there’s no major train wrecks,” he said.

And De Lory is looking forward to Madonna’s latest reinvention as the Celebration Tour — delayed three months because of her health scare in late June — kicks off at the O2 Arena on Saturday night.

“She’s brilliant at doing that,” she says. “Let’s just appreciate her for being here … one of the best stage performers of all time.”

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Niki Haris, Madonn and Donna De Lory in the Girlie Show.

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Photos From All of Madonna’s Concert Tours, From 1985 to Now

Here are photos from every single one of Madonna's tours over the past 40 years.

By Michael Calcagno

Michael Calcagno

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Madonna, The Girlie Show Tour

Madonna kicked off 2023 by announcing an incredible global tour  to honor her four decades of hits.

The Celebration  Tour  will kick off Saturday, July 15, at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver and will make additional stops in Phoenix, Detroit, Atlanta, Toronto, Montreal and more before concluding at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Oct. 8. The tour’s European leg will pick up with a pair of dates at The O2 arena on Oct. 14-15 and will make stops in Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Berlin and more before concluding in Amsterdam on Dec. 1 at the Ziggo Dome. Bob the Drag Queen will be a special guest on the tour.

As of Jan. 20, only a handful of tickets are still available — the tour is 98% sold out — after fans bought up 600,000 tickets in a matter of hours to see Madonna’s retrospective run in North America and Europe.

To celebrate the upcoming string of shows, we at Billboard have compiled photos from all of Madonna’s beloved tours, spanning from all the way back to 1985, when Madge hit the road for The Virgin Tour in support of her first two album, to the 2019 Madame X tour.

The Virgin Tour

Madonna, The Virgin Tour

Madonna performs on The Virgin Tour at the St. Paul Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota on May 21, 1985.

Who’s That Girl World Tour

Madonna, Who's That Girl World Tour

Madonna in concert during her Who’s That Girl World Tour at Madison Square Garden in New York on July 13, 1987.

Blond Ambition World Tour

Madonna, Blond Ambition World Tour

Madonna performs on stage at Feyenoord Stadium, de Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands on the Blond Ambition World Tour on July 24, 1990.

The Girlie Show

Madonna, The Girlie Show Tour

Madonna performing on stage on her The Girlie Show tour at Wembley Stadium in London on September 25, 1993.

Drowned World Tour

Madonna, Drowned World Tour

Madonna performs on stage on a bucking bronco on her Drowned World Tour in Earls Court, London on July 12, 2001.

Re-Invention World Tour

Madonna, Re-Invention World Tour

Madonna performs onstage during her “Re-Invention” World Tour 2004 at The Great Western Forum, May 26, 2004 in Inglewood, California.

Confessions Tour

Madonna, Confessions World Tour

Madonna performs onstage at the first London concert of her “Confessions” World Tour at Wembley Arena August 1, 2006 in London, England.

Sticky & Sweet Tour

Madonna, Sticky and Sweet Tour

Madonna performs onstage during the opening night of her “Sticky and Sweet” tour at the O2 Arena on July 4, 2009 in London, England.

The MDNA Tour

Madonna, MDNA Tour

Madonna performs during the MDNA North America tour opener at the Wells Fargo Center on August 28, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Rebel Heart Tour

Madonna, Rebel Heart Tour

Madonna performs onstage during her “Rebel Heart” tour at Wachovia Center on September 24, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Madame X Tour

Madonna, Madame X Tour

Madonna performing during the Madame X Tour of the Paramount+ original movie MADAME X.

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Girlie Show

Tour poster.

Girlie Show

Tour schedule

The Girlie Show was the first tour to span over 5 different continents, visiting several new territories such as Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Israel. However, this also meant that the tour was limited to only 2 cities in Europe and 3 cities in the US. In total, the Girlie Show comprised of 39 shows in 12 different countries, kicking off in London on September 25, 1993. Most of the shows were in large stadiums.

→ Check out the full tour schedule here

Tour setlist

Inspired by the painting "Girlie Show" by Edward Hopper, Madonna's fourth tour concentrated on her most recent album Erotica , while also playing some of her 80s hits.

→ Check out the full setlist here

Tour crew & collaborators

The Girlie Show saw many collaborators returning from the Blond Ambition Tour : Niki & Donna on backing vocals, Carlton as dancer, Christopher as Production designer, and several band members. The number of choreographers started growing. Costumes were done by Dolce & Gabbana .

→ Check out the full crew here

Tour recording

The Girlie Show: Live Down Under

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the girlie show tour stage

After 1990’s groundbreaking Blond Ambition Tour, Madonna continued to push boundaries — and buttons — with The Girlie Show, her most titillating trek of all, in 1993.

But while the Queen of Pop was ever the provocateur, she turned to some old Hollywood royalty, Gene Kelly, for a touch of classicism. The “Singin’ in the Rain” stepper swooped in to choreograph a number for the “Erotica” ballad “Rain.”

“When he came in, we were just in awe,” The Girlie Show background singer Donna De Lory told The Post. “He would tell us stories about how back in the day, when he danced with women, he couldn’t touch the women — he had to keep his hand, like, two inches from their body.”

But it’s no surprise that this collaboration ultimately didn’t click, with Madonna firing the screen legend, given all the risqué business in The Girlie Show.

After the raunchy rollout of her “Erotica” album, “Sex” book and “Body of Evidence” film, the pop superstar had reached a new level of controversy. Still, that backlash didn’t make her back down when The Girlie Show opened 30 years ago on Sept. 25, 1993 in London — where Madge will also launch her 40th-anniversary Celebration Tour on Saturday night.

Now, three decades on, The Girlie Show still remains just as shocking as it did in the early 1990s.

From the moment that a topless Carrie Ann Inaba — now a squeaky-clean “Dancing with a Stars” judge —— slid down that stripper pole, it was a defiant descent into the sexual underworld in the age of AIDS.

“She was unabashed and just unapologetically herself,” said The Girlie Show guitarist Paul Pesco. “She was just saying, ‘Hey, this is me. This is what I want to do.’ And, you know, it was always very artistic and very tasteful … It felt natural and just strong.”

Inspired by Edward Hopper’s 1941 “Girlie Show” painting of a burlesque stripper, the international tour met with protests and calls for the concert’s cancellation.

“All that stuff — I just kind of tuned it out” said De Lory. “I mean, it just was like business as usual honestly. There was always somebody saying something about her … She was always pushing people’s buttons.”

She was also pushing herself — and her creative team.

“The thing is, she’s a perfectionist,” said Pesco, who had previously played on Madonna’s 1985 Virgin Tour. “Once everything was worked out, she would run the show, have lunch, [then] run it again, and then maybe work out kinks. I always admired her work ethic — and her respect for the creative people she would collaborate with.

“As we would rehearse the set, we would actually craft the arrangements together, and if somebody had an idea, she would listen to those ideas and we’d try things out. It really was an organically fused performance.”

De Lory and her fellow background vocalist Niki Haris — who both sang with Madonna on 1987’s “Who’s That Girl” trek before returning for 1990’s Blond Ambition — would get a special spotlight in The Girlie Show thanks to the singer’s brother Christopher Ciccone, who was the tour director.

“I have to give a shout-out to him … because he was always advocating for Nikki and I,” she says. “He loved us being with Madonna. He loved those numbers [with] the three girls together and that energy. And I think that’s probably why we’re in it the most in that show.”

De Lory, who has a new “Praying for Love” remix out now, would go on to back Madonna up on 2001’s Drowned World Tour, 2004’s Re-Invention Tour and 2006’s Confessions Tour. And she and Harris continue to perform together — they’ll be at Phoenix Pride Festival on Oct. 22.

Meanwhile, Pesco — who first played with Madonna before she was even signed — is working on a project with The Girlie Show drummer Omar Hakim three decades after they opened that tour at London’s Wembley Stadium.

“I do remember being nervous … hoping everything runs smoothly and that there’s no major train wrecks,” he said.

And De Lory is looking forward to Madonna’s latest reinvention as the Celebration Tour — delayed three months because of her health scare in late June — kicks off at the O2 Arena on Saturday night.

“She’s brilliant at doing that,” she says. “Let’s just appreciate her for being here … one of the best stage performers of all time.”

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  • All setlist songs  ( 902 )

Years on tour

  • 2024  ( 29 )
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  • Hard Candy Promo Tour  ( 3 )
  • Madame X Tour  ( 75 )
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  • Re-Invention Tour  ( 56 )
  • Rebel Heart Tour  ( 82 )
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  • Avg Setlist
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Average setlist for tour: The Girlie Show

  • Song played from tape The Girlie Show Theme Play Video
  • Erotica Play Video
  • Fever ( Eddie Cooley  cover) Play Video
  • Vogue Play Video
  • Rain Play Video
  • Express Yourself Play Video
  • Deeper and Deeper Play Video
  • Why's It So Hard Play Video
  • In This Life Play Video
  • Song played from tape The Beast Within Play Video
  • Like a Virgin Play Video
  • Bye Bye Baby Play Video
  • I'm Going Bananas Play Video
  • La Isla Bonita Play Video
  • Holiday Play Video
  • Justify My Love Play Video
  • Everybody Play Video

Show Openers

Main set closers, show closers, encores played.

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Kylie Minogue joins Madonna onstage during Celebration Tour: Watch

The pop superstars performed two songs together during the March 7 show.

Queens supporting queens.

Madonna, 65, welcomed fellow pop icon Kylie Minogue, 55, to the stage at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles during the latest stop of her Celebration Tour on March 7.

MORE: Rebel Wilson enlists Kylie Minogue to sing 'Happy Birthday' to fiancee Ramona Agruma

The superstars joined forces to throw it all the way back to the disco era, performing a duet of Gloria Gaynor's 1978 anthem, "I Will Survive."

They also performed Minogue's 2001 hit, "Can't Get You Out of My Head.

Minogue shared a TikTok of herself dancing in the audience to Madonna's 1998 hit "Ray of Light."

"MADONNA 💓 It's been a long time coming!!! LOVED being with you!!!! Celebration Tour AND it is now International Women's Day …. THANK YOU and LOVE LOVE LOVE 😘😘😘 @madonna," she wrote.

Minogue wore a shirt bedazzled with Madonna's name for the occasion, a callback to when Madonna did the same for her while performing at the 2000 MTV EMAs.

PHOTO: Madonna, left, performs at the MTV Europe Music Awards, Nov. 16, 2000, while wearing a Kylie Minogue shirt. Kylie Minogue wears a Madonna shirt in a post made to her Instagram, March 8, 2024.

Now fans are just left wondering: When will these legends drop the official collab?

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Music + concerts, music + concerts | madonna kicks off five-night celebration tour run in inglewood. yes, she was on time., the music icon's latest outing is a stunning affair that covers four decades of hits and controversy with ferocious flair..

the girlie show tour stage

After what she describes as a “near-death experience” last summer, global music legend Madonna was finally able to launch her career-spanning Celebration Tour in October of last year .

The 65-year-old singer, songwriter and actress postponed the jaunt by a few months following a serious bacterial infection that she told the crowd during her first of five nights at Kia Forum in Inglewood on Monday, March 4 had left her in a medically-induced coma for 48 hours.

“My children are the reason I kept going, honestly,” she said. “I owe them a big thank you.”

Though some fans have been blasting Madonna for being “fashionably late” to her own shows on this outing — with a few even getting together to sue her and promoter Live Nation for her tardiness — she was on stage by 9:40 p.m. Monday night with a brood of incredible dancers that kicked things off with “Nothing Really Matters,” “Everybody” and “Into the Groove.” The Celebration Tour continues at Kia Forum on March 5, 7, 9 and 11 before heading to Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert on March 13.

Madonna (pictured performing on The Celebration Tour at Barclays Center...

Madonna (pictured performing on The Celebration Tour at Barclays Center in New York City on Dec. 14, 2023) brings the show to Kia Forum in Inglewood March 4, 5, 7, 9 and 11. She’ll also hit Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert on March 13. (Photo by Kevin Mazur, WireImage for Live Nation)

Madonna (pictured performing on The Celebration Tour at Barclays Center...

“I’m about to tell you the story of my life,” she told the crowd before strapping on an electric guitar to play one of the first songs she ever learned on the instrument, “Burning Up.” You’ll have to actually go see the show to hear the story behind just how she learned to play guitar because I can’t repeat it here and, well, it’s better when Madonna tells it, or acts it out.

This tour truly is a jaw-dropping spectacle that has so many moving parts and memorable moments jam-packed into a two-and-a-half-hour program. Technically, she played 26 songs, but there were so many musical Easter eggs hidden throughout the show that were revealed within the multiple acts as remixes or snippets of other Madonna songs or covers. And her dancers are an eclectic group of humans that deliver unbelievably entertaining performances. They engage with the audience and compliment the Queen of Pop as she transitions from era to era via a myriad of elaborate costumes and they indulge both the boundary-pushing sexual content and bold activism that she’s unapologetically shared with the masses for decades.

It’s a family affair, too. Madonna’s son David Banda joined her on guitar for “Mother and Father” and daughter Mercy James played piano during “Bad Girl.” For “Vogue,” Madonna brings out a special guest each evening to help judge her dancers as they catwalk down the stage, showing off their best moves. Monday night’s guest was actor and TV show host Eric André , who bared his buns for a quick spanking with a riding crop before judging the eager contestants who were being hyped up by the evening’s emcee, Bob the Drag Queen.

The production and lighting for this tour is insane. The stage itself is massive and includes several pit areas for fans and a trio of catwalks for Madonna and her dancers to play. The main stage area houses a huge light ring and a ginormous disco ball, which got plenty of use during the evening. There was a spinning carousel-like chapel on stage for “Like a Prayer,” a huge video cube that Madonna laid upon for “Bedtime Story” and bright beams of light were used to make three boxing rings on the stage, where dancers were mock-fighting with glittery gloves during “Erotica” into “Justify My Love.” She also gives the fans in the higher sections a better view of herself as she steps into an illuminated frame that lifts her into the air and moves her out and across the arena.

Throughout the evening Madonna’s commentary was quirky and funny, but she made sure to sincerely thank the audience for continuing to show up and support her. Through the music and her words she shared what was important to her by paying tribute to artists such as Prince and Michael Jackson. Also causes that she’s passionate about, including LGBTQ+ rights and she paid homage to AIDS victims during the emotional “Live to Tell.”

Madonna herself was nonstop throughout the evening, dancing, singing and playfully joking around with her dancers and the crowd. “Hung Up” and “Ray of Light” became massive dance parties and “Express Yourself” and “Crazy For You” were just a wave of nostalgia.

As the show moved from decade to decade, Madonna brought out a person clad in fashion appropriate for that particular era, that was representative of herself. They became a symbol throughout the evening of this artist, this person, who shared both triumphs and heartbreak through song and dance.

During a video montage that rapidly went through the various media controversies surrounding Madonna throughout the years, it ended with Madonna expressing “the most controversial thing I’ve ever done is to stick around.”

Madonna: The Celebration Tour

When: Monday, March 4

Where: Kia Forum, Inglewood

Next: 8:30 p.m. March 5, 7, 9 and 11 at Kia Forum, 3900 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood. Tickets start at $85.50 at Ticketmaster.com . 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 13 at Acrisure Arena, 75702 Varner Road, Palm Desert. Tickets start at $226 at Ticketmaster.com .

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Carlton Wilborn with Madonna on the Girlie Show tour, 1993.

Dancer Carlton Wilborn on Madonna: ‘Rehearsal truly was like boot camp’

I was 26 and living in Los Angeles when Madonna had a huge open-call audition for the Blond Ambition tour – there were maybe a thousand men there. By the time I got home I had a message: “Come meet me at the club tonight.” It was basically a callback, like, let’s see who these people really are, how they hang with alcohol. She herself being an alpha type, she was looking for very confident people – the best of the best – so I was acutely aware of how I was presenting myself. When I made the cut, I knew it was a huge opportunity.

Touring was different back in the 90s. We really got to do it in the rock’n’roll way people imagine – private jets, two separate chefs, a bowl in the studio lobby stacked with cigarettes. It’s very rare that dancers are given that kind of treatment. And the afterparties – oh my gosh, are you kidding me? We won’t say much about those!

Every single night, the blast-off energy from the crowd was crazy – they were so loud we could hardly hear the music. We had done so much training at this point – the rehearsal process was truly like boot camp – and it was great to finally be in the sweat of it all. When I heard her singing to an audience for the first time: it was like: “Oh shit, she’s fucking performing now.” And it was a lot of fun working with an artist who had started in dance and who could do all these intricate moves with you.

Madonna was great to work with. I was having this conversation with someone the other day – they were saying, “I bet it was crazy, when she was being really intense in the rehearsals, making people feel bad.” But that’s not what she does, at all. She has [one] personality that she knows makes her money – a bit brash and snappy and in your face – and then she has who she [really] is: just a chill, regular person. It was also a special time because she was single, didn’t have any children, and hadn’t really come against any extreme pushback, so she was very free. It was great to be a part of that.

She started as a street artist in lots of ways – a Lower East Side New Yorker kind of chick – and she likes to pull from where she came from.

When I was booked, I had nothing to do with voguing : I was classically trained – the underground art world was not my thing. At the time, voguing was very exclusive to that [New York black and Latino LGBT] community. Now you have all kinds of people voguing and I think that’s a great thing.

She was able to dive into something that had a strong pulse and felt it was important to get the word out to the consciousness of young gay dancers – it was about helping these people thrive and feel good and powerful.

What’s really great about her as a performer is that she is there to sell a story, however far she has to go. There are artists now who are taking the baton – Lady Gaga is probably the closest to it. But Madonna continues to be special because she’s just balls-out as an artist. At the core of what she represents is the secret longing of every human being: we all have quiet thoughts, we all have hungry thoughts, but most of us have been conditioned to think it’s inappropriate to let this be known. So when you have an example of somebody who is living their life against all the constructs that are blasted through the world and the media, it’s intoxicating.

Madonna has always been a very generous person. There was a particular time in my life [in 1995, when Wilborn was going through a difficult time, Madonna let him live with her for several months] where she really showed me the human side of her – I’m not saying that’s the first time she showed this to me, but it was the degree of it. It was really amazing when she offered me that. After that our paths went in different directions. I auditioned for the Drowned World tour and didn’t get chosen. I started going after different things, she was doing different things. Life happened. What I would say to her now is: happy 60th birthday! And thank you. Thank you for allowing me to let all of my power be seen and expressed

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Madonna Live Down Under: The Girlie Show

Band: Jai Winding, Michael Bearden, Mike McKnight, keyboards; Victor Bailey, bass; Omar Hakim, drums; Paul Pesco, guitar; Luis Conte, percussion; Donna DeLory, Nicki Harris, vocals.

By Dominic Griffin

Dominic Griffin

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Dancers: Ungela Brockman, Chris Childers, Michael Gregory, Carrie Ann Inaba, Jill Nicklaus, Ruth Taveras, Luca Tommassini, Carlton Wilborn.

Madonna danced, sang and, more specifically, entertained her way through this two-hour live broadcast from Australia. Part Broadway play, part music, part titillation, it was one piquant performance: “The Girlie Show.”

HBO started its broadcast from New York’s CLUB USA with comments from fans. The show then moved to Sydney, where a topless dancer slinked down a 20-foot pole before Madonna rose from below the stage, whip in hand and other places, looking like Catwoman singing “Erotica.” One of her more complex yet subdued songs, it proved a rather anticlimactic opening, but it soon picked up speed with “Fever” followed by her smash “Vogue.”

More than halfway through the show, in what was only her second acknowledgment that she was performing in front of a stadium crowd, Madonna apologized for the inconvenience of the cameras, stating that they bugged her, too. “Every time I have snot flying out of my nose, they zoom in for a close-up, ” she said, humorously turning the observation into a metaphor for life.

Her comments aside, this show was purely for the cameras and the viewing audience at home. Expertly shot with multi-cameras including a crane and an onstage SteadiCam, the show was shot close quarters with just an occasional pan of the vast audience. The event could have been performed in a theater with little or no difference.

Pity the audience members beyond the first 20 rows — all they had was sidestage big screens to admire the intricate dancing and expressions expertly choreographed by Alex Magno.

They all performed flawlessly on a stage that included two hydraulic risers that rose from beneath the stage to elevated platforms and a catwalk that led out toward the audience.

After a slow start, the show, which included nine costume changes, never once let up. Madonna showed energy and amazing stamina throughout. With all the dancing and performing, the music — although just one part of this extravaganza — never suffered. Vocalists/dancers Donna DeLory and Nicki Harris deserve some of this credit, as does audio director Keith Cohen.

Throughout her career, Madonna has consistently challenged herself, and in doing so she’s constantly evolving.

She has irked the P.C. Police many times, and “The Girlie Show” is no exception — having caused quite a storm in many countries, even garnering a special mention from the Pope. This doesn’t seem like the kind of show he’d be attending, considering it includes nudity, sexual reenactments and a “prayer” asking God to hold off on forecasted rain.

With a limited U.S. tour already completed, this was many fans’ only chance to see “The Girlie Show.”

(Sat. (20), 10:15-midnight, HBO)

  • Production: Broadcast from Sydney Cricket Sports Ground Trust, Sydney, Australia, by HBO. Exec producer, Freddy DeMann; producer, Marty Callner; line producer, Bill Brigode; coordinating producer, Douglas C. Forbes; director, Mark (Aldo) Miceli.
  • Crew: Camera, Toby Phillips; concert lighting designer, Peter Morse; audio director, Keith Cohen; production staged by Jeffrey Hornaday; choreographer, Alex Magno; opening sequence, Jay Torres.
  • Cast: With: Madonna.

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The Girlie Show

By the way, if you ever hear me say again ‘I’m never going on tour again’, don’t believe me Madonna

On September 25, 1993 Madonna kicked off her fourth tour in London’s Wembley Stadium , where adoring fans from all over the world reunited to see what The Queen of Pop had to say on stage after her hugely popular Blond Ambition Tour. The result was a fresh blend of Circus, Cabaret, Theatre and Magic.

The Girlie Show – named after a painting with the same name by American artist Edward Hopper – visited the UK, France, Israel, Turkey, Canada, the USA, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Australia and Japan.

Back in 2005 celebrated that magical tour with an extensive interview with the choreographer of the show, Alex Magno . Alex shared with our readers his personal “dreams come true” story of how he left his native Brazil to become a professional and successful dancer in the USA, but he also revealed exclusive and interesting behind the scenes stories about the making of The Girlie Show.

Check out his story by clicking the image below.

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The Girlie Show 1993 – Live Report by Hans

  • The Girlie Show 1993 –…

the girlie show tour stage

Three years after attending the Blond Ambition Tour I learn through ICON (Madonna’s official fanclub) that there is a possibility of an upcoming tour. Rumor has it the tour will start in Europe, in London to be precise, so that is a very good sign! I immediately contact ticket agency Keith Prowse to ask if they are able to get any tickets. They confirm that they can and I instantly make a reservation for two people (I know that my Dutch friend will be coming along). My boyfriend decides not to come as he doesn’t feel like hanging around a stadium all day…….

July 10, 1993

Today the tickets went on sale in London for The Girlie Show on September 25th in Wembley Stadium! I was so excited to know that I was actually going to attending a world premiere of a Madonna tour! I made a phone call to Keith Prowse and they told me that they had received no confirmation as of yet. But after three very anxious hours they were finally able to confirm our tickets, they told us that a second show would probably be announced soon! Indeed two days later the second show on September 26 was announced and we completed our journey. We booked a trip and hotel. I decided to stick with these two shows in London and not book more dates in other countries. Still two more months to wait until the tour would kick off!

The Girlie Show

London england, hoek van holland – london september 23.

Today we are traveling to London by train and boat, the next day we planned to walk through London and go to Wembley Stadium. When we’re in the train to Hoek van Holland we already have so much fun, but I do feel that we’re very nervous. I brought my camera and lots of film and of course the vouchers that we have to switch in London for the actual tickets. Once we arrive we get on the boat and to celebrate the upcoming weekend we drink a beer, but in just one hour we are ready for our beds.

London September 24, 1993

Early morning we arrive in Harwich and take the train to London, again the weather is great! We arrive at our hotel, dump our stuff and hit the town. We’re searching for Keith Prowse to switch our vouchers for the tickets. When we get there we’re told that we can only switch these tomorrow at Wembley Stadium. This sucks as this means that we are not able to just queue at Wembley as we don’t know which entrance is will be ours. But hey, we’re not going to let that spoil our shopping fun.

After a bit of walking around we end up at Madonna’s hotel (The Lanesborough) and hardly anyone was there. I tell my friend that I am not planning on hanging around for hours as I think it’s a waste of time. There isn’t too much happening at the front of the hotel, we do see Madonna’s brother Christopher leaving, some fans are running after him (come on guys get a grip). We decide to check out the back entrance of the hotel. A couple of people are there as well as a car and a driver that will be driving Madonna to Wembley we assume. We climb on top of the fence and wait. After no more than 15 minutes the unthinkable happened, Madonna exits the hotel with her bodyguard and I shoot some great pictures! Before she enters her car she looks at me with the biggest smile ever and after she gets inside, the car drives off.

Wow! She looks amazing with the short blond hair! After this nice but unexpected experience we ate dinner and went to bed early.

London September 25, 1993

We ordered room service at 5am and I took my breakfast with me outside. The weather was cold, windy and chilly and I didn’t really feel very well. London was still asleep but the closer we got to Wembley, the more we realized that we made the right decision as more people shared the exact same thought. We decided to sit and wait at Turnstile D even though we still didn’t know if that would be our entrance, decided to risk it anyway. We started talking to other people there, sharing experiences and discussing which songs she would be singing tonight. Somebody tells me that she will be performing ‘Justify My Love’ twice, why twice? I just hope she will perform a lot of songs off of ‘Erotica’.

At noon my friend heads over to the box office to change the voucher for the tickets and yes of course, the tickets say Turnstile C and we’re at D! My friend was expecting some friends to come around who hopefully have entrance D so maybe we could switch. And yes thank God, they indeed had D and were prepared to switch, but my friend had to convince them though. The weather is bad, cold and windy and it seems like it’s going to rain, gladly it didn’t. It’s about time for me to put my camera away and the last hour of waiting has arrived. When the gates open we run up the stairs and then I get searched by security, but they quickly tell me to continue my way, I have such an honest face, lol! I just ran to the stage and yes mission completed I am in the first section of the stadium! My friend is right behind me and we make a deal that I will give him all my films when they’re full during the show.

The stage looks amazing, it’s huge and on both sides there’s an image of someone with a mask on. At the top of the stage is the sign of the tour logo ‘Girlie Show’ and of course there’s the catwalk which we’re really close to. The support act starts UNV and they’re quite good. Finally it’s time for the world premiere of The Girlie Show , all we see now is a huge red curtain covering whatever is going on on stage. Then we hear music coming from the speakers and suddnely a  clown appears on stage and the curtain drops, we see a pole with a naked lady on it. First everyone thinks that it’s Madonna but soon we see that it’s a dancer. Erotica starts and the dancer descends down the pole. Madonna rises from the stage and starts to perform ‘Erotica’, WOW!! Amazing!! I am already taking pictures!

After Erotica she comes walking down the stairs onto the catwalk as she drops her props and clothes, takes off her mask and starts ‘Fever’. The crowd is going nuts, we’re all just so exited as we don’t know what else Madonna has in store for us. Fever is just spectacular and I got to take some great pictures, she ends this with ‘a Lovely way to burn’ and disappears into flames, or so it seems. First I think I hear Rescue Me but then a new version of ‘Vogue’ starts. The new version is just amazing, everybody loves it. ‘Rain’ is the first moment to really sit back, relax and enjoy (not that we’re doing that), an amazing version! Madonna’s voice amazes me, strong, clear and just very good. Then it’s disco time and Madonna descends on a huge discoball to sing ‘Express Yourself’. She takes us back to the 70s with the colourful costumes and the crazy afro wigs. M is on the catwalk a lot and she then performs Deeper & Deeper. Madonna takes the time to say something to the crowd after ‘Why’s It So Hard’ about Aids and then performs a very moving ‘In This Life’ . Wembley is silent, and Wembley listens to Madonna’s words, and we all start to get a bit teary when Madonna herself has trouble fighting back tears. She then walks up to the stage and the curtain closes.

the girlie show tour stage

After her dancers dance to ‘The Beast Within’ Madonna rises from the stage dressed in a suit. She starts her song with a German accent and then finally when she gets to the chorus we know which song she’s actually singing ‘Like A Virgin!’ This version is so original, we never expected this! Bye Bye Baby is being performed the same way as at the MTV Awards. She ends the song by telling us that she hates (fucking) women! I can already imagine the headlines tomorrow. The most unexpected song of the night has to be ‘I’m Going Bananas’ , but it’s absolutely hysterical and she mixes this with an amazing version of ‘La Isla Bonita’ . She takes her time after ‘La Isla Bonita’ and thanks God ‘for not raining on her show’ and gets down on her knees. She asks if we like the show, if we like the band, and tells us that after a year of being beaten up, she feels great thanks to our positive energy.

When she announces that she needs a vacation, we get a military style ‘Holiday’ that rocks the place! ‘My jock is loose, my pants are tight, my balls are swinging from left to right!’ Holiday is amazing and everyone sings along and dances their asses off. After ‘Holiday’ we’re waiting for the encore, which appears to be ‘Justify My Love’ which is absolutely breathtaking! I feel like I am watching a painting come to life, truly the highest form of art on stage! I never really liked the song, but this performance just gives it a whole another meaning. After another pause Madonna sings ‘Everybody’ and I just go crazy! But then suddenly security notices me taking pictures and takes me to the side of the stage and tells me to empty my camera. The films are being destroyed in front of me, I am so thankful that I handed over the other films to my friend earlier! I am not allowed back into the crowd, so I leave the stadium and buy some tour merch. I decide to go back to the hotel and wait for my friend there.

A little while later my friend arrives and yes he still has the films! He told me that he was in doubt whether to throw them away when he saw I was taken away, but luckily he didn’t. We then got a bite to eat and went to bed.

London September 26, 1993

The fire alarm went off in our hotel, but it turned out to be false. As expected the newspapers are filled with reviews on Madonna’s show. The reviews are fairly negative but still they like to overdo it, which makes their reviews absolute rubbish. We still purchase them for our collection. We decide to check out a record fair, where I find the Deeper And Deeper promo 12″ vinyl. We then returned to Wembley, this time without camera as I wanted to really enjoy tonight’s show.

When we get there it’s very crowded, I get my voucher and walk up to the box office. When it’s my turn, the lady takes the voucher and doesn’t come back for a while. When she comes back she asks how we ordered our ticket, and so I tell her. The lady tells us that tickets have been stolen on their way to the stadium and that our tickets probably were part of that package as well. Unfortunately there’s nothing she can do as the show is completely sold out. I am pissed off and walk back to my friend, at first he thought I was making a joke but when he saw how serious I was, he believed me. We called the Dutch agency and they told us they could give us a refund but only in Amsterdam, and no new tickets for tonight’s show.

What to do now? We’re certainly not going back home, we’re here, so we are going to see the show no matter what, but how? We found a ticket through a girl whose friend couldn’t come because she was sick. One ticket in the pocket, now just needed to find another one. The other available tickets were all seated ones, and way too expensive. Then my friend went out to search and after almost one hour he had found me one, but the seller requested too much money. My friend told him 30GBP and not a penny more! The seller gave in and we got our second ticket! When we compare our tickets, it turns out that mine looks a bit different, and I come to the conclusion that I might have bought my own stolen ticket.

When I enter Wembley now, I am being turned inside out by security. We then ran to the left side of the stage as we were on the right side yesterday. We’re in the first section of the arena so are free to go wherever we want to. The show again is just amazing, and now we get to see things that we weren’t able to yesterday. Now I get to see all of ‘Everybody’ . Madonna returns to the stage after ‘Everybody’ dressed as the clown, takes off her mask and sings ‘Everybody is a star’ and then she leaves.

London is a fact, both shows are over and so are our dates! We noticed how funny and relaxed Madonna was. We head back to the hotel, take a shower and go back to bed.

 Harwich – Amsterdam September 27, 1993

After breakfast we head to Liverpool Station to catch the 10 o’clock train to Harwich. My friend wants to buy some more newspapers but the train is almost ready to leave and he still has to pay. But he makes it at the last second, all that for a bunch of newspapers! When we’re on the boat I notice that my voice is almost completely gone and I decide to imitate Joe Cocker, which doesn’t sound too bad. When we arrive back in Amsterdam, my boyfriend Peter is waiting for me. I jump off the train and run up to him, but he’s instantly concerned about my voice. My friend tells him not to worry as my voice will come back (he knows, he’s seen me like this before).

What an amazing weekend with lots of great moments, bad moments (the tickets being stolen and the destroyed films). Hopefully I get to see Madonna again very soon!

Hans Schaft (1993)

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The Girlie Show World Tour

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The Girlie Show World Tour is the fourth tour by Madonna . It promoted her fifth studio album Erotica . A documentary about the tour titled Truth or Dare (In Bed With Madonna) was released later.

Background [ ]

The Girlie Show was based on her criticized album, Erotica . The show had a so-called visual theme "Circus Burlesque." The singer said it was "a mixture of a rock concert, a fashion show, a presentation of circus, a cabaret act and burlesque". She also had a complex visual style and a more introspective concept and theme most obvious and serious, showing different forms parts of the show. Madonna explored the sexual theme, as he had done in her album.

The show had a more complex than previous tours Madonna stage. She had a walkway leading to a smaller stage, several elevators, elevating platforms behind three-set, and a turntable in the middle of the main stage.

The scenery required 24 hours to be mounted and armed was directed by Madonna's brother, Christopher Ciccone.

At first, The Girlie Show was a thoughtful tour only to tour Australia and Japan, but in the process it was decided that it would cross four continents, resulting in Madonna visiting countries that had not been visited on previous tours, marking her first touring visit in Australia, South and Central America, and the Middle East.

The song " Bad Girl " was to be played during this tour, but for unknown reasons ended up being replaced by " In This Life ".

It was rumored that Madonna manipulated particular concert dates in the US and Canada because this time the presentations were small compared with their previous tours; according to her admirers, that an interpretation under Erotica album sales and her book was due Sex.

Setlist: [ ]

Act 1: Dominatrix

Act 2: Studio 54

Act 3: Weimar Cabaret

  • 1 Ray of Light Photoshoot
  • 3 Erotica Photoshoot

The Girlie Show World Tour

The Girlie Show World Tour (also referred to as simply The Girlie Show ) was the fourth concert tour by American singer and songwriter Madonna , in support of her fifth studio album, Erotica . The tour visited the Americas , Europe , Asia , and Australia for the first time, selling 360 000 tickets in this leg only. [2] Madonna's inspiration for the name of the tour was a painting called "Girlie Show" by Edward Hopper . The tour is estimated to have grossed over US$70 million. [2] [3] Two separate television specials were broadcast during the tour, one made during the Japanese leg of the tour and shown only on Japanese television; Madonna Live in Japan 1993 – The Girlie Show and an HBO special Madonna Live Down Under – The Girlie Show which was later released in 1994 by Warner Music Vision on home video. [4]

  • 1 Background
  • 2 Concert synopsis
  • 3 Broadcasts and recordings
  • 5.1 Opening act
  • 6 Canceled shows
  • 8 References

Proclaiming after her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour that she would "never go on tour again", it only took her three years until she hit the road again. After that, she said that if "you ever hear me say again 'I'm never going on tour again', don't believe me." [5]

The Girlie Show was launched in support of Madonna's 1992 album, Erotica . The show had the central visual theme of a "sex circus". Described as "a mixture of a rock concert, a fashion show, a carnival performance, a cabaret act and a burlesque show", the show had a more complex stage than those from Madonna's previous tours: it had a runway that led from the center of the main stage to a minor stage, a revolving elevated platform in the middle of the main stage, balconies in the rear of the stage, and a giant illuminated "Girlie Show" sign above stage, among other features. The tour was directed by Madonna's brother, Christopher Ciccone ; costumes for the tour were designed by Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana .

Madonna played an unusually few five dates in the U.S. It was speculated that this was related to the Erotica album's particularly low sales in that country and the extreme negative backlash surrounding Madonna's book Sex and film Body of Evidence . The tour was chronicled by the photo book The Girlie Show , which included a CD with three live tracks: "Like a Virgin", "In This Life", and "Why's It So Hard."

Photography for promotional material, posters and publicity for the show was by Herb Ritts . The same imagery was used on the " Bye Bye Baby " single cover, which was released during the Australian leg of the tour and also on a Brazilian promotional EP, The Girlie Show which included the tracks "Erotica", "Deeper and Deeper", "Bad Girl", "Fever", "Rain" and "Bye Bye Baby". [6] Other images from the same shoot were also included in The Girlie Show book released in 1994 and also on the 1993 single release, " Rain ".

Some venues forbade nudity, so dancer Carrie Ann Inaba wore a halter top at those shows. Uproar developed in Puerto Rico after Madonna rubbed the Puerto Rican flag between her legs on stage. [7] In São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro , Madonna performed the Brazilian song " The Girl from Ipanema ". [8] During her second show in Buenos Aires , Madonna performed a snippet of the song " Don't Cry for Me Argentina " from the musical Evita . Two years later she would end up playing the titular role in the film adaptation by Alan Parker . Trouble in Israel occurred when Orthodox Jews staged protests to force the cancellation of the singer's first-ever show in that country. The rallies were unsuccessful as the show was sold out and went on as scheduled. [7]

Concert synopsis

the girlie show tour stage

The show was divided into four sections: Dominatrix , Studio 54 , Weimar Cabaret , and Encore . It began with calliope fanfare as a pierrot - who makes several cameos later - appears from the red curtain near a tall go-go pole on which a topless dancer Carrie Ann Inaba performed. Madonna then makes her entrance striking poses and swinging her whip in dominatrix gear from a spotlit platform to sing " Erotica ". Next came " Fever " where she takes her jacket, mask and glove off and dances suggestively with two shirtless male dancers before disappearing among flames. " Vogue " is performed in a beaded headdress with a Hindu flavor; she serenaded the audience with a Motown -influenced " Rain ", complete with a " Singin' in the Rain " dance interlude which features the pierrot. Afterwards, she descends from the ceiling on a giant glitter ball , wearing a blond afro wig (inspired by the 1932 film Blonde Venus which stars Marlene Dietrich ) to perform a disco -styled " Express Yourself " and " Deeper and Deeper ". Following a simulated orgy, she sings "Why's It So Hard" and "In This Life"; the pierrot watches Madonna during the latter song.

Another interlude, " The Beast Within ", features an apocalyptic dance with sexual overtones. This leads to " Like a Virgin ", where Madonna performed in a classic tuxedo with a Marlene Dietrich vocal accent; while doing a comedic act with the pierrot. She then acts as a sideshow barker, singing " Bye Bye Baby " during a chair routine with her dancing girls; this was done in the same manner as her performance at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards . After the Hispanic "I'm Going Bananas", she staged a rendition of " La Isla Bonita " before donning military trench coats for a marching, funked-up version of " Holiday "; the circus theme is heard before and after this song. For encores, she appeared in Victorian -themed costumes for " Justify My Love ", and finally brought the house down with a minimal " Everybody ". As the red curtain fell and carnival music played, the pierrot emerged yet again, only to reveal its identity as Madonna herself: she closed the show by singing the phrase "Everybody is a Star" as the curtain falls.

Broadcasts and recordings

the girlie show tour stage

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The broadcast was produced in association with HBO and was titled Madonna Live Down Under: The Girlie Show . Initially, the November 20 show, the second of two dates at the Sydney Cricket Ground , was to be filmed and aired. However, a massive storm forced the cancellation of the show, so the November 19 show, which had been filmed as a "safety show", was aired instead in USA (HBO) and Germany (Premiere). A month later an edited version of this original broadcast was shown on UK TV (Sky). A re-edited version of this concert was released worldwide on VHS and Laserdisc on April 26, 1994 as The Girlie Show: Live Down Under . It was nominated for the Grammy Award of Best Long Form Music Video in 1995.

Additional video recordings were made during the Japanese leg of the tour and shown only on Japanese television, Madonna Live in Japan 1993 – The Girlie Show and the October 7 show at the Inonu Stadium in Istanbul was aired on ATV in Turkey. UK radio station, BBC Radio 1 , broadcast the entire second show at Wembley Stadium on December 26 and Brazilian radio broadcast the show at Maracanã stadium , Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with live commentary.

the girlie show tour stage

  • "The Girlie Show Theme" (Fanfare Introduction)
  • " Erotica "
  • " Fever " (Edit One mix)
  • " Rain " (contains excerpts from " Just My Imagination " along with elements of " Singin' in the Rain ")
  • " Express Yourself "
  • " Deeper and Deeper " (contains excerpts from " It Takes Two " and " Love to Love You Baby ")
  • "Why's It So Hard"
  • "In This Life"
  • " The Beast Within " (Dancer Interlude)
  • " Like a Virgin " (contains excerpts from " Falling In Love Again ")
  • " Bye Bye Baby "
  • "I'm Going Bananas"
  • " La Isla Bonita "
  • " Holiday " (contains excerpts from "Holiday for Calliope")
  • " Justify My Love "
  • " Everybody Is a Star " / " Everybody " (contains elements of " Dance to the Music ", and " After the Dance ")

Set list per official DVD Tracklisting. [9] [10] [11]

Opening act

  • Yonca Evcimik and Kenan Dogulu - Turkey
  • U.N.V. - some North America dates
  • Peter Andre - Australia

Source: [19]

Canceled shows

  • Production Designer - Christopher Ciccone
  • Musical Director - Jai Winding
  • Stage Direction - Jeffrey Hornaday
  • Lighting Designer - Peter Morse
  • Costume Design - Dolce & Gabbana and Rob Saduski
  • Choreographers - Alex Magno , Keith Young, Michelle Johnston and Niki Haris
  • Dancers - Ungela Brockman, Christopher Childers, Michael Gregory, Carrie Ann Inaba , Jill Nicklaus, Ruth Inchaustegui, Luca Tommassini, and Carlton Wilborn
  • Madonna - Lead vocals
  • Victor Baley - Bass
  • Michael Bearden - Keyboards
  • Luis Conte - Percussion
  • Donna DeLory - Backing vocals
  • Niki Haris - Backing vocals
  • Omar Hakim - Drums
  • Mike McKnight - Keyboards
  • Paul Pesco - Guitar
  • Jai Winding - Keyboards
  • ↑ 1634 to 1699: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1700-1799: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 1800–present: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • ↑ Lenig 2010 , p. 145
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  • ↑ http://audienciamundotv.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/assistir-show-da-madonna-em-sao-paulo-morumbi-ao-vivo-online-gratis-05122012/
  • ↑ http://www.rioguides.com/en/information/rio-s-attractions/the-obvious/152-maracana-stadium-uk
  • ↑ http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/get_out/article_09a20c0d-ea49-5ae8-a6e7-ed56bba0ab12.html?mode=jqm
  • Pages using duplicate arguments in template calls
  • Pages with broken file links
  • Madonna (entertainer) concert tours
  • 1993 concert tours
  • Pages with script errors

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Letterboxd — Your life in film

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Madonna: The Girlie Show - Live Down Under

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Madonna: the girlie show - live down under.

1993 Directed by Mark Aldo Miceli

The Girlie Show - Live Down Under included a date filmed at Sydney Cricket Ground on November 19, 1993 from The Girlie Show World Tour. The video was originally broadcast as a TV special on HBO in 1993 under the title Madonna Live Down Under: The Girlie Show. This was the fourth concert tour by Madonna, in support of her fifth studio album, Erotica.

Madonna Jai Winding Michael Bearden Mike McKnight Paul Pesco Omar Hakim Luis Conte Victor Bailey Niki Haris Donna DeLory Ungela Brockman Christopher D. Childers M.G. Gong Carrie Ann Inaba Jill Nicklaus Ruth Taveras Luca Tommassini Carlton Wilborn

Director Director

Mark Aldo Miceli

Producer Producer

Marty Callner

Editors Editors

Candace Brown Patti Gannon

Cinematography Cinematography

Toby Phillips

Production Design Production Design

Christopher Ciccone

Choreography Choreography

Michelle Johnston Keith Young Alex Magno

Maverik Motion Pictures WEA/Reprise Warner Music Group

Alternative Title

MADONNA THE GIRLIE SHOW LIVE DOWN UNDER

Documentary Music

Releases by Date

25 apr 1994, 21 nov 1993, releases by country.

117 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

nathaxnne [hiatus <3]

Review by nathaxnne [hiatus <3] ★★★★★ 23

Here is a spell: take off a feather boa. Lay it circular saw widdershins on the hotel carpet. Take off another feather boa and lay it widdershins upon the initial feather boa but nestled a little inside of the circle made by the first feather boa as if it is maternal or spooning or forming the base of an underwater volcano. Take off another feather boa lay it widdershins circular inside of the second feather boa to make an eye to make a hole. Take off another feather boa lay it circular widdershins within the third feather boa as if it is a squirrel sleeping in the winter within it's squirrel nest awaiting the coming of spring what if there…

PerseuEvans

Review by PerseuEvans ★★★★½

The most theatrical of all Madonna's concerts, mixing vaudeville, variety show, circus and Broadway. It's also her best concert in terms of the seamlessness that exists between musical arrangements (the musicians are superb), setlist and choreography. The show became notorious for underlining the "Erotica" phase, especially in the way Madonna cleverly plays with gender roles using costumes and dance moves.

Almost all the performances are highly stylized, and even those that come off as awkward (like the Dietrich-inspired "Like a Virgin") are creative or amusing. The 70s segment - starting with "Express Yourself" and ending with "In This Life" - is one of the best things Madonna has ever done, exploring the narrative of free love (the performance of "Why…

jason diaz

Review by jason diaz ★★★★★

cinema peaked with this

scharamiska

Review by scharamiska ★★★★★ 4

incredible how with no high-tech or having the best voice this woman could stop the world as a performancer. she really made music through time a 3D experience. glam, provocative, heart-touching and funny all at once in one work

bauti

Review by bauti ★★★★

i feel like everyone went home and had crazy sex after seeing this live

evan

Review by evan ★★★★★

Absolutely insane tour. Incredible opening of 'Erotica'.

Ed_W00d

Review by Ed_W00d ★★★★½

Trois ans après son Blond Ambition , Madonna repartait en tournée avec le non moins provoquant et très théâtral Girlie Show , ici enregistré en Australie, en novembre '93.

Suite logique de son précédent spectacle et servant de promotion à l'album scandaleux Erotica , la reine de la pop semblait s'amuser comme une folle dans cet espèce de cirque érotique qui lui servait d'immense plateforme lui servant à passer plusieurs messages primordiaux et qui lui sont, encore à ce jour, très chers. 🎤

liz 𐙚

Review by liz 𐙚 ★★★★★

of course i love the greatest performer of all time

Katy

Review by Katy 2

yeah happy leo season everybody

Cory G

Review by Cory G ★★★★½ 1

This show was so ahead of it’s time. In the early 90s Madonna was on stage calling AIDS the greatest tragedy of the 20th century. She had oiled men in sequined shorts erotically grinding on each other. She had topless pole dancers coming from the ceiling. The Marlene Dietrich inspired Like a Virgin was so weird yet so fun.

This is my third favorite M tour and fingers crossed for an HD release in 2022 with the new WB deal!

douglas

Review by douglas ★★★★★

so goofy, can’t take her anywhere!

Daphne Austin

Review by Daphne Austin ★★★★★

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

ultimate comfort watch. the versions of las isla bonita, like a virgin, and everybody here are just *chefs kiss*

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Madonna's latest tour

Madonna's latest tour -- An inside look at the artist's reinvention for the Girlie Show

Madonna may be the mother of reinvention, but there are signs that her prowess at headline-grabbing comebacks is waning.

Her tepidly received Dietrichesque opening number at the MTV Video Music Awards was a preview of her new 18-month tour, The Girlie Show, which kicks off in London on Sept. 25. But the Gypsy -meets- Cabaret show looks more like something tailored to Barbra Streisand than the Material Girl.

”It’s very sophisticated, kind of Broadway-driven,” says Madonna’s spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg. ”Madonna has enormous admiration for the choreography of Broadway.” What’s in store: · Insiders say the homage to the Great White Way will also tap into the new lesbian chic. · Accompanying the nod to Dietrich, according to writer Glenn O’Brien, who edited Sex and wrote the Girlie Show tour diary, is ”a lot of vaudeville and burlesque.” O’Brien says the centerpiece of the stage will be a huge ”go-go pole,” like the kind found in upscale strip clubs. · Madonna has already run through five choreographers, but Rosenberg denies any discord. The Girlie Show consists of a sequence of scenes that tell a story, according to Rosenberg, and Madonna just wanted a different dance director for each. (One choreographer did pass muster: Gene Kelly , 81.)

How eager is the public to see Madonna? Pretty eager, judging from ticket sales. She sold out concerts in London and Paris. Sales in Germany, Australia, and select U.S. cities are expected to follow suit. But even if Madonna can still put on one of the greatest shows on earth, her career outlook is uncertain. Her record sales have declined steadly since Like a Virgin . ” Erotica has not had the success of her previous albums,” admits Rosenberg, ”but I don’t get any fewer calls about her.”

Not many of those calls are from Hollywood agents, however. Given the buzz on her next outing, MGM’s Snake Eyes , her dream of movie stardom seems far off. Originally scheduled to open in October, Snake Eyes , directed by Abel Ferrara ( Bad Lieutenant ), has now been pushed back to March 1994. A source close to the singer says Madonna wasn’t happy when she saw an early screening last May and wanted changes. ”But everybody else liked it; they talked her out of it.”

Talk is also lukewarm about Maverick, Madonna’s $60 million multimedia company. Maverick Records, the most visible arm of the company, has so far been a disappointment. Says a source, ”It’s not that they’re going in the wrong direction, but people can’t tell what direction they’re going in.”

Having turned 35 last month, Madonna herself may be struggling with her sense of direction. ”She shot to fame during the Reagan era,” says Adam Sexton, editor of Desperately Seeking Madonna , an anthology of essays published this year. ”Now we’ve got a pot-smoking Democrat in the White House. She needs to have some sort of Daddy to rebel against. But with this baby boomer in charge, it’s like she’s out of a job.” — Additional reporting by Nisid Hajari and Jeffrey Wells

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Onstage in Chicago, Zach Bryan Howled, and the Crowd Found Its Voice

The singer and songwriter has become one of pop’s least expected new stars. On opening night of his arena tour, he showcased the bond with his fans that brought him there.

A man in a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up plays an acoustic guitar and steps away from a microphone onstage to let out a yell.

By Jon Caramanica

Reporting from Chicago

The first two songs Zach Bryan played at the United Center on Tuesday night were from the more muscular end of his catalog. They landed hard and quick — Bryan was singing with a rugged howl, guitars were churning, the fiddle poked through the top like a squeal. This was opening night of The Quittin Time Tour, and the first of three sold-out shows here, and he was wasting no time pumping the audience into a frenzy.

Then he needed them to breathe — maybe he needed to breathe — and so next came “God Speed,” one of the most delicate and precise entries in Bryan’s catalog. It’s a song about surrender and, most importantly, hope, that rests entirely on his strummed acoustic guitar and determined, dusty voice. Bryan pulled his vocals back to let the words sink in, but somehow the crowd got louder and more committed, turning the song into a hymn. In a room of over 20,000 people, everyone was singing, yet somehow it was eerily quiet — the loudest hush imaginable.

Bryan, 27, is a singer whose hollers feel like hugs and whose laments land with a roar. For the past few years, his country-rock-adjacent rumbles have been inspiring a level of fevered devotion that has made him one of music’s most popular and least expected new stars. “Zach Bryan,” his second major-label album, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart last year, and its lead single, “I Remember Everything,” a duet with Kacey Musgraves, reached the top of the Hot 100. Half a year later, the song remains in the Top 10.

A Bryan live show is rooted in his sandpapered voice, his modest affect and his band’s surprisingly jubilant musical arrangements. But just as crucial is the crowd shout-along. It is something slightly different than a regular singalong; the harmony it suggests veers past musical to the emotional.

A couple of years ago, Bryan’s audience was packed with young men who sang his scraped-up songs unselfconsciously back to him. It all had the eau de Springsteen — deploying the magic of seeing a tough, resilient man confess to something much more wounded and ambiguous. But while that’s still part of the appeal, his crowd has expanded. There are more women now, and loads of teenagers, too, an indication of Bryan’s reach even if he has yet to become a traditional radio presence, and even if his allegiance to country music — which he toys with, and which the crowd’s outfits suggested an affinity for — is fickle.

This show, like his albums, was uproarious but not unfocused: a two-hour tour of songs about stubbornness and mistake-making, flecked with flashes of tenderness that gleam so brightly because everything around them is scuffed beyond repair.

The brawnier songs were effective, including “Open the Gate,” “Heading South” and “Nine Ball,” during which the track’s video, starring Matthew McConaughey, played on screens near the ceiling. Bryan’s band knows how to extract antic energy from just a handful of small parts, particularly Read Connolly on lap steel and banjo, J.R. Carroll on keyboard and Lucas Ruge-Jones on fiddle and sometimes trumpet.

But Bryan is at heart a sentimentalist. He writes about the present with the patina of retelling the past, a gesture that underscores how little distance there is between something happening right now and the memory you’re left holding onto. His most effective gambit is bringing thousands of people into the dimly lit corners of his songs.

“’68 Fastback” was heart-rending: “To you I’m just salvage/I ain’t ran right in years/So drive me then gut me.” And Bryan was particularly vivid when invoking the unsteady concept of home, whether on the bracing “Oklahoma Smokeshow,” or “Tishomingo,” which opened with the disarming sigh, “I don’t think that the city moves slow enough for me.”

“Highway Boys,” which on the surface is a toast to the compatriots that make life on the road manageable, actually turned on a more gentle commandment: “If you need me, call/If you’re in love, fall.” And it’s hard to imagine a contemporary American songbook without “God Speed,” from his self-released 2019 album “DeAnn,” which marked Bryan as a singer and writer of uncommon vigor.

Even Bryan’s biggest hits were effectively small ruminations: an aching “Something in the Orange,” and “I Remember Everything,” on which Bryan was joined by Musgraves, a pair of interior singers reckoning with the certainty of a song loved by millions.

When Musgraves left the stage, Bryan quipped, “You kidding me?” This, too, is part of Bryan’s arsenal — the modesty. Throughout the show, he was constantly acknowledging his luck, and the purported (and untrue) rustiness of him and the band: “I’m so sorry if you were having a good evening and we ruined it.”

He played on a huge cross-shaped stage at the center of the arena floor — a pumped-up version of playing in the round — and spent much of his time dutifully marching from promontory to promontory to make sure each side of the room got its face time. And he played to the local crowd with a T-shirt celebrating the Chicago Bulls’ 1995-96 season in which they went 72-10, then the best regular-season record of all time.

After a show full of grand-scale renderings of small-bore apprehensions, he closed with “Quittin’ Time,” with a rambunctious banjo and the fist-pumping exhortation, “I can’t wait to head on home, so I can take my gal to dance.” And then, after a slightly awkward break, Bryan and the band returned to the stage for a 10-minute single-song encore of “Revival,” an enthusiastic celebration of misbehavior. It was boisterous and free, chatty and ecstatic; T-shirt cannons fired tight packages into the crowd.

It was sort of a repayment and a release for a night of close attention and assistance. When Bryan yelped, the crowd yelped. When he whispered, they whispered, too. Sometimes, it was unclear where the line between observation and participation really was. Near the end of “Something in the Orange,” Bryan said, “I trust you guys,” and walked away from the microphone.

The Quittin Time Tour continues in Chicago on Wednesday and Thursday, and runs through Dec. 19 in Brooklyn; zachbryan.com/tour .

Jon Caramanica is a pop music critic for The Times and the host of the “Popcast” podcast. He also writes the men's Critical Shopper column for Styles. He previously worked for Vibe magazine, and has written for the Village Voice, Spin, XXL and more. More about Jon Caramanica

Explore the World of Country Music

Zach Bryan’s country-rock-adjacent rumbles have made him one of music’s most popular new stars . On the first night of his arena tour, he showcased his bond with the fans that brought him there.

A fan asked his Oklahoma radio station to play a new Beyoncé song. The request was rejected, reigniting a debate about the exclusion of Black musicians from country music .

Jelly Roll, one of 2023’s surprise success stories in the music industry, has become known as much for emotional openness as for hit songs .

CMAT, whose real name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, combines country music’s enduring themes of heartbreak and self-destruction with camp humor and a distinctly Irish sense of the absurd .

The rising singer Morgan Wade is disciplined about her sobriety, fitness and songwriting. But a bond with the reality-TV star Kyle Richards has thrust her into an uncontrollable world of fame .

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See All the Best Photos from Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Weekend in Singapore

The Grammy winner kicked off her six nights in Singapore on March 2

Alexandra Schonfeld is a features writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since April 2022. Her work previously appeared in Newsweek .

the girlie show tour stage

Ashok Kumar/TAS24/Getty

Taylor Swif t is in her Singapore era!

As the Grammy winner continues to bring her Eras Tour global, the latest stop was the National Stadium in Singapore, where she kicked off a six-night stint on March 2.

In video captured from the first show, Swift shared that the stop was an important one for her and her family, as "my mom actually spent a lot of her childhood with her mom and dad and sister growing up in Singapore."

"So a lot of the time when we'd come here on tour, my mom would take me and drive me past her old house, where she used to go to school. So I've been hearing about Singapore my whole life," she continued, before adding that the experience "means the world."

From her sweet "22" hat moment to her hair's response to the humidity , these are the best photos from Swift's first night in Singapore!

Welcome to Singapore!

Swift kicked off night one in her signature Lover era custom Atelier Versace bodysuit.

When talking about her family's ties to the country, Swift shared, "To get to come here and play a show this big with so many beautiful, generous people who are essentially honoring my family with what you just did with that song, it means the world."

"I already love you," she added. "We're going to have a blast tonight."

All Together Now

Swift and her backup singers were all smiles on stage Saturday night. Later in the set — when it was time to dive into the acoustic portion — Swift graced the audience with two mashups : a mix of "Mine" from Speak Now   and "Starlight" from   Red , as well as "I Don't Want to Live Forever" from the  Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack played with with "Dress" from  Reputation .

Quick Change

As she slithered her way into the Reputation era, Swift's curls were starting to poke through, which she referred to later as her hair's "factory settings."

"I'm not complaining, I like it," she said.

Fan Connection

In one of the sweetest traditions from each of Swift's Eras Tour stops, the superstar shared a moment with the latest recipient of her "22" hat.

For the rest of her Red era, Swift revealed a red and black sequin Ashish romper, which she later paired with a matching coat.

Sweet Serenade

As she does with every one of her lengthy sets, Swift gracefully transitioned between each of her eras as the night went on.

Twirls and Swirls

During the folklore portion of the show, she swirled around in her Alberta Ferretti dress.

Ballad Time

While still in the dreamy world she created for the 2020 album, Swift laid on a top of a patch of grass as she sang "The 1."

Center Stage

Ashok Kumar/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

And before the show came to a close, Swift took her seat for the sultry performance of "Vigilante Sh--" in blue sequins.

Grand Finale

To close out the. night, as her hair continued to curl, Swift threw on her sparkling pink coat as she and her dancers and backup singers gave it their last hurrah before heading into the rest of the week's shows.

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Taylor Swift Runs Into Travis Kelce’s Arms After ‘Karma’ Lyric Swap at ‘Eras Tour’ in Singapore

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are back at it again with the PDA.

Fans captured videos of Swift, 34, running off stage in Singapore on Friday, March 8, and right into Kelce’s arms. The couple shared a sweet kiss, which yes, led to various applause from the Eras Tour crowd.

In one clip from the show, Kelce, 34, could be seen cheering for Swift as her concert came to an end. She walked with a purpose into his open arms and gave him a kiss, wrapping herself around the NFL star. Kelce walked backward as they hugged, and Swift pushed him backstage.

SCREAMING pic.twitter.com/ysEZkNeEXU — Tayvis Nation 🏈🫶🏻 (@tayvisnation) March 8, 2024

The most recent bout of PDA came just after Swift ended her show with the song “Karma” from the Midnights era with the lyrics changed in honor of Kelce for the third time. When Kelce made his first Eras Tour appearance during Swift’s Argentina shows in November 2023, the singer sang “karma is the guy on the Chiefs” instead of “karma is the guy on the screen.” She’s since continued to sing the new lyric when Kelce is spotted in the crowd.

Fan videos from Friday’s show also showed Kelce dancing along to Swift’s “Ready for It” from her Reputation era while watching the concert from what appeared to be a VIP box. Kelce’s friend Harry Clark appeared to be in attendance as well, per social media footage he shared on social media.

🎥| Travis Kelce reacting to “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs” #SingaporeTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/hEI0IFfn6i — The Swift Society (@TheSwiftSociety) March 8, 2024

Swift and Kelce went public with their relationship in September 2023 when the musician was first spotted attending a Kansas City Chiefs game. As Kelce’s NFL season came to an end, Swift became a permanent fixture at his football games, including Super Bowl LVIII in February. Now that it’s Kelce’s offseason, he’s returning the favor by catching flights and feelings to watch the Eras Tour .

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift

Related: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Relationship Timeline

Before heading to Singapore, Kelce brought his friend Ross Travis to one of Swift’s shows in Sydney. Kelce got multiple shout-outs from Swift during this particular concert.

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Taylor Swift Runs Into Travis Kelce’s Arms During PDA-Filled Moment at Singapore ‘Eras Tour’

While singing “Willow” during the Folklore era, Swift seemingly pointed in Kelce’s direction during the “that’s my man” line. She also alluded to her boyfriend and the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVII win during “Long Live” in the Speak Now era. During the line, “When they gave us our trophies,” Swift seemed to point to Kelce once again. (The Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25 to 22 on February 11, and Swift was in attendance.)

Both Kelce and Swift have been candid about the public nature of their relationship since they started dating.

“We actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I’m grateful for, because we got to get to know each other,” Swift admitted to TIME in December 2023. “By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple. I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.”

In this article

Taylor Swift Bio Pic

Taylor Swift

Travis Kelce Laughs Off Coaches Bill Belichick and Andy Reid's Comments About Taylor Swift

Travis Kelce

More stories.

Righteous Brothers farewell tour to stop in Sheboygan in April

Weekly dose also has news from the john michael kohler arts center, mead public library and more..

the girlie show tour stage

SHEBOYGAN — Weill Center for the Performing Arts will bring the Righteous Brothers to stage for the “Lovin’ Feelin’ Farewell” tour April 11.

The original “blue-eyed soul” duo is taking the stage for the final time and will be making a stop in Sheboygan.

83-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bill Medley will take his last curtain call, along with his partner since 2003, Bucky Heard, before transitioning into retirement.

Following the tour, Medley plans to remain “artistically busy,” but will take a break from traveling.

Tickets to the show can be purchased online at weillcenter.com , by calling 920-208-3243 or going to the box office at 826 N. Eighth St., Sheboygan, between noon and 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays or one hour prior to events. Tickets start at $45.

Shipwreck: Century-old shipwreck off Sheboygan coast named historic place, protected by law

JMKAC has a new director of development

Nancy Allison is the new director of development at Sheboygan’s John Michael Kohler Arts Center . She assumed the role Feb. 5, a news release said.

“Nancy brings a distinctive and invigorating mix of experience and expertise to the Arts Center,” JMKAC Director Amy Horst said in the release. “The entire JMKAC team and I eagerly anticipate tapping into her knowledge of the arts and development, along with her leadership prowess, to enhance the organization’s fundraising initiatives.”

As director of development, Allison oversees fundraising programs and operations for the Arts Center and manages a portfolio of major-gift donors, foundations and corporate sponsors.

She will also serve as liaison to the board of directors and staff the board’s development committee, the news release said.

Allison most recently was senior donor services officer at the Pittsburgh Foundation in Pittsburgh, where she served as philanthropic adviser to high-net-worth donors, corporations and organizations.

Before joining the Pittsburgh Foundation in 2020, she was a development associate for individual giving at the Penland School of Craft in Penland, North Carolina. In that role, she directed the annual fund, secured major gifts as part of a $32 million fundraising campaign and led the scholarship program.

Mead Public Library to host WinterGreen festival

Mead Public Library in Sheboygan will celebrate the start of spring by hosting a day of free, green-themed activities for all ages March 16.

The family-friendly festival, which runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature a talk by UW-Madison professor Glen Stanosz on the role of fungi in forest ecosystems, plus live music with Fox and Branch, a potted-plant exchange, seed starters, microgreens, STEM experiments, cooking demos, crafts, Tai Chi and more.

For more details, visit www.meadpl.org/wintergreen-2024 or call 920-459-3400.

Participating community partners include Badger Talks, Play is Healing, Nourish Farms, MilliporeSigma, Terra Sol Gardens, Jon Doll and Jane Lang, Marilyn Montemayor, JoAnne Friedman and Gateway Community Gardens.

Cirque Us show DreamCycle coming to Sheboygan’s Warped Studios

Warped Studios , 919 N. 14th St., Sheboygan, will bring the Cirque Us show DreamCycle to town April 2. Tickets and more details are at thecirqueus.com .

Cirque Us, founded in 2016, is a nationally renowned circus company that produces original touring full-length works. The show will last approximately 75 minutes and is appropriate for all ages.

A news release described the show as follows: “The sheep are counted and the acrobats are all tucked in — it’s time for DreamCycle! Join our award-winning troupe of circus artists as they lead you on an adventure through a strange yet familiar world, performing astounding feats that will make you say, ‘I must be dreaming!’ Originally produced in 2017, DreamCycle is boldly reimagined for the 2024 spring season. As our story unravels like the fabric of a dream, we come face to face with both fantasy and nightmare. Featuring aerialists, jugglers, acrobats, contortionists, hand balancers, clowns and so much more from across the country, let your imagination run free with DreamCycle!”

Tower Academy building: What this Sheboygan church is doing with the former Tower Academy building

Auditions for Sheboygan Theatre Company’s ‘Rent’ set for March 12-13

Sheboygan Theatre Company ’s in-person auditions for its upcoming production of “Rent” will be March 12-13 at Horace Mann Middle School.

STC encourages performers 16 and older to audition for the production. Parental consent is required for all 16- and 17-year-olds.

Sign up for a one-hour slot and expect to be singing, speaking and learning a dance combination.

Auditioners should prepare a 1- to 1.5-minute dramatic dialogue and 16 to 32 bars of a pop/rock song. An accompanist will be provided or auditioners can bring an instrumental track to be played via a Bluetooth speaker.

A full character breakdown can be found at www.stcshows.org/rent .

The production will be staged at the Leslie W. Johnson Theater on the Horace Mann Middle School campus at the beginning of May.

To arrange an audition, call 920-459-3773 or use Sign Up Genius. Those attending should enter through door 17 at the back of the school.

For tickets, go to stcshows.org .

Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 or  [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at  @breidHTRNews .  

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  3. Madonna: The Girlie Show

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  6. Madonna Girlie Show 1993(5)

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  1. THE GIRLIE SHOW

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  1. The Girlie Show (Madonna)

    The Girlie Show was the fourth concert tour by American singer and songwriter Madonna, in support of her fifth studio album, Erotica (1992). In October 1992, Madonna simultaneously released Erotica and the coffee table book Sex.The former ended up being Madonna's lowest selling album at the time, while the latter received extensive media attention, and backlash from fans and critics ...

  2. Why Madonna's Girlie Show Tour Was A Two-Fingered Triumph

    Launched in the autumn of 1993, The Girlie Show tour was crafted to remind everyone just what had made Madonna one of the best musicians of the 80s. Listen to ... The Girlie Show was an attempt by Madonna to reset focus away from the headlines and back on her ability to stage a spectacular live show. With brother Christopher Ciccone as tour ...

  3. Sex, strippers and scandal: Inside Madonna's 'The Girlie Show' tour 30

    After 1990's groundbreaking Blond Ambition Tour, Madonna continued to push boundaries — and buttons — with The Girlie Show, her most titillating trek of all, in 1993. But while the Queen of ...

  4. Photos From All of Madonna's Concert Tours, From 1985 to Now

    Here are photos from every single one of Madonna's tours over the past 40 years. Madonna performing on stage on her The Girlie Show tour at Wembley Stadium in London on September 25, 1993. Mick ...

  5. The Girlie Show Tour Program

    Leading up to its 30th anniversary we are sharing the full tour program on the dedicated tour page HERE. August 17, 2023. Tags: the girlie show. Previous How Madonna 'survived the life that killed so many of her peers,' according to biographer: exclusive Next Desperately Seeking Susan outdoor screening at EYE in Amsterdam. Cookie.

  6. Girlie Show

    The Girlie Show was the first tour to span over 5 different continents, visiting several new territories such as Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Israel. However, this also meant that the tour was limited to only 2 cities in Europe and 3 cities in the US. ... Nomination for Most Creative Stage Production. 1995 Grammy Awards: Nomination ...

  7. Inside Madonna's 'The Girlie Show' tour 30 years on

    After 1990's groundbreaking Blond Ambition Tour, Madonna continued to push boundaries — and buttons — with The Girlie Show, her most titillating trek of all,

  8. Madonna Average Setlists of tour: The Girlie Show

    1. 1 Encore. 39. This feature is not that experimental anymore. Nevertheless, please give feedback if the results don't make any sense to you. View average setlists, openers, closers and encores of Madonna for the tour The Girlie Show!

  9. Kylie Minogue joins Madonna onstage during Celebration Tour: Watch

    The pop superstars performed two songs together during the March 7 show. Queens supporting queens. Madonna, 65, welcomed fellow pop icon Kylie Minogue, 55, to the stage at the Kia Forum in Los ...

  10. Madonna kicks off five-night Celebration Tour run in Inglewood. Yes

    Madonna (pictured performing on The Celebration Tour at Barclays Center in New York City on Dec. 14, 2023) brings the show to Kia Forum in Inglewood March 4, 5, 7, 9 and 11. She'll also hit ...

  11. 30 Years Later: Reflecting on Madonna's Iconic 'The Girlie Show' Tour

    Moving beyond the glitz and glamour, 'The Girlie Show' was a tour that pushed the boundaries of live entertainment. It showcased Madonna's artistic growth as she seamlessly blended different musical genres, from pop and rock to Latin and African beats, proving that she was not confined to one particular style.

  12. Madonna The Girlie Show Australia 1993 backstage / stage set up

    Watch how Madonna and her crew prepared for The Girlie Show, one of her most iconic and controversial tours, in Australia in 1993. See the backstage scenes, the stage set up, and the amazing ...

  13. The Girlie Show Tour (Live from Sydney, Australia

    Disfruta del concierto completo y remasterizado de la cuarta gira musical de #Madonna: #TheGirlieShow filmada en Sidney, Australia en el año de 1993.Puedes a...

  14. Dancer Carlton Wilborn on Madonna: 'Rehearsal truly was like boot camp

    Stage; Classical; Games; Carlton Wilborn with Madonna on the Girlie Show tour, 1993. Photograph: Ilop Musto/Alamy. View image in fullscreen. Carlton Wilborn with Madonna on the Girlie Show tour, 1993.

  15. Madonna Live Down Under: The Girlie Show

    The show then moved to Sydney, where a topless dancer slinked down a 20-foot pole before Madonna rose from below the stage, whip in hand and other places, looking like Catwoman singing "Erotica."

  16. The Girlie Show

    On September 25, 1993 Madonna kicked off her fourth tour in London's Wembley Stadium, where adoring fans from all over the world reunited to see what The Queen of Pop had to say on stage after her hugely popular Blond Ambition Tour. The result was a fresh blend of Circus, Cabaret, Theatre and Magic. The Girlie Show - named after a painting ...

  17. Madonna

    The Girlie Show World Tour (also referred to as simply The Girlie Show) was the fourth concert tour by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was launche...

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    At the top of the stage is the sign of the tour logo 'Girlie Show' and of course there's the catwalk which we're really close to. The support act starts UNV and they're quite good. Finally it's time for the world premiere of The Girlie Show, all we see now is a huge red curtain covering whatever is going on on stage. Then we hear ...

  19. Review/Pop; From Madonna, a New Palatability but Still Spicy

    Madonna has stopped trying to top herself. Yes, "The Girlie Show," her current touring spectacle, does include bumping and grinding, polymorphous caresses and couplings, crotch-grabbing, four ...

  20. The Girlie Show World Tour

    The Girlie Show World Tour is the fourth tour by Madonna. It promoted her fifth studio album Erotica. A documentary about the tour titled Truth or Dare (In Bed With Madonna) was released later. The Girlie Show was based on her criticized album, Erotica. The show had a so-called visual theme "Circus Burlesque." The singer said it was "a mixture of a rock concert, a fashion show, a presentation ...

  21. The Girlie Show World Tour

    The Girlie Show World Tour (also referred to as simply The Girlie Show) was the fourth concert tour by American singer and songwriter Madonna, in support of her fifth studio album, Erotica.The tour visited the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia for the first time, selling 360 000 tickets in this leg only. Madonna's inspiration for the name of the tour was a painting called "Girlie Show" by ...

  22. Madonna: The Girlie Show

    The Girlie Show - Live Down Under included a date filmed at Sydney Cricket Ground on November 19, 1993 from The Girlie Show World Tour. The video was originally broadcast as a TV special on HBO in 1993 under the title Madonna Live Down Under: The Girlie Show. This was the fourth concert tour by Madonna, in support of her fifth studio album, Erotica.

  23. I just rewatched the girlie show online. What a incredible show! What

    The Virgin Tour Who's That Girl Tour The Blond Ambition Tour The Girlie show not only brought a body of work of the 80s, but the lessons from three massively successful tours (VIRGIN, GIRL, AMBITION) On stage Madonna wasn't a character from an album, but for the first time a performer interrupting her self, integrating a decade plus of lessons ...

  24. Madonna's latest tour

    Her tepidly received Dietrichesque opening number at the MTV Video Music Awards was a preview of her new 18-month tour, The Girlie Show, which kicks off in London on Sept. 25.

  25. Onstage, Zach Bryan Howled, and the Crowd Found Its Voice

    A Bryan live show is rooted in his sandpapered voice, his modest affect and his band's surprisingly jubilant musical arrangements. But just as crucial is the crowd shout-along.

  26. The Best Photos from Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Stop in Singapore

    Taylor Swift is in her Singapore era!. As the Grammy winner continues to bring her Eras Tour global, the latest stop was the National Stadium in Singapore, where she kicked off a six-night stint ...

  27. Madonna

    Live performance of "Vogue" by Madonna during her fourth tour The Girlie Show, recorded in Sydney, Australia, in 1993.1080p Upscale

  28. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Kiss After Singapore 'Eras Tour' Show

    Fans captured videos of Swift, 34, running off stage in Singapore on Friday, March 8, and right into Kelce's arms. The couple shared a sweet kiss, which yes, led to various applause from the ...

  29. Chris Brown

    Buy Chris Brown - The 11:11 Tour tickets at the Centre Bell in Montreal, QC for Jun 20, 2024 at Ticketmaster.

  30. Righteous Brothers farewell tour to stop in Sheboygan in April

    The Righteous Brothers will bring their farewell tour to the Weill Center stage April 11. ... Tickets to the show can be purchased online at weillcenter.com, by calling 920-208-3243 or going to ...