MADONNA SHOW A SHOCKER
The eagerly anticipated summer jaunt, which opens in L.A. this Monday night (5/24) at the Forum, has already generated shock waves from across the Atlantic.
The N.Y. Post reports the $1 million-plus production is her most "outrageous yet," featuring an electric chair, nearly nude pregnant women and plenty of lesbian love, according to those who'd seen a London rehearsal yesterday.
The show opens with Madonna simulating sex with a female tango dancer.
During "Papa Don't Preach," she'll be backed by a chorus line of heavily pregnant babes in skimpy outfits.
Her rendition of "American Life," the title track from her most recent album, is accompanied by the sounds of bombs dropping and a video montage of troops battling in Iraq.
A video of starving children will be the backdrop for a cover of John Lennon's "Imagine."
The finale should also provide a jolt. After the Material Gal wraps "Lament," the lights will dim and, following some pyrotechnics, our heroine will emerge strapped into an electric chair, from which she tries to escape, apparently unsuccessfully.
Shades of Alice Cooper.
At that point, Madonna is resurrected to croon her Kabbalah-inspired lullaby, "Bedtime Story."
And you thought her original performance of "Like a Virgin" was the end of civilization.
The tour comes amidst the superstar's exchange of lawsuits in a dispute with the Warner Music Group over her Maverick Records label.
While selected VIP tickets have been priced in individual markets at $370, the best seats are apparently going for up to $1,500 from scalpers and in states where reselling ducats is legal.
