Colorfully dressed fans with layers of clothing and extravagant hairstyles and make-up danced enthusiastically into the Jean Paul Bustier Arena. The 50,000 fans, made up mostly of young women in fishnet stockings, bright jewelry, and dark blue eye shadow, pulled up in front of the arena in Madonna’s hometown, Detroit, Michigan, on May 18, 2009.
Madonna’s Re-Reinvention Tour is hard to describe in general terms. It varied drastically from one song to the next, from fairly modest dress to provocative choreography and skimpy clothing that barely covered the dancers’ bodies.
Flashing blue and green lights lit up the stage before Madonna’s first song of the night, “Dress You Up,” in tribute to the 80’s era. After some anticipation, one light lit up center stage, revealing Madonna’s silhouette. The crowd roared, cheering and chanting her name. The entire arena automatically sprung to life. Madonna, dressed similarly to the fans she inspires, wore a colorful denim jacket over a cropped shirt that occasionally revealed her midriff, and a tight green skirt. Her purple leggings matched the poofy purple scruncii that sat atop her head, holding her teased blonde hair. Madonna brings back memories of a time when perfection didn’t matter and elaborately mismatched earrings were not only accepted, but trendy.
Madonna’s backup dancers followed suit with big hair and sparkling denim jackets fashioned after the 80’s style. Here we see the spotlight shining down solely on Madonna, with only two extra dancers on stage taking away from her glory. During a short instrumental in the middle of the song, Madonna and her team boogied to an excellently choreographed dance that set the audience on fire with cheers. “Oh my God, it was so amazing! It totally inspired me to be a dancer,” said a gushing fan from the tour. “Maybe one day you’ll see me on stage next to Madonna,” she winked. Madonna showed amazing talent, easily transitioning from the aerobic dance, into singing flawlessly while moving her body.
Modesty seemed to have been chucked out the window as the second song, “Express Yourself,” was introduced by a flock of shirtless (and nearly shirtless) men with sexual dance moves up their nonexistent sleeves.
I’d like to tell you that Madonna’s entrance was nothing short of grand. But I can’t. Rising out of the stage like a fallen angel is the biggest cliché a performer can act out today. Come on Madonna, you can do better.
But then again, who wouldn’t want to pop out of the ground surrounded by hot men in ripped up overalls? The contrast was astounding. Madonna wore a pink corset that ran over her business suit pants, making them look like chaps straight from the Midwest cowboy days. To her credit, the suit itself was very professional. Without the corset, she would have been able to walk into a business conference and win best dressed. But that’s another story. Her conservative 50’s haircut completely threw it off. Sexy, professional, and old-fashioned housewife, just don’t mix. In the end, it was nothing short of nauseating.
Madonna seemed to see the seasick faces of her fans. Her last performance of the night, “Vogue,” was like a shot of Dramamine. The nausea instantly disappeared when her clichéd entrance was liberated as she not only rose up from the floor, but up into the air like Christ’s resurrection. Two dancers simultaneously descended from the ceiling like angels from the clouds. The entire scene was the show’s salvation. The crowd went berserk. A breathe of fresh couldn’t begin to describe my relief. Everyone loves a happy ending.
Madonna posed atop her platform as an art gallery unfolded behind her. She was definitely the main attraction when she moved fluidly into a headstand position with legs up in the air forming an “L.” Her black leather, knee-high healed boots, spandex shorts, and fluorescent corset with sparkling, armor-like sleeves were all put on a glorious display.
The entire performance fit together like a high-fashion puzzle. The dancers were all dressed like models straight off a Vogue runway. One thing I must point out, however, is some of the male dancers could just as easily have walked out of a Pirates of the Caribbean movie. But even this couldn’t take away from the glittering performance.
The same screens that portrayed the art gallery in the opening of the song, changed like a kaleidoscope, draping the stage in every imaginable color. At one point, the screen displayed a woman that wore a mask like those in the carnival festivities. It was fantastic.
Throughout the performance, every dance move was like a perfectly arranged photo shoot. Every dancer had his/her own elaborately designed costume, each contributing to the overall theme. Every dancer was an essential piece of the puzzle. When they danced, no one ever missed a beat. They moved together like a single unit.
The music brought everything together like the last piece of the puzzle. It wouldn’t be complete without it. Madonna’s voice was indescribable. It rang out with just as much clarity and strength throughout this song as when the first began. She remained completely unaffected by her aerobic tactics onstage.
Apart from the utter mess of the second performance, Madonna’s Re-Reinvention Tour was a dazzling success. She brought back memories from the 80’s and brought us back into the 21st century with her stunning grand finale performance of “Vogue.” The overall mood expressed by fans was of pure exhilaration.
-Phylicia Hisel & Bibi Blasio
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