The Girlie Show World Tour

Infobox concert tour
concert_tour_name = The Girlie Show World Tour


image_caption = Madonna performing during her 1993 World Tour
artist = Madonna
album = "Erotica"
start_date = September 25, 1993
end_date = December 19, 1993
number_of_legs = 5
number_of_shows = 7 in Europe
12 in North America
4 in South America
8 in Australia
8 in Japan
39 Total
last_tour = Blond Ambition World Tour
(1990)
this_tour = The Girlie Show
(1993)
next_tour = Drowned World Tour
(2001)

The Girlie Show World Tour was the fourth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna, visiting the Americas, Europe, Australia and Asia. Madonna's inspiration for the name of the tour was a painting called "Girlie Show" by Edward Hopper. The 1941 oil-painting shows a burlesque dancer which represented very much the theme of the tour.

About the Tour

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."cite web|url=http://www.madonna-online.ch/m-online/tours/87_wtgt/facts/wtgt-facts.htm|title=the who's that girl world tour|accessdate=2008-07-13|work= madonna-online.ch (fansite)]

The Girlie Show was mounted in support of Madonna's 1992 album, "Erotica". The show had a central visual theme, Burlesque Circus. She said it was "a mixture of a rock concert, a fashion show, a circus 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/catwalk that led from the center of the main stage to a minor stage at the end, a number of elevators, three elevated platforms behind the stage and a revolving platform in the middle of the main stage.

The stage took 24 hours to be mounted properly and was directed by Madonna's brother, Christopher Ciccone.

Madonna played an uncharacteristically spare five dates in the U.S. and another three in Canada. It was speculated that this may have been related to the "Erotica" album's particularly low sales in that country and the backlash surrounding Madonna's book, "Sex".

The tour grossed $70.3 million.

The show

The show begins with a circus fanfare, which merges into "Erotica". A clown appears from the curtain at the foot of a fireman pole, a topless female dancer moves down it provocatively. Madonna then elevates from a revolving circular lift with white spotlights surrounding the edge, she is dressed as a dominatrix with black mask, whip and long black boots. When the song finishes, Madonna moves down the long central catwalk removing her waistcoat and mask, she then performs "Fever" with two male dancers using sexually provocative choreography. They end the song with huge flames merging from the main stage.

India is the influence for the next song, "Vogue", with Madonna wearing a head dress and performing indu dance. The next song, "Rain", contains a medley with "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)", ending with a dancers performance using elements from "Singin' in the Rain", during this the clown appears again.

The next section to the show is 1970s disco with Madonna appearing from the roof on a large glitter ball wearing a blonde afro wig. She performs "Express Yourself", "Deeper and Deeper" and simulates an orgy scene which merges into "Why's It So Hard". She then performs "In This Life", a song about friends who have died from AIDS. The clown watches her as she performs.

"The Beast Within" is used as an interlude with an energetic and aggressive performance from the dancers wearing army fatigues. Madonna then appears dressed in top hat and tails as Marlene Dietrich to sing "Like a Virgin" and uses elements from her song "Falling In Love Again". The clown once again appears, trying to hide from Madonna on stage. During "Bye Bye Baby", the back-up singers appear and they perform with three female dancers dressed in burlesque basques.

The next section is influenced by Latin America with Madonna performing "I'm Going Bananas" in a mock Mexican accent and "La Isla Bonita". She then changes into a long military jacket performing "Holiday" with a marching band and a 1970s funk ending.

For the encore, "Justify My Love", Madonna gives a decadent performance dressed in elaborate, Victorian tailored costumes. For the finalé "Everybody", an "Everybody Is a Star" introduction is used along with elements of "Dance to the Music" and "After the Dance". The circus fanfare then ends the show with the clown appearing for the last time, taking off his mask, revealing it to actually being Madonna all along. [http://www.ultimatemadonna.com/idol_04/alex_one.htm]

Opening acts

* UNV (some USA venues)
* Yonca Evcimik and Kenan Doğulu (Istanbul)
* Peter Andre (Australia)
* Mario Pelchat (Montreal)

etlist

# "Erotica"
# "Fever"
# "Vogue"
# "Rain" (contains excerpts from "Just My Imagination" along with elements of "Singin' in the Rain")
# "Express Yourself"
# "Deeper and Deeper"
# "Why's It So Hard"
# "In This Life"
# "The Beast Within" (Dance 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" (contains excerpts from "Everybody Is a Star" along with elements of "Dance to the Music" and "After the Dance")

Source: [cite web|url=http://www.mad-eyes.net/tours/girlie-show/index.htm|title=The Girlie Show|accessdate=2008-07-13|work-Mad-Eyes (fansite)] [cite web|url=http://www.play.com/Music/MusicDVD/4-/2214/Madonna-The-Girlie-Show-Live-Down-Under/Product.html|title=Madonna: The Girlie Show - Live Down Under|date=1998-2008|accessdate=2008-07-13|work=Play.com (UK)] [cite web|url=http://madonna.com/tours/tour.php?tourid=3|title=Tour Achieves: The Girlie Show World Tour|accessdate=2008-09-08|work=Madonna's Official Website]

Tour dates

Additional Notes

Cancellations:
*October 2 Festhalle Stadium, Frankfurt, Germany
*November 20 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia (rescheduled for December 4th)
*The November 20th show was originally planned to be filmed and broadcast live on HBO. Due to the cancelation, the November 19th show (which was filmed as a back-up) was broadcast and later released onto VHS and later, DVD.
*The last of Madonna's tours to reach Turkey, Israel, Puerto Rico and Australia.

Personnel

*Director and Production Designer: Christopher Ciccone
*Musical Director: Jai Winding
*Stage Production: Jeffrey Hornaday
*Lighting Designer: Peter Morse
*Costume Design: Dolce & Gabbana and Rob Saduski
*Choreographers: Alex Magno, Keith Young , Michelle Johnston and Niki Haris

Band

*Keyboards: Jai Winding, Michael Beardon and Mike McKnight
*Guitar: Paul Pesco
*Bass: Victor Baley
*Drums: Omar Hakim
*Percussion: Luis Conte
*Backing Vocalist: Niki Haris, Donna DeLory
*Dancers: Ungela Brockman, Christopher Childers, Michael Gregory, Carrie Ann Inaba, Jill Nicklaus, Ruth Inchaustegui, Luca Tommassini and Carlton Wilborn

Public response

The Girlie Show was a substantial success.

Uproar developed in Puerto Rico after Madonna rubbed the s staged protests to force the cancellation of the singer's first-ever show in that country. The protests were unsuccessful as the show was sold out and went on as scheduled.

Many critics accused the show of failing to reach the standards set by her previous Blond Ambition tour. Madonna's brother and artistic collaborator, Christopher Ciccone, stated that although the stage appears simpler at the front, it is by far more complicated than anything Madonna has done from the back.

Broadcasts and recordings

Initially, the November 20, 1993 show, the second of two dates at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, was to be filmed and aired on HBO in the United States. 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. This show was released worldwide on VHS and Laserdisc on April 26, 1994 as "The Girlie Show - Live Down Under". Another recording was made during the Japanese leg of the tour and shown only on Japanese television; "Live in Japan 1993 - The Girlie Show". This version has never had a commercial release.

The video for the tour, "The Girlie Show - Live Down Under", was nominated for the Grammy Award of Best Long Form Music Video in 1995.

References