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NEW YORK CITY - October 6/7/11/12 - PRESS Reports/Reviews/Pics


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In anticipation for Madonna's upcoming New York area Sticky and Sweet Tour shows, Wednesday's New York Daily News devoted an interesting 2-page feature of interviews with Madonna's tour collaborators, and a summary of the tour setlist. Here are the articles ...

What it feels like to work for Madonna

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Stavrakis/AP

Madonna is coming to town this week.

BY GINA SALAMONE

Wednesday, October 1st 2008, 4:00 AM

Madonna's "Sticky & Sweet Tour" touches down in the New York area Saturday for five sold-out dates. The extravagant production has already broken attendance records in Europe and is sure to do the same here.

But the Queen of Pop is only as good as her courtiers. A skilled creative team carefully collaborates to match Madonna's tour theme with costumes, choreography and video clips.

And with multiple themes, that's no easy task. Four different acts move Madonna through her set list. It starts with "Pimp," paying tribute to gangstas, then "Old School," which honors her early days in New York. A "Gypsy" act is next, followed by "Rave" - featuring dance hits and robot-like fashions.

Here are some of the hardworking staffers who make it all happen:

5 QUESTIONS FOR THE COSTUME DESIGNER

Arianne Phillips

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AGE: Won't say

JOB: Costume designer

HOURS: 13 hours a day, 6-7 days a week

MONTHS ON THE JOB: 4; she started prepping for the tour in May, and then attended the first three shows in Europe. Phillips worked on Madonna's previous four tours and has helped wardrobe the star offstage for 11 years.

Q: How many costumes did you have to put together for the show?

A: There are 25 performers besides Madonna who change six to eight times. Madonna has eight costume changes. And everyone gets doubles of everything, including the shoes, to last the duration of the tour. Madonna sometimes has up to six copies of one particular outfit so that it always looks fresh and great.

Q: What lengths do you go to to track down pieces or materials?

A: We develop a lot of her clothes ourselves. So we go to the end of the earth if we have to to find the right fabric. Or if we have shoes made, we collaborate with wonderful people at Miu Miu and Prada. Madonna gets to play different characters, whether it's a sexy robot or a gypsy.

Q: Which is your favorite of the four acts in terms of the clothing designs?

A: That's like asking me to choose which child is my favorite. But I particularly love the rave/futuristic section. It was daunting because I always have issues with futuristic costumes. I wanted to make sure that it was going to have some value to the contemporary eye and mean something. We came up with this hybrid of Sexy Robot Joan of Arc for Madonna.

Q: What was the toughest act to design costumes for?

A: Developing the "Old School" section was tricky and it took a lot of prototypes. That particular costume, which I thought initially would be the easiest because she was being herself in the early '80s and it's the most casual, was the most difficult to develop because of the choreography and the active quality in that section. Also, we had to make sure that it was theatrically worthy and exciting enough for the audience.

Q: What was the result?

A: A pair of jersey shorts that changes color depending on what night you're there. There's a T-shirt that Prada made for us, a little hoodie that we made with Swarovski crystals. Everything is embellished with Swarovski crystals. We have over $1 million worth of crystals in the show. We're very sensitive to the fact that Madonna's performing in stadiums and not just arenas like last time, so we want to make sure that everyone can see her and the dancers. So the crystals are really helpful.

7 QUESTIONS FOR THE SHOW DIRECTOR

Jamie King

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AGE: in his 30s

JOB: show director

HOURS: about 16 hours per day, including e-mailing through the night, 6-7 days per week.

MONTHS ON THE JOB: more than 4

Q: This is the fourth tour you've directed for Madonna. Why did the two of you decide to do four separate acts?

A: In the "Drowned World" tour in 2001, we established that four-act sectionalizing of the show, so we've just stayed with that format. It's good for us creatively because it allows us to change the look of the set, the stage, [and] adapt song arrangements.

Q: Madonna's perched on top of a car in one scene from the show. What's that about?

A: We used an old-fashion car in our "Pimp" section. We thought if we were going to pimp it out, let's not do something contemporary, but let's do our own version of a classy pimp and what that would look like. So our car looks more like a Rolls-Royce, but we still blinged it out. The license plate says M Dollar and it's for a song called, "The Beat Goes On."

Q: And why does she jump rope at one point?

A: She's doing Double Dutch, which was birthed in the streets of New York City. It's in our "Old School" section and Double Dutch is really of that kind of early breaking, pop-locking period on the streets.

Q: You've directed recent tours by the Spice Girls, Celine Dion, Avril Lavigne, Christina Aguilera and Ricky Martin. How does working for Madonna compare?

A: I don't know any other artist who pushes the envelope more than Madonna. It's because she's always willing to try new things and wants to explore.

Q: The "Sticky & Sweet" tour recently stirred up controversy with a video montage that's shown during the song "Get Stupid," which compares John McCain to Hitler. How did that come about?

A: Madonna is very political, and it's important for us to always express every side of her when she goes onstage because her show is an extension of her. Madonna's changed the views of the world and how things are perceived - whether it be sex or politics or image, and since she's very political, we have to incorporate that into the show.

Q: Is there any concern it might alienate fans who may be Republicans or fans of McCain?

A: Madonna's message has always been stand for what you believe in, no matter what it is.

Q: At what point do you get to sit back and enjoy the show?

A: I never stop freaking out. I'm always nervous and I think that's the great thing about both Madonna and me. We're always nervous because we want to make sure that the audience gets a great show.

3 QUESTIONS FOR THE VIDEO DIRECTOR

Tom Munro

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AGE: 43

JOB: Video clip director for "Die Another Day"

HOURS: Four or five hours per day for two or three weeks, including research and preparation; video was shot in one day.

Q: You directed a video of Madonna boxing for the song "Die Another Day" that's shown during a break. Why is that an important part of the show?

A: It's played on three enormous monitors while Madonna is changing, so she's not actually on stage. The video keeps everyone entertained while she's off [stage]. And then there are dancers on stage - two guys who are choreographed in a dance-move boxing thing.

Q: Where'd you shoot the video?

A: We shot it at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn in June. It was a one-day shoot. The preparation for it was a lot longer because I did all the lighting as well, which was quite involved. So we had a day to set up the props and create the environment, a day to test the lighting, and then, on the third day, we shot Madonna. I also shot all the stills for the tour book, so it was a busy day.

Q: How does Madonna compare with other artists you've shot?

A: Madonna is the biggest icon in pop culture, and she's an incredibly inspiring subject. In my career, I haven't worked with anybody that gives as much to the camera and the creative process as Madonna has done. And for a photographer/director, that's a great treat because you can only do your best if you're being given the material to work with.

Madonna's 'Sticky & Sweet' setlist

Wednesday, October 1st 2008, 4:00 AM

by Jim Farber

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Quicler/Getty

Madonna is both 'Sticky & Sweet' in concert.

Most top artists play it safe with their set lists. They hew close to the hits, sneaking in just a few new songs to seem contemporary without boring longtime fans to death.

Madonna seldom takes that sheepish route. Other than her hits-based "Re-Invention" tour four years ago, she tends to stress her latest music in shows, sprinkling in cherished hits every so often just to satisfy the less ardent. Even these she tends to recast with radically new arrangements.

The new "Sticky and Sweet" tour continues that tradition. In fact, the show contains more new songs than ever. Nine of the CD's 12 cuts turn up, vying for space with a dozen cherished faves. Luckily, "S & S" ranks as Madonna's most upbeat, catchy and unpretentious album since her 1983 debut. So there's no reason to yawn the way fans might have on her previous "Confessions" tour, which boasted far less eventful (not to mention less danceable) material.

By contrast, the "Sticky and Sweet" set list sounds highly appetizing. Here's what fans can expect:

Candy Shop: Not the strongest opening song, but this new cut serves to ease the crowd into the groove.

Beat Goes On: A striking new cut with a guest rap by Kanye West (sure to be only on tape).

Human Nature: A snarky oldie from 1994's "Bedtime Stories"

Vogue: The world's greatest salute to posing.

Die Another Day (Remix): A DJ interlude threading in Madonna's tango-driven Bond theme.

Into the Groove: Perhaps her greatest dance song ever.

Heartbeat: The catchiest cut from the new CD, with a killer beat to boot.

Borderline: The first great ballad of Madonna's career.

She's Not Me: An assertive newbie.

Music: Maybe the singer's most perfect, and simple, pop single, not counting "Holiday."

Rain Remix: A dreamy DJ interlude.

Devil Wouldn't Recognize You: The only semi-ballad on the new CD.

Spanish Lesson: A staccato Latin stomper.

Miles Away: Includes the new disk's most beguiling tune.

La Isla Bonita: Madonna's first Latin groove.

You Must Love Me: The big ballad from "Evita" also presents the biggest risk in the new show: Can she — gasp! — emote?

Get Stupid Remix: A herky-jerky DJ interlude.

4 Minutes: The ecstatic hit duet with Justin Timberlake. Will the man himself appear at one of the Garden shows? (He did back in April at an album-teasing mini-concert at Roseland).

Like a Prayer: Madonna's grandest song.

Ray of Light: Her fastest song.

Hung Up: The only great track from her last album, aided by its tart ABBA sample.

Give It 2 Me: As ultimate proof of Madonna's faith in the hotness of the new CD, she closes the night with a song that's as fast and fierce as any she has ever recorded.

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requiem...i'm going on the 6th too!

your name wouldn't happen to be pedro would it?

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NY Times

MADONNA (Monday and Tuesday)

Madonna’s mythology — her unapologetic sexuality; her magazine-dissected clothes; her massive, pulsating biceps; her collaborations — has been trumping her mostly innocuous pop music since the dawn of her career, and nowhere is the Madonna legend more on display than in her lavish stage show. This tour, titled “Sticky and Sweet,” includes copious video screens, rotating platforms, elaborate costumes, 16 dancers, a 12-piece band and more. At 8 p.m., Madison Square Garden, (212) 465-6741, thegarden.com; $64.50 to $354.50. (Petrusich)

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The guy who wrote that article about the set-list is also the same person who gave "Hard Candy" 5 out of 5 stars and said it was the best album of her career. So I guess he's a bit biased when comparing it to "Confessions" :lol:

His COADF review:

Making music that is fun takes hard work. You need airborne melodies, insouciant hooks and a beat you cannot resist. Such were the goals of Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor, in stores Tuesday.

As every breathing person knows by now, Madonna intends her new CD as a return to the zesty dance pop that launched her. Confessions aims to bring back the halcyon days when Madonna whipped every club to a frenzy with hits like "Holiday" and "Into the Groove."

The mandate comes at a telling time. Madonna's last album, the deadeningly literal American Life, was the first sales boo-boo of her career (barely going gold in America). So, getting back the fun was not just a whim - it was a career necessity.

Since we are talking about Madonna, the feat of making terrific dance records was not enough. She also has to teach us something. Thankfully, her windy bromides do not kick in until halfway through. And before they do, Madonna delivers such beat-crazed bliss, we can forgive her for (almost) anything.

The first three tracks on Confessions pump so hard it may take you a while to get beyond them. (I suggest taking as much time as you can.) You already know the single, "Hung Up," a pulsating mulch of Giorgio Moroder beats and Abba-sampled pop that has the boogie-oogie-oogie fever down pat. It is chased by "Get Together," a swirling blur of beats, followed by "Sorry," with a bass line that will drive deejays to distraction.

Other engaging tracks turn up: "I Love New York" not only celebrates our city (at the expense of Paris, London and L.A.), it boasts a hot chord structure recalling Iggy Pop's "Now I Wanna Be Your Dog." "Future Lovers" has some of the hypnotic lure of Madonna's "Erotica."

The deeper problem comes when Madonna feels she has given us kids enough fun and it is time for some serious lessons. Starting on track six, the improbably named "Let It Will Be," Madonna sings "Now I can tell you about fame," as if she hasn't told us about it 100 times before. In "How High," she blah-blah-blah's about celebrity culture, a subject she seems to take to heart more than most. And, naturally, it would not be the modern Madonna if she did not work in a kabbalah nod: the inorganic, Hebraic dance cut "Isaac."

Whenever Madonna tries to be "meaningful" in this way, she winds up obscuring something far more substantial - the wit, sex and intelligence of great dance music. Only when she is content to deliver that does Confessions have the goods to move you.

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Guest Johnkm
The deeper problem comes when Madonna feels she has given us kids enough fun and it is time for some serious lessons. Starting on track six, the improbably named "Let It Will Be," Madonna sings "Now I can tell you about fame," as if she hasn't told us about it 100 times before. In "How High," she blah-blah-blah's about celebrity culture, a subject she seems to take to heart more than most.

:dramatic:

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ny daily news

Madonna's Sticky and Sweet tour hits Madison Square Garden

BY JO PIAZZA

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Monday, October 6th 2008, 11:55 PM

When it comes to Her Madgesty, at least, there's no economic implosion.

Fans who hadn't secured tickets to Madonna's show at the Garden Monday night milled around outside offering top dollar to score last-minute seats.

"We are willing to pay $500 if the seats are good enough," said Ashley Love, 25, wearing a black lace "Desperately Seeking Susan" ensemble.

"I came up from Virginia, and it will be worth whatever we have to pay," Love said.

Michael Rosen, a 33-year-old Brooklyn dancer, won his floor seats in a bidding war.

"I went on Craigslist and paid $600 for this ticket," said Rosen, bedecked in a black boa. "I haven't missed a Madonna show in almost 20 years and I wasn't going to start now."

Cassandra Gardner, in bondage gear to replicate the cover of Madonna's "Hard Candy" album, spent $2,000 for her night. That included tickets, travel costs from Albany - and the Madonna tattoo on the back of the 23-year-old's neck.

"She is a goddess. She is my queen," Gardner gushed.

When the queen hit the stage around 9 p.m., she ruled over her people in a skimpy black leotard and carrying a riding crop, bringing them to their feet with her hit, "Candy Shop."

And the fans stood standing for the next 90 minutes through new songs and old hits like "Vogue," "Into the Groove" and a hard rocking "Borderline."

When some of her subjects sat, they were duly chastised.

"What are you people sitting down for? This isn't a Barbara Streisand show!" she shouted.

The singer also got political, showing images of Republican John McCain with those of war and of Democratic Barack Obama with those of peace.

"It was worth every penny," said a breathless Janine Smyth, 29, from Long Island of the $200 tickets she bought for herself and her sister.

Last night's show was the first of four sold-out nights in Madison Square Garden on Madonna's Sticky & Sweet world tour. She does it all again Tuesday, Friday and Sunday night.

For devotees, it really is the music that brings the people together. The scandals? Not so much. "I don't give a crap about all this gossip with Alex Rodriguez," said Lorraine Hands, 45, a teacher from Fairfield, Conn., who has tickets for tonight as well.

For Madonna, the adulation pays off big. She has already raked in $120 million from this, her seventh world tour.

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Guest Pud Whacker
ny daily news

Madonna's Sticky and Sweet tour hits Madison Square Garden

BY JO PIAZZA

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Monday, October 6th 2008, 11:55 PM

When it comes to Her Madgesty, at least, there's no economic implosion.

Fans who hadn't secured tickets to Madonna's show at the Garden Monday night milled around outside offering top dollar to score last-minute seats.

"We are willing to pay $500 if the seats are good enough," said Ashley Love, 25, wearing a black lace "Desperately Seeking Susan" ensemble.

"I came up from Virginia, and it will be worth whatever we have to pay," Love said.

Michael Rosen, a 33-year-old Brooklyn dancer, won his floor seats in a bidding war.

"I went on Craigslist and paid $600 for this ticket," said Rosen, bedecked in a black boa. "I haven't missed a Madonna show in almost 20 years and I wasn't going to start now."

Cassandra Gardner, in bondage gear to replicate the cover of Madonna's "Hard Candy" album, spent $2,000 for her night. That included tickets, travel costs from Albany - and the Madonna tattoo on the back of the 23-year-old's neck.

"She is a goddess. She is my queen," Gardner gushed.

When the queen hit the stage around 9 p.m., she ruled over her people in a skimpy black leotard and carrying a riding crop, bringing them to their feet with her hit, "Candy Shop."

And the fans stood standing for the next 90 minutes through new songs and old hits like "Vogue," "Into the Groove" and a hard rocking "Borderline."

When some of her subjects sat, they were duly chastised.

"What are you people sitting down for? This isn't a Barbara Streisand show!" she shouted.

The singer also got political, showing images of Republican John McCain with those of war and of Democratic Barack Obama with those of peace.

"It was worth every penny," said a breathless Janine Smyth, 29, from Long Island of the $200 tickets she bought for herself and her sister.

Last night's show was the first of four sold-out nights in Madison Square Garden on Madonna's Sticky & Sweet world tour. She does it all again Tuesday, Friday and Sunday night.

For devotees, it really is the music that brings the people together. The scandals? Not so much. "I don't give a crap about all this gossip with Alex Rodriguez," said Lorraine Hands, 45, a teacher from Fairfield, Conn., who has tickets for tonight as well.

For Madonna, the adulation pays off big. She has already raked in $120 million from this, her seventh world tour.

wow, we were really lucky to get last minute tickets and on the floor, 3 away from the catwalk. :thumbsup:

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