Madonna’s ‘Celebration’ Tour in NYC: 5 Powerful Moments from the 1/29 Show
Madonna’s long-awaited ‘Celebration’ tour is an awe-inspiring, performative journey that takes fans through historical and emotional hallmarks of the artist’s four-decade career. It’s the love child of a stadium rock concert, Broadway musical, and Cirque du Soleil-style show — starring one of the greatest icons of all time.
What’s crazy is that I almost didn’t get to experience it.
In the ’80s and early ‘90s, I was a kid. My parents wouldn’t buy me tickets to see her on the Blonde Ambition tour. After that, the timing never seemed to work out. In college in the late ‘90s, my interests shifted toward bands like Hole. In my thirties, I was too busy mothering young kids to catch her.
It wasn’t until this past fall, when I was in the car with my friend Jake, that I realized this is it. “Madonna’s 65,” he reminded me. “She’s not saying this is her last tour but … it’s possibly her last tour.”
And as Jake and I launched into a car game of, “name our top 10 favorite Madonna songs,” it hit me: Why the heck hadn’t I gotten tickets?
That conversation was the spark I needed. Soon after, I connected with my friend Louise, another Gen X mom who also understood the urgency of seizing the moment, and snagged a pair of tickets. That’s how we ended up in New York City on Monday, January 29th — her final Celebration tour date in Manhattan (see the full set list here).
It would take another 8,000 words to chronicle the entire magical Madonna night in one essay — and outlets like Rolling Stone and Variety have already done this. So instead, I’d like to share what I consider the five most powerful and impactful moments from the Madonna Celebration show.
#5: The moment Madonna rose to the stage to kick off her set
It’s one thing to stand right in front of the stage, in a coveted floor seat, waiting for a concert to begin. It’s quite another to actually feel the anticipation build in my veins — and then to witness Queen of Pop emerging from the fog, draped in a black cloak, singing the first few phrases of “Nothing Really Matters.” It was well worth the wait (and an extra-long opening dialogue from the MC, Bob the Drag Queen).
Of course, the momentum didn’t stop there as Madonna segued into her ‘80s dance hit, “Into the Groove,” and pranced down one of the stage ramps toward a guitar amp setup, ready to shred. But just seeing her in the flesh for the first time, ten feet away from me, was pretty surreal.
#4: Sexy, bold choreography during Act III
Madonna’s backup dancers are the best in the business, and their incredible, fluid movements at the Monday night show did not disappoint — especially during “Act III” — a five-song sequence about an hour into her set inspired Madonna’s most sexually prolific years. I loved all of it — the erotic boxing match during “Justify My Love” and the reenactment of Blonde Ambition masturbation scene (which almost got her arrested in 1990). This is not how most 65-year-olds work a stage — and it’s awesome to see someone of her stature pushing the boundaries of what’s “acceptable” for post-menopausal women.
As The Guardian noted, “her age added a new dimension” as she “reveled in her status as an object of desire and an enduringly sexual being.”
#3: “Live to Tell”
The segue between the bouncy early Madonna hit “Holiday” and “Live to Tell” made an indelible mark on my soul. It was a heartwarming and profound, watching her belt out her 1986 ballad as supersize screens displayed photos of dozens of individuals who died of AIDS in the 1980s and 1990s — including Keith Haring, Freddie Mercury, and Herb Ritts.
#2: Like a Prayer
Madonna’s performance of “Like a Prayer” was possibly my favorite of the night, featuring half-naked, Christ-like male dancers shifting their bodies within the constraints of metal bars within a rotating cylinder while Madonna sung the controversial 1989 hit.
I also loved the brief tribute to Prince at the tail end of the song, with a purple-clothed guitarist launching into a solo. The samples of Sam Smith and Kim Petras’s hit “Unholy” were so on point, reminding the audience of Madonna’s enduring influence.
#1: The Motherhood Moments
Madonna’s children are a huge part of her life and her career, and seeing them accompany her in different parts of the 2.5+-hour show was just cool. Watching her 11-year-old daughter Estere dance and deejay during “Vogue” was the cutest.
Her 18-year-old daughter Mercy accompanied her on piano during “Bad Girl,” and son David Banda played acoustic guitar for “La Isla Bonita” and “Mother and Father,” during which he and Madonna performed next to screens featuring photographs of their late birth mothers. Madonna’s other kids have joined her at other points on the international tour (Lourdes was apparantely a judge during the “Vogue” segment at Opening Night in London).
Of course, there are so many other aspects of the ‘Celebration’ tour that made my heart sing — like the futuristic, techno-trippy performance of “Ray of Light,” which had her suspended in a reflective suit and sunglasses, long pink hair flowing behind her. I also loved the “Vogue” sequence, which dancers floating between two stages, while Kelly Ripa (yes, Kelly Ripa!) helped Madonna rate the performances.
Madonna’s solo acoustic cover of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” reminded us that the star is not just an icon, but a resilient survivor — and an inspiration.
If it’s possible to snag tickets to an upcoming show, DO IT! You only live once, and we don’t know when Madonna will come around again with a show like this.
Marisa Torrieri Bloom is the editor and founder of Rockmommy.
