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The Blond Ambition World Tour (billed as Blond Ambition World Tour 90) was the third concert tour by American singer
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
. It supported her fourth studio album '' Like a Prayer'' (1989), and the soundtrack album to the 1990 film ''
Dick Tracy ''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''Detroit Mirror'', and it ...
'', ''
I'm Breathless ''I'm Breathless: Music from and Inspired by the Film Dick Tracy'' is an album by American singer and songwriter Madonna, released on May 22, 1990, by Sire Records to accompany the film ''Dick Tracy (1990 film), Dick Tracy''. The album contains ...
''. The 57-show tour began on April 13, 1990, in
Chiba Chiba may refer to: Places China * (), town in Jianli County, Jingzhou, Hubei Japan * Chiba (city), capital of Chiba Prefecture ** Chiba Station, a train station * Chiba Prefecture, a sub-national jurisdiction in the Greater Tokyo Area on ...
, Japan, and concluded on August 5, 1990, in Nice, France. Additionally, it marked Madonna's first concerts in Sweden and Spain. Originally planned as the Like a Prayer World Tour, it was supposed to be sponsored by
soft drink A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a su ...
manufacturer Pepsi. However, the company canceled the contract following the controversy surrounding the music video of " Like a Prayer". The concert was divided into five thematic segments: ''Metropolis'', inspired by the 1927 German Expressionist film of the same name and the " Express Yourself" music video; ''Religious'', by Catholic themes; ''Dick Tracy'', by the film of the same name and cabaret; '' Art Deco'', inspired by early
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
films and featuring paintings by Polish artist Tamara de Lempicka; and finally, an
encore An encore is an additional performance given by performers after the planned show has ended, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford University Pres ...
. The art direction was by Madonna's brother Christopher Ciccone, while the costumes were created by French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier. The tour garnered positive reviews from contemporary critics and was a commercial success. It received the "Most Creative Stage Production" award at the Pollstar Concert Industry Awards and grossed over US$62.7 million ($ million in dollars). Madonna was named the second most successful solo touring act at the time, behind Michael Jackson. The tour generated controversy due to its use of Catholic imagery and sexual content. Pope John Paul II urged the general public and the Christian community not to attend the tour, calling it "one of the most satanic shows in the history of humanity". The protests resulted the cancelation of one Italian show. In Toronto, the police threatened to arrest Madonna over the performance of " Like a Virgin", which featured her simulating
masturbation Masturbation is the sexual stimulation of one's own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation may involve hands, fingers, everyday objects, sex toys such as vibrators, or combinatio ...
. Nevertheless, Madonna continued the show unaltered. A number of concerts were recorded and broadcast, including the tour's final show in Nice, which aired as a special on
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; afterwards it was released exclusively on
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under the title ''
Blond Ambition World Tour Live ''Blond Ambition World Tour Live'' is a video album by American singer-songwriter Madonna released exclusively on Laserdisc by Pioneer Artists on December 13, 1990. It contained the Blond Ambition World Tour's final show, filmed at the Stade Ch ...
''. Directed by
Alek Keshishian Alek Keshishian ( hy, Ալեք Գևորգի Քեշիշեան, born 30 July 1964) is an Armenian-born American film and commercial director, writer, producer and music video director. His 1991 documentary, '' Madonna: Truth or Dare'' was the high ...
, '' Madonna: Truth or Dare'' (1991) was a documentary film chronicling the tour. Blond Ambition has been noted by critics and authors for its theatricality and fashion, which have left its mark on the work of subsequent pop acts. In 2017, '' Rolling Stone'' magazine included the tour on a list of the greatest tours of the past 50 years.


Background

In January 1989,
Pepsi-Cola Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi was ...
announced that they had signed a
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5 million deal with Madonna to feature her and her then upcoming single " Like a Prayer" in a television commercial. The deal also included Pepsi sponsorship of Madonna's next concert tour, announced at the time as the Like a Prayer World Tour. Madonna wanted to use the commercial to launch the song globally before its actual release — the first time this had been done in the music industry. Pepsi also benefited from having their product associated with Madonna. Titled "Make a Wish", the commercial had its premiere during the global telecast of the
31st Grammy Awards The 31st Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 22, 1989, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Album of the Year went to George Michael for ''Faith'', and Song of the Year we ...
on February 22, 1989, with an estimated 250 million people around the world viewing it. The following day, Madonna released the music video for "Like a Prayer" on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
. Featuring a church and Catholic images such as stigmata,
Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...
-style
cross burning In modern times, cross burning or cross lighting is a practice which is associated with the Ku Klux Klan. However, it was practiced long before the Klan's inception. Since the early 20th century, the Klan burned crosses on hillsides as a way to i ...
and the singer kissing a black saint. Religious groups worldwide, including the Holy See, immediately protested against, what they saw as, blasphemous use of
Christian imagery Christian symbolism is the use of symbols, including archetypes, acts, artwork or events, by Christianity. It invests objects or actions with an inner meaning expressing Christian ideas. The symbolism of the early Church was characterized by bei ...
and called for a boycott of Pepsi and PepsiCo's subsidiaries. As a result, Pepsi withdrew the commercial and canceled Madonna's sponsorship contract. Sire Records officially announced the Blond Ambition World Tour on November 16, 1989; Madonna's performance of the single " Express Yourself" at the
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
was deemed a "preview". She described the tour as "much more theatrical than anything I've ever done ..I know that I'm not the best singer and I know that I'm not the best dancer. But, I can fucking push people's buttons and be as provocative as I want. This tour's goal is to break useless taboos". The tour promoted Madonna's fourth album '' Like a Prayer'' and the ''
Dick Tracy ''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''Detroit Mirror'', and it ...
'' soundtrack ''
I'm Breathless ''I'm Breathless: Music from and Inspired by the Film Dick Tracy'' is an album by American singer and songwriter Madonna, released on May 22, 1990, by Sire Records to accompany the film ''Dick Tracy (1990 film), Dick Tracy''. The album contains ...
''.


Development


Conception and rehearsals

According to author
J. Randy Taraborrelli John Randall Anthony Taraborrelli is an American journalist and celebrity biographer. Taraborrelli is known for biographies of contemporary entertainers and political figures such as Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Mado ...
, Madonna had "complete control over virtually every aspect of the tour". The singer's brother Christopher Ciccone was selected as the tour's
art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...
. He wrote in his autobiography ''
Life with My Sister Madonna ''Life with My Sister Madonna'' is an autobiography by American artist, designer and interior decorator Christopher Ciccone and author Wendy Leigh. The book is a memoir about Ciccone's relationship with his sister, American singer Madonna, and w ...
'' that she called him and said, "I'm going on tour, and of course I want you to dress me, but you think you ought to design the stage and art-direct the show as well". The tour's troupe was made up of seven dancers, two backup singers and eight musicians.
Vincent Paterson Vincent Paterson (born May 4, 1950) is an American director and choreographer who has had an expansive career in many parts of the entertainment industry including film, Broadway, concert tours, opera, music videos, television and commercials. He ...
, who had worked with the singer on the Pepsi commercial and the "Express Yourself" music video, was appointed co-director and choreographer. Auditions for dancers took place in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
and Los Angeles. An advertisement was put on ''
Daily Variety ''Variety'' is an American media company owned by Penske Media Corporation. The company was founded by Sime Silverman in New York City in 1905 as a weekly newspaper reporting on theater and vaudeville. In 1933 it added ''Daily Variety'', based ...
'' magazine by choreographer Karole Armitage, it read: "Open auditions for fierce male dancers who know the meaning of troop style, beat boy and vogue. Wimps and Wanna-Bes need not apply!". Luis Camacho and
Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza (né José Gutiérrez, sometimes called Jose Xtravaganza / Extravaganza) is a dancer, choreographer, recording artist, New York City nightlife personality and the current father of the House of Xtravaganza. He is one o ...
, who had previously worked with Madonna on the video for her single " Vogue", were the first to be selected. After sending a video tape to the singer, Madonna invited the pair to the Tracks nightclub for an informal audition. After his audition, dancer Carlton Wilborn was also asked by Madonna to meet her at a nightclub. He pointed out that she was "looking for very confident people – the best of the best – so I was acutely aware of how I was presenting myself. When I made the cut, I knew it was a huge opportunity"; he described the rehearsals as being "like boot camp". The rest of the dancers selected were Oliver Crumes,
Kevin Stea Kevin Alexander Stea (born October 17, 1969) is an American dancer, choreographer, actor, singer, director and model. He has worked as a dancer and choreographer with a number of high-profile artists, including Madonna, Lady Gaga and Michael Jac ...
, Gabriel Trupin and Salim Gauwloos. Paterson stated that "instead of just presenting songs, Madonna and I wanted to combine fashion, Broadway, rock and performance arts". To allow greater movement while dancing and singing, she used a hands-free radio-frequency headset microphones, with the headset fastened over the ears or the top of the head, and the microphone capsule on a boom arm that extended to the mouth. Because of her prominent usage, the microphone design came to be known as the "Madonna mic". Other personnel included Jai Winding as the
music director A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the d ...
, John Draper as the tour's manager and Chris Lamb as the
production manager In the cinema of the United States, a unit production manager (UPM) is the Directors Guild of America–approved title for the top below-the-line staff position, responsible for the administration of a feature film or television production. Non- ...
. Rehearsals took place at the Walt Disney Studios in
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, California.


Wardrobe and staging

For the wardrobe, the singer contacted French designer Jean Paul Gaultier; she was attracted to the designer's "irreverence and humor" and sent him a handwritten letter asking him to design the tour's costumes. Gaultier happily accepted. He was already an admirer of Madonna and expressed admiration for the fact that "when she was not so famous, she made her clothes herself ..the visible bra, the transparencies, the crucifixes as jewelry". Madonna and Gaultier took three months to finalize the details of the costumes; they first met at New York City's Carlyle Hotel, with additional meetings taking place in Paris' Bofinger restaurant, Balajo Club, Zoopsie nightclub and Théâtre Equestre Zingaro. Gaultier remembers this period as one of intense stress, claiming to have gotten through "350 aspirins and 1,500 sketches" before the singer approved of his designs. Tour backup singer and dancer Niki Haris later recalled that "with Madonna, it always comes down to clothes and shoes". The result were two corsets with conical-shaped cups, one was peach-colored and the other solid gold. Gaultier explained that the idea first came when, as a child, his grandmother took him to an exhibit where "they had a corset on display. I loved the flesh color, the salmon satin, the lace. The gold conical bra was just an extension of that idea". Other costumes created included a pin-striped suit, a green and white striped vaudeville-style corset, a black mini-dress trimmed and stitched with a stuffed West African
stork Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family called Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons an ...
called the marabou, a black clergyman's robe with a neon crucifix and a cage vest. To avoid any incidents, every piece was double sewn with elastic threads. For the Asian and North American legs of the tour, the singer wore a synthetic ponytail clip on extension, which was replaced by a curly hairstyle on the European leg. Construction for the stage cost approximately US$2 million. The stage was 80 x 70 feet long and needed over a hundred crew members to mount it and 18 trucks to haul it around. The centerpiece was a huge hydraulic platform, in which Madonna ascended at the beginning of each concert. The show was split into different thematic sections, each one with its own specific settings, divided by a curtain going up and down. To come up with the designs of each section, Madonna and her brother studied fashion and architecture from the 1920s, 30s and 40s. It was the singer's idea to incorporate the movie ''Dick Tracy'' onto the tour; "it's a great opportunity for me ..Most people don't associate me with movies. But I know I have a much bigger following than
Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval Angl ...
does and a lot of my audience isn't even aware of who he is", she recalled. The first section, which was inspired by '' Metropolis'' and the "Express Yourself" music video, featured several funnels billowing smoke, steel piping, cables hanging above and a flight of stairs in the middle. At the end of this section ends, the curtain drops to the floor and gives way to the second one, where the stage became a
boudoir A boudoir (; ) is a woman's private sitting room or salon in a furnished residence, usually between the dining room and the bedroom, but can also refer to a woman's private bedroom. The term derives from the French verb ''bouder'' (to sulk ...
and featured the singer on a red velvet bed. The third section, which was church-themed, had a large arc of
Corinthian columns The Corinthian order (Greek: Κορινθιακός ρυθμός, Latin: ''Ordo Corinthius'') is the last developed of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order w ...
and votive candles. Halfway through one of the performances, a large
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depicting a
stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
window was lowered from the ceiling. The fourth act, which featured scenic elements inspired by Art Deco skyscrapers, had a grand semicircular double staircase in the middle and backdrops that were cutout reproductions of Tamara de Lempicka's paintings. Props included a grand piano and a huge cross lit with purple and orange lights. Belgian electronic music band Technotronic was signed as the opening act.


Concert synopsis

The show was separated into five different sections: ''Metropolis'', ''Religious'', ''Dick Tracy'', ''Art Deco'' and an encore. It began with "Express Yourself", and included a lyrical sample from " Everybody" (1982) during the introduction. Seven bare-chested male dancers appeared from behind a steel structure and did a choreographed routine on the stage; towards the end Madonna appeared on a rising platform atop a flight of stairs. She was dressed in a pin-striped suit with holes cut in it, so that her brassiere poked out of them. Underneath she wore the Gaultier conical corset. Accompanied by Niki Haris and Donna De Lory, her two backup singers and dancers, Madonna did a straightforward vocal rendition of the track, and an elaborate choreography, which included
voguing Vogue, or voguing, is a highly stylized, modern house dance originating in the late 1980s that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene of the 1960s. It gained mainstream exposure when it was featured in Madonna's song and video "Vogue" (1990), ...
,
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and simulated
masturbation Masturbation is the sexual stimulation of one's own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation may involve hands, fingers, everyday objects, sex toys such as vibrators, or combinatio ...
. The next number, " Open Your Heart", featured Madonna performing a choreographed routine with a chair while a muscular dancer watched her from afar. For "
Causing a Commotion "Causing a Commotion" is a song by American singer Madonna from the soundtrack album to the 1987 film ''Who's That Girl''. It was released as the album's second single on August 25, 1987 by Sire Records. Its Silver Screen Single Mix later appear ...
" the singer wore a colorful cycling jacket and wrestled Haris and De Lory. The final song of the act was "Where's the Party". Three male dancers did an elaborate choreography while Madonna left the stage for a costume change. The ''Religious'' section began with a slow and sultry sitar-based version of " Like a Virgin". Madonna was decked out in the gold Gaultier corset and simulated masturbating on top of a red velvet bed. She was flanked by two male dancers wearing tights and gold pointy bras. For "Like a Prayer", Madonna wore a black robe and knelt down in the middle of the stage, which was surrounded by votive candles, while her dancers, who were dressed like priests and nuns, gyrated around her and uttered the phrase "Oh my God" several times. Next, she performed " Live to Tell" on a prie-dieu. Halfway through the song, she started singing "
Oh Father "Oh Father" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her fourth studio album '' Like a Prayer'' (1989). It was released as the fourth single from the album on October 24, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was not released as a single in ...
" while Carlton Wilborn in a black frock played the role of a priest. An energetic performance of " Papa Don't Preach" closed this section. " Sooner or Later" opened the ''Dick Tracy'' act. Madonna sat atop a grand piano and wore a cabaret-themed corset under a long black robe. For the energetic " Hanky Panky", she was joined by Haris, De Lory and a dancer dressed as
Dick Tracy ''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''Detroit Mirror'', and it ...
. At the end of the performance, she would tell the audience: "You all know the pleasures of a good spanking, don't you? ..When I hurt people, I feel better, you know what I mean?". "Now I'm Following You" closed the act; Madonna danced with the Dick Tracy dancer to a pre-recorded version of the song, while six other dancers in yellow
trenchcoat A trench coat or trenchcoat is a variety of coat made of waterproof heavy-duty fabric, originally developed for British Army officers before the First World War, and becoming popular while used in the trenches. Originally made from gabardine, ...
s did a
kick line A kickline is a show dance figure consisting of a series of dancers who throw their legs synchronised up to eye level in the air, forming a straight line. The difficulty here is not only to lift the leg in a coordinated manner to create a uniform im ...
. The ''Art Deco'' act began with " Material Girl"; performed in a strong
midwestern accent Midwestern, Midwest, Upper North, or Upper Northern English dialects or accents are associated with the Midwestern region of the United States. These include: * General American, the most widely perceived "mainstream" American English accent is some ...
, Madonna, Haris and De Lory sat beneath beauty parlor hair dryers and wore fluffy pink dresses with dollar signs underneath bathrobes. Towards the end of the performance, they would take fake dollar bills from inside their bosoms and throw them to the crowd. The next song performed was " Cherish". It featured Madonna playing the
harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...
and her male dancers dressed up as
mermen Mermen may refer to: * The Mermen, a music group *Merman Mermen, the male counterparts of the mythical female mermaids, are legendary creatures, which are male human from the waist up and fish-like from the waist down, but may assume normal hum ...
. Madonna ended the section with "
Into the Groove "Into the Groove" is a song by recorded by American singer Madonna, and featured on the 1985 film ''Desperately Seeking Susan''. Written and produced by both Madonna and Stephen Bray, the main inspiration behind the song was the dance floor; t ...
", performed with leather-clad dancers, and "Vogue". The latter featuring various cutouts of Tamara de Lempicka's paintings as backdrops, with the singer and the dancers wearing black spandex and doing the original choreography from the music video. The first encore, "
Holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...
", had Madonna dressed in a polka-dotted blouse with matching flounces at the bottom of white trousers. The tour's final performance was " Keep it Together"; it featured lyrical samples of Sly and the Family Stones " Family Affair" (1971). It started with dancers appearing on the stage, with chairs on their back. Madonna came on dressed in an all-black ensemble involving a cage vest, skintight shorts, knee-pads and bowler hat. She started singing "Family Affair", then midway through the song switched back to "Keep It Together". During the mid-section of the song, her and the dancers performed a choreography with the chairs. At the end, all the musicians, dancers and collaborators came to say goodbye to Madonna and disappeared into a hole on the stage. The singer was left alone to finish with a repeat of her line "Keep people together forever and ever".


Critical reception

The tour received generally positive reviews from critics. In his book '' Madonna: An Intimate Biography'', J. Randy Taraborrelli wrote that "brazenly sexual dance numbers and religious imagery commingled in a fast-paced, tightly choreographed unforgettable extravaganza". Similar thoughts were shared by '' Rolling Stone''s Barry Waters. The '' Los Angeles Times'' said it highlighted "just how deep Madonna's repertoire has become over the years". From the same publication, Robert Hilburn opined that "Madonna's Blond Ambition show comes equipped with enough high-concept, Broadway-like choreography and stage design to satisfy the most demanding stargazer in a crowd equally populated by style-conscious wanna-be's and simply curious mainstream fans". '' The Pittsburgh Press''s Ron Miller called it "big, glitzy and full of elaborate production numbers and costume changes". Also from ''The Pittsburgh Press'', David Hinckley compared it to a "flashy, high-energy Broadway production". In his review of the show on May 7, 1990 at Dallas' Reunion Arena, Tom Maurstad felt that "it wasn't so much a concert as it was a musical extravaganza, with each song functioning more as its own production"; however, he criticized the singer for mixing up Dallas with Houston when addressing the crowd. Peter Buckley, author of ''The Rough Guide to Rock'', praised the production and said it was "an imaginative take of the staging of a stadium gig". Montgomery Brower and Todd Gold, from '' People'', called it a "105-minute hullabaloo amazing for its breadth of controversy". For '' Gay Times'' magazine's Scott Anderson, "despite all that's happening on the stage it still felt like a concert, and despite the precession of the choreography, it had a certain rawness to it, it felt playful and spontaneous". Richard Harrington from '' The Washington Post'', hailed the tour as "a roadshow version of the videos that have made her one of the world's biggest stars". ''
Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...
''s Frank DeCaro noted that "in just over an hour and a half, adonnajuggles as many looks as she does a month's worth of international magazine covers", concluding that "Blond Ambition is a night at
the Roxy Roxy, Roxey, and Roxie may refer to: People * Roxy (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name Places in the United States * Roxie, Mississippi, a town * Roxie, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Music * Roxy M ...
, the Pyramid and
Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theater and a former disco nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. The theater was ...
in its heyday, all rolled into one". From the same publication, John LeLand said that "the advance word was that it was shocking and outrageous ..But what brought most of the crowd together at
Nassau Coliseum Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (or simply the Nassau Coliseum) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, east of New York City. The Long Island venue is approximately east of the eastern limits of the New York City Borough of ...
Monday night, was that we weren't shocked. Amused, tickled, stimulated or diverted, maybe, but not shocked or outraged". Sujata Massey from '' The Baltimore Sun'' highlighted the "passionate" performances, Madonna's outfits and the "sexy" chatter. Greg Kot from the '' Chicago Tribune'' felt that "though the music certainly offered a few shake-your-booty thrills, it was Madonna the performer, dancer, rogue philosopher and smart-mouthed comic who made the evening memorable". He praised the singer's stage presence and pointed out the performance of "Like a Virgin" for being "both seductive and hilarious". Kot concluded his review: "nothing about this production was second-rate. Each of the evening's 18 songs was expertly choreographed, and the lighting, staging and costuming were often spectacular". Writing for '' Maclean's'', Brian D. Johnson expressed that " adonnaperforms with the ruthless, aerobic efficiency of a circus girl. As a singer, she has limited range. But she knows how to seduce a pop song ..as she whips through her circus repertoire of poses, the show unfolds like a kaleidoscope of sexual decadence". In a mixed review, Jon Pareles from '' The New York Times'' wrote that "Madonna might be testing taboos, but she's hardly breaking new ground in rock theatrics", also criticizing the use of lip sync; "she would clearly rather lip-sync than risk a wrong note. It makes the concert airless and off-putting". Three years later, the same author said that "with Blond Ambition she was pop's least flirtatious sex symbol", and deemed it "proudly uningratiating". In his review of the show in
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, Luis Hidalgo from ''
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'' said that "the big question is knowing if Madonna sings live or not completely ..The non-existence of natural gasping and agitated breaths reinforces this hypothesis, strongly denied by the organization". Author Lucy O'Brien was critical of the ''Dick Tracy'' act, calling it "the least dynamic part of the show". Blond Ambition won the award for Most Creative Stage Production at the 1990 Pollstar Concert Industry Awards, and was also nominated in the Major Tour of the Year category.


Commercial performance

The tour was attended by 800,000 people around the world, with initial reports of a US$19 million gross. The first three concerts at Japan's
Chiba Marine Stadium (official name: ) is a stadium in Chiba City, Chiba, Japan. It opened in 1990 and holds approximately 30,000 people. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Chiba Lotte Marines. It is also used for Rugby union. The stadium ...
were attended by 35,000 people each, grossing US$4.5 million. All her Japanese concerts had sold out within days of the tickets going on sale, earning the star US$37 million just from the Japanese leg of her tour. In North America, 482,832 tickets were sold in the first two hours during the pre-sale, grossing US$14 million. The first four dates alone were reported to have grossed almost US$1.5 million. In Los Angeles, the tour set a record at the Memorial Sports Arena; tickets for the first three concerts were sold out in 45 minutes, and grossed US$456,720 dollars, becoming the highest grossing musical event of all time in the history of the arena. The proceeds of the last American date in New Jersey, over US$300,000, were donated to the nonprofit organization amfAR; the show was dedicated to Madonna's friend Keith Haring who died of
AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
. The tour proved to be successful in Europe as well. The single concert in Rome was attended by 30,000 people. In Spain, tickets went on sale on 11 June 1990; prices ranged from 1,200 to 4,000 pesetas. The single concert at Madrid's Vicente Calderón Stadium attracted 50,000 fans, while in Vigo only 23,000 of the 40,000 tickets were sold. The single concert at Gothenburg's Eriksberg Docks attracted 55,000 people, one of the biggest crowds for a concert in Gothenburg at the time. Upon completion, the tour was reported to have grossed a total of US$62.7 million ($ million in dollars) from 57 concerts. ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' reported that a percentage of ticket proceeds would be donated to the charity organization Cities In Schools, a high school drop-out prevention program. Madonna was named the second most successful solo touring act of the time, behind only Michael Jackson.


Controversies

The tour was subject to controversy due to its sexual and Catholic imagery. In Italy, a private association of
Roman Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
called for a boycott of the shows in Rome and Turin; Pope John Paul II urged the general public and the
Christian community The Christian Community (german: Die Christengemeinschaft) is an esoteric Christian denomination. It was founded in 1922 in Switzerland by a group of ecumenically oriented, mainly Lutheran theologians and ministers led by liberal theologian Frie ...
not to attend the concert, calling it "one of the most
satanic Satanic may refer to: * Satan * Satanism * ''Satanic'' (2006 film), a 2006 American horror film * ''Satanic'' (2016 film), a 2016 American horror film * Operation Satanic, when the DGSE bombed the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour See also * ...
shows in the history of humanity". The Vatican's newspaper '' L'Osservatore Romano'' deemed it "sinful, blasphemous" and "a complete disgrace", while the ''Famiglia Domani'', a private association of conservative Catholics, criticized its eroticism and called it "shameful". Madonna held a press conference in Rome's Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport defending herself and the tour: "I am
Italian American Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, ...
and proud of it... The tour in no way hurts anybody's sentiments. It's for open minds and gets them to see sexuality in a different way. Their own and others ..Like theater,
lond Ambition Lond is a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population ...
asks questions, provokes thought and takes you on an emotional journey, portraying good and bad, light and dark, joy and sorrow, redemption and salvation". Nonetheless, the protests had effect and a planned second show in the city's
Stadio Flaminio The Stadio Flaminio is a stadium in Rome. It lies along the Via Flaminia, three kilometres northwest of the city centre, 300 metres away from the Parco di Villa Glori. The interior spaces include a covered swimming pool, rooms for fencing, amat ...
was canceled due to low ticket sales and a threatened general strike by labor unions. Roman newspaper ''
Il Messaggero ''Il Messaggero'' (Italian : "The Messenger") is an Italian newspaper based in Rome, Italy. It has been in circulation since 1878. History and profile ''Il Messaggero'' was founded in December 1878. On 1 January 1879, the first issue of ''Il M ...
'' dismissed the controversy with a lukewarm review; "A lot of noise over nothing", read the headline. In Toronto, the tour's explicit overtone also caused problems. During the first show at the city's
SkyDome Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome) is a multi-purpose retractable roof stadium in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, i ...
on May 27, the crew received a visit from the local police who threatened to arrest the singer for "lewd and indecent display", specifically the masturbation scene during the performance of "Like a Virgin". However, according to ''Rolling Stone'', no charges were made after the tour's manager gave the police an ultimatum: "Cancel the show, and you'll have to tell 30,000 people why." The show was unaltered and Madonna began the concert by asking the crowd "do you believe in artistic expression and freedom of speech?", and later issued a statement saying she was willing to be arrested to protect her freedom to "express myself as an artist". Frank Bergen, a Toronto police officer at the time, recalled that the claims were led by a retired police officer and a
crown attorney Crown attorneys or crown counsel (or, in Alberta and New Brunswick, crown prosecutors) are the prosecutors in the legal system of Canada. Crown attorneys represent the Crown and act as prosecutor in proceedings under the Criminal Code and vario ...
with a "strong position" against Madonna and the tour. He also said despite the police being depicted as "real knobs" on the '' Madonna: Truth or Dare'' documentary, he felt they weren't acting that way. Kevin Stea, one of the dancers, said the troupe was willing to be arrested over the performance, calling it "the most powerful moment I ever felt with Madonna. As a team we were all together".


Broadcasts and recordings

The last concert in Nice, France, was recorded and broadcast on
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
as ''Live! Madonna: Blond Ambition World Tour 90''. The rights to the special were bought by HBO for US$1 million, and was advertised as "America's No.1 female pop star in a live-by-satellite performance of one of the summer's biggest pop music events". According to the ''Chicago Tribune'', it was not a
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
special as the channel wanted to distinguish itself from its pay-TV rival,
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
. The transmission gave HBO a record for the highest ratings ever for an original program at the time; around 4.5 million people tuned in. It was considered too racy for television, and during the concert Madonna told the cameras: "You know what I have to say to America? Get a fucking sense of humor, okay?". Soon after, the concert was released exclusively on
LaserDisc The LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium, initially licensed, sold and marketed as DiscoVision, MCA DiscoVision (also known simply as "DiscoVision") in the United States in 1978. Its diam ...
, entitled ''
Blond Ambition World Tour Live ''Blond Ambition World Tour Live'' is a video album by American singer-songwriter Madonna released exclusively on Laserdisc by Pioneer Artists on December 13, 1990. It contained the Blond Ambition World Tour's final show, filmed at the Stade Ch ...
''; it earned Madonna her very first
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
win for
Best Long Form Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Film is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally named the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality videos or musical programs. ...
. One of the Yokohama dates was also recorded and released exclusively in Japan under the title ''Blond Ambition – Japan Tour 90''. In addition to these releases, Spanish broadcaster
TVE TVE may stand for: Television * Televisión Española, a Spanish state-owned public-service television broadcaster ** TVE HD, a high-definition channel run by Televisión Española * Televisão Educativa, a defunct Brazilian TV network * TV Eduk ...
recorded the concert in Barcelona and aired it in 30 countries. ''L’Osservatore Romano'' felt the broadcast was a violation of "good sense, good taste and decency". In England, BBC Radio 1 broadcast the full show from Wembley Stadium, which led to controversy over the profanity Madonna used live on air. The documentary film which chronicled the tour, ''Madonna: Truth or Dare'' (known as ''In Bed with Madonna'' outside of North America), was directed by
Alek Keshishian Alek Keshishian ( hy, Ալեք Գևորգի Քեշիշեան, born 30 July 1964) is an Armenian-born American film and commercial director, writer, producer and music video director. His 1991 documentary, '' Madonna: Truth or Dare'' was the high ...
and released in theaters on May 10, 1991, grossing over US$15 million. The singer approached Keshishian about doing an HBO special on her and the tour; the director, who found the backstage scene to be "a Fellini-esque dysfunctional family", persuaded the singer to do an actual film focused on that, with interspersed footage of some performances. It received generally positive reviews; Peter Travers from ''Rolling Stone'' wrote that "you may not leave ''Truth or Dare'' loving Madonna, but you'll respect her as a force of nature". In 2018, it was named by '' The Guardian'' as the greatest music documentary of all time, with Ryan Gilbey claiming that "
lek Lek or LEK may refer to: * Lek mating, mating in a lek, a type of animal territory in which males of a species gather * Albanian lek, the currency of Albania * Lek (magazine), a Norwegian softcore pornographic magazine * Lek (pharmaceutical comp ...
Keshishian couldn't have trained his cameras on Madonna at a better time". However, Madonna was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Actress for her role in the film. It was released on video by
LIVE Entertainment Artisan Entertainment (formerly known as U.S.A. Home Video, International Video Entertainment (IVE) and LIVE Entertainment) was an American film studio and home video company. It was considered one of the largest mini-major film studios until ...
on October 9, 1991. The 2016 documentary ''
Strike a Pose ''Strike a Pose'' is a Belgian-Dutch documentary film, which premiered in the Panorama section of the 2016 Berlinale. Directed by Ester Gould and Reijer Zwaan, the film profiles the dancers who performed with Madonna on her Blond Ambition Wor ...
'' chronicled the life of six of the dancers after the tour finished.


Legacy


In the work of other artists

Blond Ambition has been noted for its theatricality and fashion, something uncommon for concerts at the time. Drew Mackie from ''People'', said that "Blond Ambition changed the
pop-culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
landscape". The fact that the show was divided into different thematic acts represented, according to the author, "not only a level of creative planning unusual for concerts at the time but also the sheer volume of material Madonna had to work with". Lucy O'Brien noted that the singer had previously explored "conceptual musical theatre as concert" with her Who's That Girl World Tour, but it wasn't until Blond Ambition that "art, spectacle and dance ''really'' came together". Courtney E. Smith wrote in her book ''Record Collecting for Girls: Unleashing Your Inner Music Nerd, One Album at a Time'' that "
lond Ambition Lond is a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population ...
forever changed audience expectations for pop concerts. Even if you didn't go, you're probably familiar with that tour". Co-Director/Choreographer Vincent Paterson recalled that Madonna's goal was to "break every rule we can. She wanted to make statements about
sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...
, cross-sexuality and the church. And she did". Dancer
Luis Camacho Luis Fernando Camacho Haro (born January 11, 1983 in Zapopan, Jalisco), is a Mexican former footballer and current manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organizat ...
said that Madonna "set the stage" for concerts and shows that followed. Scott Anderson concluded that the Blond Ambition Tour changed the way artists present and perform in stadiums and arenas. According to Christopher Rosa from
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
, the tour solidified Madonna's status as a "cultural tour-de-force and groundbreaking pop artist". Gina Vivinetto from ''
The Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to: Magazines * ''The Advocate'' (LGBT magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States *''The Harvard Advocate'', a literary magazin ...
'' named it Madonna's best tour and wrote that "until
lond Ambition Lond is a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population ...
came along, we had no idea what a live concert could be". For The Odyssey's Rocco Papa, "
lond Ambition Lond is a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population ...
offered a level of theatricality not previously seen in pop shows" and "set the standard for all pop concerts that followed. Madonna and choreographer Vincent Patterson put together routines that pushed boundaries". ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' deemed it the sixth greatest concert of the last 35 years. Ilana Kaplan wrote that it "was more than just shock factor: It was meant to transform live pop music", and also that it helped Madonna "reclaim her narrative and power as the tabloids (wrongfully) deemed her a villain". ''
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
''s Mike Wass considered it the "blueprint for modern concerts ..The Queen of Pop really shook things up by giving choreography, costumes and production as much attention as the live vocals". Writing for ''The Guardian'', professor Sarah Churchwell wrote that the tour allowed Madonna to "catapult dherself into megastardom, shaping the music industry" and establishing herself as "the mother of today’s multimedia concert extravaganzas". ''Rolling Stone'' noted that Madonna had "reinvented the pop megatour itself"; in 2017, the magazine included Blond Ambition on their list of "The 50 Greatest Concerts of the Last 50 Years". Similarly, '' Q'' magazine named it one of the "10 Greatest Gigs of All Time"; Sylvia Patterson explained that "in spring 1990, Madonna was not only the most regonisable woman on Earth, but the most gloriously dynamic pop force on the planet. ..Blond Ambition, her third major tour, was acknowledged as the first-ever global pop tour to use Broadway theatre production values with sets and a narrative 'arc'". On a similar note, ''Billboard''s Jon O'Brien commented that "no longer were audiences content to watch their pop idol simply play the hits. Elaborate production values and strong narrative arcs soon became just as integral to the superstar tour as the music itself". ''The Guardian''s Mark Beaumont wrote that it "set a new bar for confrontational theatricality that only greater shock tactics could ever challenge". In 2022, Alim Kheraj from ''The Guardian'', named the tour one of the 50 gigs that changed music, for "altering the blueprint for modern pop shows with this combination of narrative, choreography, high production values and fashion. A taboo-busting exploration of sexuality and religion only solidified its legacy". Ramona Liera Schwichtenberg, Deidre Pribram, Dave Tetzlaff and Ron Scott, authors of ''The Madonna Connection: Representational Politics, Subcultural Identities, And Cultural Theory'', wrote that the tour revealed the "underlying contradictory tensions within dominant American culture vis-à-vis sexuality" and that it violated too many "fragile, middle-class sexual codes and boundaries". It has also left its mark on the work of subsequent pop acts; '' NME''s El Hunt wrote: "Think of the whips and chains of
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
's ' S&M',
Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...
's ' Side to Side' and countless other pop greats who emerged post-Madonna, and traces of Blond Ambition linger in their every move". The music video for Lady Gaga's 2010 single " Alejandro" was deemed a "visual love letter" to Madonna and the tour.
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
's 1991
Let's Get to It Tour The Let's Get to It Tour was the fourth concert tour by Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue. As stated by Minogue herself in 1991, the tour was technically a continuation of the previous Rhythm of Love Tour which had already visited Australia ...
was criticized for its similarities to Blond Ambition and branded a "parody". Further influence has been recognized by critics on Michael Jackson's 1992–93 Dangerous World Tour, as well as on the live performances of Pink,
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
, Lady Gaga,
Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...
, Miley Cyrus,
Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...
, Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber. In order to record the actors' expressions up close, filmmakers working on
James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability w ...
's '' Avatar'' (2009) had them wear black headsets with small square cameras positioned in front of their mouths ―similar to the microphones used by Madonna on the tour;
producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
Jon Landau explained that "if adonnacan be bouncing around with a microphone in her face and give a great performance ..we thought, 'Let’s replace that microphone with a video camera'".


In fashion and popular culture

The tour has also influenced the fashion world. In her book ''Fashion Details: 1,000 Ideas from Neckline to Waistline, Pockets to Pleats'', Macarena San Martin called the Gaultier conical corset "an emblematic symbol of fashion in the early 90s". ''Billboard''s Gregory DelliCarpini Jr. stated that the corset "redefined the female silhouette and moved many designers to add some edge to their undergarments". '' Entertainment Weekly''s Nina Terrero said that Madonna "birthed a major fashion moment" when she performed on tour wearing the corset. For Harold Koda, the singer's use of the corset, an undergarment, as outerwear suggested that "an explicit control of one's image might transform, or at least destabilize, the patriarchal relationships of voyeuristic male and sexually objectified female". For Adam Geczy and
Vicki Karaminas Vicki Karaminas is a New Zealand fashion academic, and a full professor at Massey University. Academic career After a 2002 PhD titled '' 'Interrupted journeys : travelling light : omaographies of space' '' at the University of Technology, Syd ...
, the conical corset over a male suit represented both the breasts and the
phallus A phallus is a penis (especially when erect), an object that resembles a penis, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. In art history a figure with an erect penis is described as ithyphallic. Any object that symbolically—or, more precisel ...
. They concluded that "in the interval of a decade, she transmogrified from virgin to dominatrix to '' Übermensch'' ..Until then, only Bowie had multi-morphed; Madonna was the first woman to do so". Rebecca Dana from '' The Daily Beast'' stated that the corset's "genius" lied in its subversion of traditional femininity: "Soft becomes hard; curvy becomes phallic; the engine of maternity transforms into a weapon—it's a Freudian nightmare". The conical corset has inspired and been recreated by many contemporary artists, including Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Rihanna. In 2001, one of the corsets was sold at an auction for US$21,105. The corset was reinvented by Gaultier for Madonna's 2012 MDNA Tour in a cage-like leather style; "what I have done this time is a nod to the conical bra corset of the Blond Ambition tour but reinterpreted in 3-D, in patent leather on the outside with metallic leather on the inside. It's all about masculine and feminine", the designer recalled. While reviewing the tour on its 30th anniversary, Liam Hess from '' Vogue'' wrote that the conical corset "is so embedded within the canon of both pop music and fashion that it now requires little introduction", and that it represented a pop star in control. Hess concluded that its most lasting influence is that it allowed female pop performers "to channel their sexuality through the outfits they choose to wear without shame, and on their own terms". The synthetic ponytail the singer wore during the Asian and American legs became a fashion trend among the youth, with ''People'' magazine reporting that many fans were showing up at the concerts with similar hairdos. Of the singer's look with the corset and ponytail, Mark Elliott expressed that "no other artist would ever inhabit an image so immortal from a live show". It is now considered one of Madonna's most iconic looks. The look was then referenced by actress Stephanie Faracy in the 1993 film ''
Hocus Pocus Hocus-pocus is an exclamation used by magicians, usually the magic words spoken when bringing about some sort of change. Hocus Pocus or Hokus Pokus or ''variant'', may also refer to: Books * ''Hocus Pocus'' (novel), a 1990 novel by Kurt Vonneg ...
''. On the fifth episode of the second season of American television series ''
Pose Human positions refer to the different physical configurations that the human body can take. There are several synonyms that refer to human positioning, often used interchangeably, but having specific nuances of meaning. *''Position'' is a gen ...
'', "What Would Candy Do?", the characters Damon (
Ryan Jamaal Swain Ryan Jamaal Swain (born 13 March 1994) is an American actor and dancer. He is known for his role as Damon Richards-Evangelista, a homeless gay dancer, in the FX television series '' Pose''. Early life Ryan Swain was born to a single-mother ho ...
) and Ricky ( Dyllón Burnside) audition to be back-up dancers for the tour. While discussing the episode, '' W'' Magazine's Brooke Marine argued that "as much as that tour is known for Madonna's famous Jean-Paul Gaultier cone bra, it was her dancers who made the whole spectacle culturally relevant ..If it weren’t for the
queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...
men of color who danced on the tour, Blond Ambition would not have been as effective or as subversive". Mark Beaumont expressed that the main taboo Madonna broke with Blond Ambition was "that of feminine sexuality as strength rather than titillation, as something owned by the artist not cashed in by the svengalis", while according to '' Vulture''s David Goldberg, "''everything'' Madonna can be traced down to this cultural convergence: fashion, religion, sex, spectacle, and, of course, controversy".


Set list

Set list and samples adapted per Madonna's official website and the notes and track listing of ''Blond Ambition World Tour Live''. Act 1: Metropolis # " Express Yourself" # " Open Your Heart" # "
Causing a Commotion "Causing a Commotion" is a song by American singer Madonna from the soundtrack album to the 1987 film ''Who's That Girl''. It was released as the album's second single on August 25, 1987 by Sire Records. Its Silver Screen Single Mix later appear ...
" # "Where's the Party" Act 2: Religious #
  • " Like a Virgin" # " Like a Prayer" # " Live to Tell" / "
    Oh Father "Oh Father" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her fourth studio album '' Like a Prayer'' (1989). It was released as the fourth single from the album on October 24, 1989, by Sire Records. The song was not released as a single in ...
    " # " Papa Don't Preach" Act 3: Dick Tracy #
  • " Sooner or Later" # " Hanky Panky" # "Now I'm Following You" Act 4: Art Deco #
  • " Material Girl" # " Cherish" # "
    Into the Groove "Into the Groove" is a song by recorded by American singer Madonna, and featured on the 1985 film ''Desperately Seeking Susan''. Written and produced by both Madonna and Stephen Bray, the main inspiration behind the song was the dance floor; t ...
    " # " Vogue" Act 5: Encore #
  • "
    Holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...
    " # " Keep It Together"


    Tour dates


    Canceled dates


    Personnel

    Adapted from the ''Blond Ambition World Tour 90'' program.


    Band

    *Madonna – creator, vocals * Niki Haris – vocals * Donna De Lory – vocals *Jai Winding – keyboards *Kevin Kendrick – keyboards *Carlos Ríos – guitar * Darryl Jones – bass * Jonathan Moffett – drums *Luis Conte – percussions


    Dancers and choreographers

    *
    Luis Camacho Luis Fernando Camacho Haro (born January 11, 1983 in Zapopan, Jalisco), is a Mexican former footballer and current manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organizat ...
    – dancer *Oliver Crumes – dancer *Salim "Slam" Gauwloos – dancer *
    Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza (né José Gutiérrez, sometimes called Jose Xtravaganza / Extravaganza) is a dancer, choreographer, recording artist, New York City nightlife personality and the current father of the House of Xtravaganza. He is one o ...
    – dancer *
    Kevin Stea Kevin Alexander Stea (born October 17, 1969) is an American dancer, choreographer, actor, singer, director and model. He has worked as a dancer and choreographer with a number of high-profile artists, including Madonna, Lady Gaga and Michael Jac ...
    – dancer *Gabriel Trupin – dancer * Carlton Wilborn – dancer *
    Vincent Paterson Vincent Paterson (born May 4, 1950) is an American director and choreographer who has had an expansive career in many parts of the entertainment industry including film, Broadway, concert tours, opera, music videos, television and commercials. He ...
    – choreographer


    Wardrobe

    * Jean Paul Gaultier – designer *Marlene Stewart – additional costumes


    Crew

    *Madonna – director * Christopher Ciccone – artistic director *Jai Winding – music director *
    Freddy DeMann Frederick DeMann is a film producer, music executive, and co-founder of Maverick Records. During his music career, he managed Michael Jackson, Madonna and Shakira. During DeMann's tenure, Michael Jackson's albums '' Off the Wall'' and '' Thriller' ...
    – personal manager *John Draper – tour manager *Chris Lamb – production manager *Mike Grizel – road manager *John McGraw – set designer *Peter Morse – lighting director *Joanne Gair – make-up, styling *Julie Cherrow – massage therapist *Robert Parr – fitness trainer *Pamela Gatell – ambiance *Liz Rosenberg – publicity *Tom Hudak – stage manager *Mark Micoli – video director


    See also

    * List of highest-grossing concert tours


    References


    Bibliography

    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


    External links


    Madonna.com > Tours > Blond Ambition World Tour
    {{Madonna Madonna concert tours Obscenity controversies in music 1990 concert tours