Madonna: Tears of a Clown

Madonna: Tears of a Clown
Concert by Madonna

Picture of a clown's face with sad expression, in front of a whirling colorful backdrop.

Promotional banner for the concert
Location Melbourne, Australia
Venue Forum Theatre
Date(s) March 10, 2016
Duration 120 minutes
Number of shows 1
Attendance 1,500
Madonna concert chronology

Madonna: Tears of a Clown was a one-off concert by American singer Madonna, held at the Forum Theatre in Melbourne, Australia on March 10, 2016. The singer had not included Australia during in her previous five concert tours, until the Rebel Heart Tour (2015–16), so she created the show for her Australian fans since they had waited so long for her to perform. Madonna explained that the idea behind the show was to combine music and storytelling and was influenced by clowns. Tickets were made available to Madonna's official fan club, Icon members and were non-transferable, with the person's name printed on them.

The show started four hours late, with the delay being caused by Madonna rehearsing. Tears of a Clown consisted of Madonna singing acoustic versions of her songs while dressed as a clown. The set list comprised previously unperformed tracks and her popular songs. It was interspersed with the singer telling jokes and anecdotes. The show received positive reviews from critics who appreciated the stripped down, confessional nature of the singer's performance and the choice of the songs and the comedy. Madonna refuted reports of her being drunk on stage, calling them false and ageist.

Background

Forum Theatre, the location of the show in Melbourne

Madonna had last toured in Australia in 1993 with The Girlie Show World Tour, her fourth concert tour. The country was skipped for the next five tours until the singer released her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart (2015).[1] To promote the album, Madonna announced the Rebel Heart Tour, and confirmed that she would be coming to Australia with the concert, as well as visit New Zealand for the first time.[2] Before arriving in Australia, Madonna announced an extra show on March 10, 2016, at Melbourne's Forum Theatre. The show was billed as an intimate gig, and was described by the singer as a fusion of music, art and comedy. It was titled as Madonna: Tears of a Clown show and was created for the singer's Australian fans, who had waited for her to perform there for the last 23 years.[3] During her promotional appearance at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in April 2015, Madonna confessed that she is a "kind of closet comedian" and did a skit on the show; she added, "I always do extravaganzas, they always cost a billion dollars to make ... nobody makes any money ... and sometimes I dream about simplicity."[4] During the show, the singer explained her decision to do Tears of a Clown:

I've had this idea in my head for this show Tears of a Clown which is a combination of music and storytelling. Because at the end of the day I do think of myself as a story teller. But it's rough as f---, so bear with me and give me all the support you can. It's from the heart. I chose to debut this work in progress, this rough rehearsal, here in Australia because I feel so bad about cancelling on you guys the last time. I'm sorry. You've been so patient, you waited for so long, I feel like I owe you a present, so this is your present... I want to make a disclaimer... If anyone thinks they came here to see a finished final show, there's the door. This is some brand spanking new shit. I don't know if you like it raw.[5]

Tickets were made available to Madonna's official fan club, Icon members, and winners with details announced at Madonna.com and through concert promoter Telstra's promotional webpage.[3] According to newspaper reports, the tickets were non-transferable, and had the person's name printed on them. However, all of them were in the general admission category at Forum Theatre, which holds a maximum capacity of 1,500. With the production design and addition of catwalk, the space allocated became smaller than that.[6] Prior to the show The Sydney Morning Herald reported that fans started queuing up in front of the venue, while Madonna rehearsed inside, as well as at Hisense Arena.[4][6] Images and songs rehearsed were leaked to fan website Drownedmadonna.com, along with Madonna's manager Guy Oseary uploading pictures on Instagram. Madonna made several references to clowns on her own Instagram account, including uploading a short video of her riding a small tricycle.[4] The show was confirmed to be recorded and released along with the DVD for the Rebel Heart Tour, while a live stream was shown through video streaming app Periscope.[7][8]

Synopsis

Madonna began the show by entering the stage on a tricycle and dressed as a clown.

On the day of the show, the doors at Forum Theatre were supposed to open at 8:30pm, but since Madonna rehearsed well into the night, the show started later at midnight. The show started with Madonna appearing onstage, in a clown's costume consisting of a billowing dress, pink and yellow stalkings, riding a tricycle and circled round it.[7] She finally reached the front of the stage and fell down from the cycle. After conversing with the audience and throwing candy at them. Madonna started singing Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns", written originally for the 1973 musical, A Little Night Music, with images of Charlie Chaplin films displayed on the backdrop. She continued with "Drowned World/Substitute for Love" while standing in the center. Three songs followed with Madonna joining the band and sitting down with her guitar, including "X-Static Process", a cover of Elliott Smith's "Between the Bars", "Nobody's Perfect" and "Easy Ride". All the songs had displays showing circus themed videos; following this Madonna started singing the song "Intervention", while displaying an image of her son Rocco; the singer referred to her custody battle with ex-husband Guy Ritchie about Rocco.[9]

Other acoustic versions of songs followed, including "I'm So Stupid", "Paradise (Not for Me)", "Joan of Arc" and "Don't Tell Me". Before performing the next song, "Mer Girl", Madonna explained that once she was at her father's house and she visited the place where her mother was buried; the place, overgrown with weed, became an inspiration behind the song.[10] Then Madonna sang an acoustic version of "Borderline" followed by "Take a Bow". The last song was an acoustic version of "Holiday" and it was performed as the encore of the show with Madonna playing the ukulele accompanied by her band and her dancers dressed as clowns.[11]

Critical response

Madonna playing the ukelele while performing "Holiday", the show's final song.

Cameron Adams from News.com.au wrote: "[Madonna] poured much of her sadness into her intimate two-hour Tears of a Clown show, peppering emotional renditions of her hits with cheeky jokes and banter."[7] In another article reviewing the show, Adams noted that Tears of a Clown was "the sort of thing you never thought you'd see a superstar do". He complimented Madonna's jokes, chatting about her life in-between songs, for being "raw and vulnerable" and confessed that it was "fascinating — and difficult — to watch. We're not used to Madonna on stage doing anything less than a fully rehearsed, slick stage show." Concluding the review, Adams believed that Tears of a Clown professed Madonna's touring direction into the future.[5] Writing for The Independent Nick Levine noticed that the singer "tested out her stand-up comedy skills with a series of risqué jokes and took the opportunity to defend her controversial fashion sense."[9] Debbie Cuthbertson from The Sydney Morning Herald gave a positive review of the show, saying "For the queen of self-control, it was an open, at times even vulnerable insight into her persona. She seemed relaxed, drinking Cosmopolitans as she spoke at length between songs." Cuthbertson also commended the choice of Forum Theatre as a venue believing it to be "inspired, and her crew lit up the grand old dame in a way that showcased all her delicate charms in a way I can't recall any other act having ever done."[12]

Lachlan Kanoniuk, music critic for The Guardian, noted the "bawdy" jokes and anecdotes shared onstage by Madonna. He went on to describe the show as "a weird mix of old vaudevillian-style, M15+, smut humour and bad wordplay; some jokes about clowns, sex jokes that were really quite bad but she had such great comedic delivery". Kanoniuk also compared the show to Prince's Piano & a Microphone tour, and complimented her singing during "Between the Bars", describing it as "no costume changes, no highly synchronised dance moves, just Madonna playing an acoustic guitar and baring her soul on stage."[13] Francis Gibb from The Times found Madonna's performance during "Intervention" as an intimate and "naked" moment for the singer due to the legal battle.[14]

After the show ended, several media outlets reported that Madonna may have been drunk during the performance; however, Madonna blasted these reports, by responding: "Thanks for supporting me. Too bad people don't know the art of acting and playing a character. I could never do any of my shows high or drunk. And yes underlying all of this is sexism and mysongony [sic] which proves that not only do we not get equal pay but we are still treated like heretics if we step out of line and think outside the box! Sexism is alive and kicking but i am #livingforlove."[15]

Set list

  1. "Send in the Clowns"
  2. "Drowned World/Substitute for Love"
  3. "X-Static Process"
  4. "Between the Bars"
  5. "Nobody's Perfect"
  6. "Easy Ride"
  7. "Intervention"
  8. "I'm So Stupid"
  9. "Paradise (Not for Me)"
  10. "Joan of Arc"
  11. "Don't Tell Me"
  12. "Mer Girl"
  13. "Borderline"
  14. "Take a Bow"
  15. The Tears of a Clown interlude
  16. "Holiday"

Source: [5][16]

References

  1. ↑ "Madonna to tour Australia for the first time in 23 years". The Sydney Morning Herald. March 1, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  2. ↑ Waddell, Ray (March 2, 2015). "Madonna To Launch 'Rebel Heart' World Tour in August". Billboard. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Brandle, Lars (March 3, 2016). "Madonna Announces Intimate Music, Art and Comedy Club Show for Australian Fans". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Northover, Kylie (March 10, 2015). "Countdown on for Madonna's Tears of a Clown 'comedy' show before Rebel Heart tour". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 Adams, Cameron (March 10, 2016). "Emotional Mads opens up about son". News.com.au. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Adams, Cameron (March 9, 2016). "Madonna in Australia on Rebel Heart tour: Tears of a Clown rehearsals under way". News.com.au. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 Adams, Cameron (March 9, 2016). "Madonna at Forum in Melbourne for Tears of a Clown Show". News.com.au. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Madonna starts Melbourne concert more than four hours late". CBS News. November 10, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  9. 1 2 Levine, Nick (December 10, 2015). "Madonna plays gig dressed as a clown and rides a child’s tricycle for 'Tears of a Clown' show". The Independent. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  10. ↑ Savage, Mark (March 11, 2016). "Madonna clowns around and sheds tears for Rocco at Melbourne show". [BBC News]]. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  11. ↑ S. He, Richard (March 11, 2016). "Inside Madonna's intimate 'Tears of a Clown' show in Melbourne". Junkee.com. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  12. ↑ Cuthbertson, Debbie (February 20, 2014). "Madonna's intimate Melbourne show Tears of A Clown a unique confessional". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  13. ↑ Kanoniuk, Lachlan. "Madonna Clowns Around at Melbourne Show After Three Hour Delay". The Guardian.
  14. ↑ Gibb, Francis (March 10, 2016). "Tears of a clown as Madonna sobs for son". The Times. Retrieved March 13, 2016. (subscription required (help)).
  15. ↑ Leung, Andrew (March 15, 2016). "Madonna Calls Backlash for Her 'Tears of a Clown' Performance in Australia Sexist". Mic. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Set List: Madonna Pulls Out Rarities at Small Venue Melbourne Show". Vintage Vinyl. March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2016.

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