Many Madonna fans were left fuming on December 13 when the Queen of Pop was late kicking off the North American leg of her Celebration Tour in Brooklyn, New York. But apparently it was due to circumstances beyond her control.
A source tells People that there were “issues during soundcheck” that delayed her performance “by an hour” — though fans complained Madonna was two to three hours late. The source adds that Madonna was “sound-checking until the moment [the doors opened] to work out the issues.”
Once Madonna got onstage, the show proceeded as scheduled, though at one point she complained of hearing an “echo” in her ear, People reports. But to the delight of fans, she powered through four decades’ worth of hits and even added her song “I Love New York” to the set list, performing it for the first time in 15 years.
According to Variety, Madonna said it was amazing to be back in New York: “You don’t understand — the love from a New Yorker is like making a big fat smelly rat come up to you and put your arms around you: ‘I made it.’”
She then added, “I’m not comparing you guys to rats. I know that sounded weird.”
During the “Vogue” portion of the show, Madonna brought her boxer boyfriend Josh Popper onstage to “judge” the dancers’ moves. During the European part of the tour, Madonna brought out a variety of people to join her during that segment, including her daughter Lourdes, and her friends Debi Mazar and Donatella Versace.
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