Production: Costume Designer's final (and legendary) sketches

Act I

Metropolis

Act II

Religious

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Act III

Dick Tracy

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Act IV

Art Deco

Encore

Pre-production: Costume Designer's first drafts

Gautlier's sketches for the Blond Ambition Tour are a classic. What I couldn't even dream of seeing, though, was the first sketches he did, prior to those. Madonna's Scrapbook just gave me this amazing revelation: six drawings from Gaultier's team, probably for what would be the Like A Prayer World Tour, since M is portrayed with dark hair - more than that, with Like a Prayer video hairdo.

According to Scrapbook's reader Pheel, they were revealed in Gaultier's interview for Libération, in the July 1990 issue:

«She wears a bathrobe because he wanted her to take a shower on stage (which she replaced by the masturbation scene). On the back of the bathrobe there was a tag "Taste Heaven". In this interview, he talked about the La Isla Bonita costumes and how at the last minute he had to redo all the costumes because from when he took Madonna's measurments to the time she was about to start the tour, she had lost a lot of weight and his team was forced to go to L.A., to resize everything.»

Oh-my-god...

Thank you Pheel, thank you Pud!

Pre-production: visiting Costume Designer in Paris

Madonna and Chris (BA's Artistic Director) in a business trip to Paris, meeting Gaultier. Somewhere in early 1990.

Jean-Paul

I was a fan. She made her first concert in Paris in 1987 or 1988, and there was a party after. I was intimidé, but she was first to arrive, waiting for everybody. She was like this always for 10 years, always on time but now… boof, finished! She is the last one (laughs).

Alors, she was super-cute, so I said to ’er, ‘I would love to do something super-special for you.’ She was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, okay.’ Then, two days before my show, I receive a phone call. They tell me it’s Madonna, but I’m like, ‘Yeah, yeah, okay, whatever.’ I don’t believe it’s possible. But the next day I ask if it’s true, and there is a number and I call and she answers and tells me to come to New York and we prepare for the tour.

Jean-Paul Gaultier, 2010
in The Sunday Times

The official announcement

November 1989: Sire Records announces Madonna's upcoming live tour. Initially, it was only to reach Japan and North America, as M was considering roles in several movie projects. However, a further announcement was made: she would bring it to Europe as well.

It was meant to be: The Blond Ambition World Tour.

Like A Prayer World Tour. Noooot!

On January 25, 1989 (and after 8 months of negotiations), Pepsi announced a brand new, long-year endorsement contract with Madonna.

She would record three TV commercials for Pepsi, two of which she did. The third one would announce the Like A Prayer World Tour, sponsored by the brand. It would kick off later that year.

The Like a Prayer video came in. Hell broke loose. Pepsi cancelled the contract. The tour only came to life in a can...

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The German-only Pepsi can, announcing the Like A Prayer World Tour. After the deal was cancelled, all related Pepsi-products bearing Madonna's name were immediately withdrawn from markets worldwide. This is one of the rarest items in Planet M.

A legendary statement about a legendary tour

My show is not a conventional rock show, but a theatrical presentation of my music. And like theatre, it asks questions, provokes thoughts and takes you on an emotional journey, portraying Good and Bad, Light and Dark, Joy and Sorrow, Redemption and Salvation.

Madonna, 1990

20 Years of Blond Ambition

Twenty years ago, history was being made. The Blond Ambition Tour marked a whole new era for music concerts.

Madonna brought theatre, intricate choreography, massive settings, dazzling costume changes and top-class entertainment to the stage. So did everyone else, after this - or tried to. But noeone or nothing could ever - ever - equal this iconic musical performance.

Some things are simply impossible to describe in words. This is one of them. I've been following M's work since 1984 and I can say this by heart: the Blond Ambition Tour is the best work of art Madonna's ever delivered on stage. Period.

Dietro Le Quinte

If we took a Holiday with 99 Red Ballons...

Madonna with Nena, backstage at Eurotops in Germany.
(March 1st, 1984)

Guiness World Records 2011

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