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CNN Live At Daybreak

Some Controversy Surrounding Madonna Concert Tour

Aired August 07, 2001 - 08:53   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, I'm sure you heard about it or read about it, or maybe you've even gone to see it, the Madonna concert. Of course, if you did go and see it, you would have had to dig pretty deep into your wallet. Ticket prices are pretty steep, $250 and up.

For more on this, we are joined by Alan Light, who is the editor of "Spin" magazine.

She canceled her New Jersey show. Was it really because of her voice?

ALAN LIGHT, EDITOR, "SPIN MAGAZINE": Well, as far as we know. Laryngitis was the stated reason, and I guess she'll be back up on stage in Boston tonight, and we'll find out if there's still any problem with that, or if it was anything else.

MCEDWARDS: Now you've seen her show. Tell us about it.

LIGHT: Well, it's a big, huge spectacle of massive production. She does five costume changes, and delivers certainly visually everything you would expect. The big surprise for a lot of people that she's only really doing songs from the most recent album music and "Ray of Light," the album that proceeded it. She's really not doing anything from earlier in her career, which is the cause of controversy with a lot of her fans.

MCEDWARDS: Right, how does the audience react, then? I mean, are they losing minds over this, or is a little more subdued?

LIGHT: Well, I think people are excited. Certainly people are excited to see Madonna. It's been seven or eight years since the last tour. And it's an event anytime she shows up in a room. I think that the more hardcore fans, the people who've really stayed with her all these years, they expect the unexpected from her. They expect to be surprised, and I think they're not as shocked from not hearing "Into the Groove" and "Like a Prayer." The casual fans feel like I paid my 200 bucks here, and I'm not hearing the hits that I grew up with and that I really love.

MCEDWARDS: Yes, because she's moved into what she describes as a more sort of spiritual realm. So this is a woman who's reinvented herself so many times. It must be a really eclectic group there, hard to please everybody. LIGHT: Well, absolutely, hard to please everybody. And, you know, she's going to be 43 years old next week. And I understand her saying, I don't want to play these songs that were hits for me 15, 16 years ago. The more recent albums are the clearest statement of who I am right now, since I've had the kids, since I've gotten into the yoga, the spirituality and everything else. You know, I understand artistically all the reasons I wanted to do that. I also understand the frustration of fans saying, you know, give me the songs that I came to hear to see, especially if I'm going to have to put that kind of money down.

MCEDWARDS: Alan, you know the talk about her possibly retiring or possibly not, do you think this will be her last tour?

LIGHT: Well, I don't know. I think -- I don't think that Madonna is a born stage performer the way that, you know, Tina Turner retired last year. She was 60 years old. And I don't believe she's able to stay off the stage. I think we'll see her back on stage sooner than you think. Madonna, it's always felt like the music videos in some way are the most important performances to her, and she's still trying to get the movie career together. And I can see her just doing event appearances from here and not mounting a tour like this. It's a lot of work. It's grueling. She's got the family. You know, on the one hand, it's hard to see her waiting another six years and being 50 years old and going back out there around the world, but you know, there's a lot of things that you don't expect that have happened with Madonna before.

MCEDWARDS: Yes, I was going to say, whatever she does, I'm sure it will be a surprise. We've got to leave it there. Alan Light, thanks very much, appreciate it.

LIGHT: Thank you.

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