Madonna was scheduled to perform her Celebration Tour at the Xcel Energy Center on July 30, 2023, but postponed the concert until Feb. 13, 2024, after being hospitalized with a bacterial infection.

Despite her health scare, Madonna amazed the crowd Tuesday night, condensing her musical career of 45 years into a two-hour production.

Madonna, wearing a blue corset and black mini skirt, began the night singing her hit “Nothing Really Matters” underneath a giant disco ball to set the spunky concert mood.

She wore a knee brace while performing, but it did not restrict her movement. Madonna strutted across the entire stage and even performed choreography on the floor using a pair of knee pads.

From the opening song, she transitioned to the theme of spirituality in songs such as “Like a Prayer.” Although controversial when released, this performance was welcomed, and the crowd was enthusiastic to sing along.

The set design for “Like a Prayer” elevated the performance as 12 dancers swung upside down in a rotating cylinder, center stage. The individuals moved swiftly in front of crosses, depicting Madonna’s spiritual exploration moving away from Catholicism.

After this elaborate performance, defined by the dim lighting and dark costuming, the performance regained cadence as we reached my personal favorite, “Hung Up.”

I imagined the act containing colorful outfits with pops of metallics to reflect the dance-pop, disco combination of the song, so I was surprised to see the stark opposite.

The costumes were simple as Madonna wore a red and black slip dress, and the dancers accompanying her wore only pinstripe pants. But the dancing was anything but simple.

The dancers skied in place at a fast tempo, making the audience rise to their feet. The movement was paired with an array of neon lights to add intensity to the performance.

The show was coming to a close by midnight, but Madonna still had some tricks up her sleeve.

Projected onto a screen nearly floor-to-ceiling height, were projections of both Madonna and Michael Jackson’s silhouettes.

Together, the outlined individuals performed a mash-up of “Billie Jean” and “Like a Virgin.” While the mash-up was astonishing, I wish she had a larger-scale performance of “Like a Virgin” in addition to the medley as the song solo is renowned.

To wrap up the performance, Madonna sang “Bitch I’m Madonna,” the most upbeat song yet, with a virtual Nicki Minaj projected behind her. “And don’t you forget it!” Madonna yelled before the stage went dark.

The concert concluded at 12:13 a.m., which could be considered an early end for a Madonna concert. The concert began around 10:30 p.m., with the designated start time being 8:30 p.m.

While I had a rude awakening this morning when my alarm went off, it was well worth it. Madonna went further than just putting on a concert. She told a story with elaborate costumes, detailed set designs and creative dances.

Her 45 years of successful performances can be attributed to the passion she puts into every performance. All while combating multiple health scares, she succeeded in giving life-long fans, and newer fans, like myself, a night they won’t forget.

Madonna coined this tour her “Celebration Tour,” and that name was not without reason. This concert deserves nothing but celebration.

Cecilia Wallace can be reached at wall1238@stthomas.edu.