Lady Gaga held the crowd
spellbound at Milan's Mediolanum Forum in Assago during her
performance on Thursday night at the sole Italian date of her
Joanne world tour.
After having cancelled her European dates in September due to
her fibromyalgia, she made a comeback in Milan stronger than
ever, opening with "Diamond Heart" and "A-Yo", tracks from her
rock-infused recent album.
Gaga's show unfolded in a series of seven chapters, each with
its own unique look, choreography and special effects.
She performed her now 10-year-old hit "Poker Face" along with
"Perfect Illusion" as a transition towards the electronic sounds
of "Just Dance", "Love Game" and "Telephone", with an improv a
cappella version of "Donatella" played for her friend Donatella
Versace.
The stage and sets are ambitious, with a modular stage made
up of levels that rise and fall, bridges uniting the two
island-stages in the parterre.
The show is joined together by highly symbolic clips designed
especially for the tour.
At the end of the third segment, dedicated to pride, Gaga
gave a monologue on equality and then launched into "Edge of
Glory", dedicating it to her family and in particular to her
cousins Antonino, Giuseppe and Maria Germanotta.
"Today I'm here with my whole family," she said, seated at
the piano.
"I met my Italian cousins for the first time; they came up
from Sicily. I think about how my grandparents left such a
beautiful place, of the sacrifices they made. Being here makes
me feel like I've made them proud," she said.
The sixth act focuses on wounds that leave deep marks, with
"Joanne", her latest album's title track dedicated to the early
death of her aunt, who Gaga is named after.
"Every family has its challenges," she said while holding her
guitar.
"Losing Joanne was one of the most difficult for mine. Pain
makes us all the same," she said, in the most moving moment of
the evening, launching into an emotional rendition of the song
prior to a finale with "Bad Romance", "The Cure" and an encore
with the ballad "Million Reasons".
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