By Michael Barbieri**** I first read the news on Facebook. My good friend, Kimlee Hicks, had put up a post asking “So, where were you on New Year’s?” Kimlee is a fabulous singer who happens to be one of the bartenders at the legendary Stonewall Inn and her post was accompanied by a video clip of the one and only Madonna onstage at the Stonewall, singing a song as the crowd sang along and went generally crazy.
The Stonewall, as most everyone knows, was the birthplace of the Gay Pride movement, spawned by the Stonewall riots in 1969. In December of 2018, Madonna was named an ambassador for the Stonewall’s commemorations of
the 50th anniversary of the start of the uprising and shortly after midnight on New Year’s Eve, she made a surprise appearance at the iconic bar. Accompanied on acoustic guitar by her son David Banda, the Material Girl performed her hit “Like a Prayer” and Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Looking hip and chic in a leather jacket festooned with silver chains and sparkling crystals, the singer asked the crowd, “Did we survive 2018? Wasn’t it a bitch?! Aren’t we happy to say, ‘Good-bye, bitch?!’ ”
She had some serious things to say, however – “I stand here proudly at the place where pride began; the legendary Stonewall Inn, on the birth of a new year. We come together tonight to celebrate 50 years of revolution!” She added, “Let’s never forget the Stonewall Riots and those who stood up and said ‘Enough!’ ” She then addressed her commitment to the movement: “…You can’t imagine how happy I am to return home to New York City, where dreams are born and forged out of fire and brought to life, where I am proud to say my journey as an artist began and my commitment to equality for all people took root!”
The impromptu mini-concert took nearly everyone completely by surprise – the staff were aware the star would be appearing, but that was about it! The New Year’s revelers at Stonewall were ecstatic, needless to say and those lucky enough to be there took to social media to share the experience. One posted “…long live the Queen of Pop! It’s gonna be a magical 2019!” Another wrote “OMG! #LikeAPrayer. Are you kidding me??” while yet another exclaimed, “If THIS isn’t a Happy New Year, I don’t know what the fuck is!!!”
Now, this was not the first time a well-known star has descended on the area surrounding Christopher Street, where Stonewall is located. Billy Porter (TONY Award winner for Kinky Boots, Golden Globe Nominee for “POSE!”) shows up from time to time to sing at the open mic at the Duplex, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Andy Cohen, Adam Lambert and Cheyenne Jackson have dropped into The Monster and Broadway, TV and film stars Alan Cumming and Lea DeLaria have joined the fun at Marie’s Crisis, another legendary piano bar!
At one point in the celebration, Madonna told her adoring fans, “I just wanna say I’ve never performed on a stage this small!” But one thing is for sure: in June of 2019, when NYC Pride welcomes WorldPride to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and a half-century of LGBTQIA liberation, The Stonewall Inn will become one of the biggest stages in the world and our Madge will be the perfect ambassador!
Editor’s Note: Much has been said about Madonna’s surprise appearance at Stonewall, especially the body shaming, which was so inappropriate. One of the gripes that people have expressed is why it was a “surprise,” when it could have been previously announced. NiteLife Exchange consulted with a PR expert who stated it perfectly: “If Madonna’s guest turn was leaked before the event, there would have been total chaos and mayhem and even more when people couldn’t get into the venue, which is a smaller, more intimate club. There would have been another Stonewall Riot of Madge’s disgruntled fans.” For people who were at the right place at the right time, it was just blind luck!
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