The Material Girl made a dramatic return to the stage on Monday, when her Re-Invention world tour kicked off in Los Angeles. Madonna’s fans were left in little doubt that she is still the Queen of Pop, after a spectacular show in which she danced up a storm.

Madonna has never been shy about trying and discarding different personas, so calling her new stage show “The Reinvention Tour” seems a little redundant. And by the end of the spectacular, if somewhat muddled, two-hour production, it’s apparent Madonna is not looking to reinvent herself.

Pop star Madonna was on sparkling form last night for the launch of her world tour.
The singer showed herself to be in peak fitness at a packed concert in the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles.

I’m gonna avoid the cliche.’ So goes the lyric from Madonna’s ‘Die Another Day,’ one of her more recent songs and one she performs in her ‘Re-Invention’ tour. This kicked off last night in Inglewood, Calif. at the Forum. That sentiment is not only the hallmark of most of her career, but it is the vital component that lifts her current concert spectacle thrillingly above a mere ‘greatest hits’ concert package.

Defying the recent death threats she’s received, Madonna took to the stage last night for the start of her Re-Invention world tour.

Madonna has launched her world tour in Los Angeles with a politically-charged and highly energetic show. A capacity crowd turned out to see the pop icon take to the stage at The Forum in the LA suburb of Inglewood.

She may be supple, but Madonna was anything but subtle when she kicked off her 50-date Re-Invention tour in Los Angeles last night.

After twenty years in the limelight, Madonna is expected to cause controversy and reinvent herself for every new tour. So for the May 24th Los Angeles opening of her Re-Invention world trek, Madonna did the most unexpected thing she could: She came back as a great concert singer.

So how does Madonna reinvent herself on her Re-Invention Tour? It’s nearly impossible to count the ways.