CNN –
Madonna took the stage in London on Saturday at the long-awaited debut of her surprisingly poignant new “Celebration” world tour, which was postponed after she suffered a serious health scare over the summer.
On opening night at the O2 Arena, the singer – who turned 65 in August – delivered a show that was at times more somber than celebratory, with mid-show tributes to some of the late icons with whom she rose to stardom, such as Prince, Michael Jackson and Sinead O’Connor.
The Like a Virgin star also opened up about her health struggles, saying it’s been “a crazy year for me.”
“I didn’t think I would make it, and neither did my doctors. So I woke up and all my kids were sitting around me,” she said.
Madonna battled a bacterial infection in June that caused her to cancel the first leg of the “Celebration” tour in North America.
“I have forgotten five days of my life – or my death. “I don’t really know where I was,” she added, thanking her children for rescuing me, as they do “every time.”
“If you want to know my secret and how I did it and how I survive, I thought, ‘I have to be there for my kids.’ “I have to survive for them,” she said.
In another solemn moment, victims of the AIDS epidemic streamed across the arena’s giant screens as Madonna sang verses from her emotional ballad “In This Life” from her 1992 album “Erotica.” In particular, her friend, the late artist Keith Haring, was featured as the show segued into her 1986 hit “Live to Tell.”
Of course, “Celebration” also had some joyful interludes, such as when Madonna’s daughter Mercy James appeared behind a piano and flawlessly performed the opening notes of “Bad Girl,” also from “Erotica.”
Her other daughters Lourdes Leon – who was celebrating her birthday – and twins Stella and Estere also attended the performance of Madge’s timeless 1990 hit “Vogue.”
The dancers wore masks and costumes designed to reflect their most career-defining moments, those related to their No. 1 hits and not. In fact, Madonna’s die-hard fans should be aware that the tour is by no means just reserved for her chart hits. More esoteric songs – like “Bedtime Stories” from 1994 – also enjoyed great popularity.
The show featured magnificent lighting and video magic. Madonna often turned away from the audience and performed in front of a camera, which then projected a flawless-looking Madge back into the audience.
Ultimately, however, “Celebration” felt surprisingly pared down, as the legendary entertainer took some time to reflect on her unprecedented career and personal journey, as well as the journeys of others she touched along the way.