Madonna

Madonna, Cirque Du Soleil, names as far awy from the world of tough and tumble as you can get.
Cirque Du Soleil is certainly one that in my lifetime has been referred to as "the complete opposite of any sportsman's Sundays". Yet both those names are about to find themselves quite literally smack dab in the middle of the biggest sporting event in the world.

On December 4th, The National Football League announced that the Halftime Show at Superbowl XLVI will be headlined by the Material Girl herself. An announcement that has long been awaited by many. The involvement however of the Cirque is a surprise which has shocked many. Jaime King who recently directed the Cirque's "Michael Jackson: The Immortal Tour", has also long been Madonna's choreographer and creative director. It appears as though the collaboration was a suggestion of his which was then elaborated on when the Circus innovators brought Moment Factory on board to help in the creative process. 

"This is one very, very challenging project for us," says Eric Fournier, Moment Factory executive producer. "You've got to make sure everything works perfectly."

Moment Factory are a Montreal based mutimedia show producer. They have experienced the big time in the past. The company has staged spectacles at the Vancouver Olympics It also has worked on Celine Dion's recent Las Vegas show. As for the Cirque, this will not be their first venture into the world of the Superbowl.The Cirque put together a nine-minute pre-game extravaganza at the Super Bowl about five years ago.

Though some have claimed this will be the "Gayest Haltime Show in Superbowl history" many others have said it will be a huge spectacle and the league have done themselves proud on signing this group of entertainers. Then of course there are the skeptics. We all remember the infamous "Wardrobe Malfunction" of 2004. An event so controversial that it resulted in MTV being banned from all future Haltime shows and a fine of over $500,000 for CBS. Plus it signalled the beginning of a crackdown on indecency on television.
Now less then a decade later and we may yet see worse from a group who have a show called Zumanity, It is the first "adult-themed" Cirque du Soleil show. Performed in Las Vegas since 2003, And a woman so provactive that she released an album named Erotica, a book named Sex and even a film (Body of Evidence) which contained scenes of sadomasochism and bondage.

In the near half century of the game, the Superbowl halftime show has seen many boring, many forgetful but some amazing spectacles. None will ever forget Michael Jackson's show at Superbowl XXVII in 1993 where the undisputed king of pop along with 3,500 local children delivered a performance so brilliant that it would mean no network would ever again cut away from a halftime show.

Though many would opt to forget the show of Superbowl I featuring marching bands from the University of Arizona and Gambling State. There are few who would want to forget that amazing show from U2 in 2002 at XXXVI. As the Edge played the guitar hypnotically, the names of victims from 9/11 scrolled to the heavens on a towering backdrop. As the Edge played the hypnotic guitar part, the victims' names scrolled to the heavens on a towering backdrop

We must sit on and wait 2 more months to discover the fate of the Halftime Show but for now let us realise that whether it bores, wows, or stuns we know that the Superbowl XLVI in Indianapolis is going to be an extravaganza like no other.