To call Lady Gaga’s long-awaited show at a sold-out Wrigley Field on Monday a high-level production would be a gross understatement. In a performance for the ages, the pop phenomenon presented a multipart spectacle in which each act revolved around an unspoken theme and contributed to a loose narrative that witnessed the singer journey from literally being trapped to becoming liberated.
Gaga has had plenty of time to strategize. The pandemic derailed the singer’s originally scheduled 2020 date at the Friendly Confines; she postponed her rescheduled 2021 outing for related reasons. Those hiccups followed Gaga’s prior tour in 2018, where chronic pain triggered by fibromyalgia prompted her to cancel several gigs.
Not that she’s been out of the spotlight. Amid an acclaimed Las Vegas residency that commenced in 2018, Gaga released her fifth solo studio album, “Chromatica,” which dominated Monday’s set. She also delivered the national anthem at President Joe Biden’s inauguration; re-teamed with legendary crooner Tony Bennett for a second collaborative LP and several television performances; starred in the film “House of Gucci”; and contributed the theme song and co-composed the score to “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Gaga approached every moment at Wrigley with a similar blend of breathless energy and boundless passion. Billed as “the Chromatica Ball” tour — a concept taken to heart by countless fans who showed up dressed in a colorful array of leather, mesh, wigs, heels, glitter and more — the event seemingly aimed to redefine what a stadium concert could be. To ensure every song doubled as its own experience, Gaga enlisted plenty of help.
An incredible sound system, revolving platform, large second stage, high-def screens, enormous flame plumes and prerecorded interlude videos complemented an entourage of skilled dancers, choreographed routines and Gaga’s now-trademark outrageous costumes. Another equally important detail that all major pop artists should heed but frequently forsake: a versatile backing band.
Exploring plight and joy, the theatrical 130-minute show began on a stage informed by brutalist architecture and video footage drenched with blacks, grays and whites. The noir-inspired setting extended to shadowy illumination and a coffin-like, body-enshrouding contraption that initially prevented Gaga from moving everything but her head and arms. It became the first restraint of many that yielded to her vibrant dance moves and dynamic persona.
Gaga exuded bigger-than-life confidence yet repeatedly exhibited generous degrees of sincerity and humility. She interjected spontaneous remarks into verses and choruses at will and, on other occasions, framed songs by recalling history or poking fun at a past version of herself. Though it avoided politics and acknowledged divisions, much of her commentary addressed several main tenets: hope, agreement, courage and love.
Gaga also made a range of brief, subtle homages to other artists. The synth grooves, mechanical hooks and austere motions in “Poker Face” nodded to Annie Lennox during her tenure with the Eurythmics. Donned toward the climax of “Monster,” and used in combination with the zombie motifs of the dance routine and lyrics, an oversized red jacket acknowledged “Thriller”-era Michael Jackson. The pulsating strut, sung-spoken deliveries and power-suit looks flaunted on “Babylon” saluted “Vogue”-period Madonna. When she flashed the sign of the horns on both hands, rolled back her head and stuck out her tongue at the conclusion of “Shallow,” Gaga evoked Kiss bassist Gene Simmons.
Standing on a piano bench while arched forward to reach the keys on “Fun Tonight”? Elton John would be proud. Ditto Bruce Springsteen if the Boss witnessed her collapse on her back on the stage floor from feigned exhaustion before finding a sixth gear to belt out a club banger.
Through it all, Gaga remained thoroughly herself: a brilliant performer with a singular identity whose music, lyrics and imagery conveyed universal messages. As she advanced from the dark into the light — enduring various struggles, opening up to vulnerability, embracing independence, daring to be herself and ultimately finding catharsis — it all circled back to a question Gaga posed midway through the event: “Have you ever had to battle for your life?”
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One needn’t have asked the same of Gaga; the answer was obvious by way of the feeling and intensity she invested in each note and step. Her blonde hair slicked back, lips painted scarlet red and eyelids framed by a makeup design that resembled butterfly wings, Gaga sang most of the hard-edge “Alice” lying prone on an elevated slab and wearing a collar adorned with nails. That desperation transitioned into pain on the aggressive “Replay,” for which she wore a transparent body suit that appeared smeared with blood — all the better to match the scars and torture described in the song.
When she discovered it, Gaga treated escapism with a related purpose. “LoveGame” featured disco beats that matched the teasing playfulness of the lyrics and grinding guitars that transformed the tune into a hybrid of dance-pop and heavy metal. For the uplifting “Free Woman,” Gaga relied on a formerly underground Chicago creation — house music — and promptly brought intimacy to a stadium environment by slowly parading through the crowd en route to the second stage. Once there, and at a piano, she proved a force of nature.
Allowing her jazz instincts to take control, she effortlessly improvised melodic lines and changed up phrasing. Stripped of accompaniment, Gaga communicated with conviction and naked sensitivity. Grit formed on her lower register; her falsetto traveled to beautiful regions. She handled soaring passages as proficiently as strains that demanded delicacy and restraint.
As she probed and retraced the contours of familiar songs, balladic renditions of “Always Remember Us This Way” and “The Edge of Glory” exposed another facet of Gaga: that of a gospel singer in hiding.
Is there any kind of music Gaga cannot conquer? She’s born that way, indeed.
Bob Gendron is a freelance critic.