Wonder World Tour 2009

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The Wonder World Tour is a concert tour by American recording artist Miley Cyrus. It is her second tour and first to be worldwide and not include the fictional alter ego Hannah Montana. The tour was made to support Cyrus' extended play The Time of Our Lives.

Presented by Wal-Mart and promoted by AEG Live, the tour takes place in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. The set list has material from her debut album Meet Miley Cyrus, sophomore album Breakout, soundtrack to Hannah Montana: The Movie and the extended play The Time of Our Lives. Venues were mostly arenas. Cyrus' vision of the tour was more "wild" and "crazy" than the Best of Both Worlds Tour. She wanted to have a more a mature tour that was still accessible to all audiences.

Cyrus' performance on the tour caused positive reviews from critics. Most stated that the tour was a good form of transitioning from Hannah Montana to a long-term artist.

BACKGROUND

On June 3, 2009 the tour was officially announced through various outlets including Cyrus' official Twitter page, Wal-Mart, AEG Live, and her official fan club MileyWorld. At first the tour was only to extend throughout the United States. Several more dates were announced on June 5, including concerts in the United Kingdom. In order to avoid the ticket controversy and scalping that occurred during the Best of Both Worlds Tour, Ticketmaster used Cyrus's tour to experiment with a method of ticket sales, which was first tested by AC/DC in their Black Ice World Tour. According to a press release, all tickets were to be sold exclusively through paperless ticket delivery which means fans did not receive a physical concert ticket for their entry into the event. Ticket buyers were required to bring the credit card used to make the purchase and a photo ID to the concert venue in order to gain entry. All groups were to enter the concert together, and ushers issue "seat locator slips." One dollar of each ticket from the tour went to benefit the City of Hope Foundation, which helps in fighting against cancer.

Cyrus returned to Los Angeles, California to Miley is the best not to rehearse for the tour in mid-August, after she completed filming The Last Song. While calling in to Ryan Seacrest's radio show, On Air with Ryan Seacrest, Cyrus revealed that due to filming she was only able to rehearse for three weeks although the average rehearsal period for such a tour is about three months. In an interview with MTV News, she explained that due to time constraints, there would be no guest appearances from other recording artists during the tour.

"This tour is the most diva thing. Because when I got here, it was like, 'OK, we are not messing around, this thing is going to be like full out. We are going to get everything, it's going to continue to blow peoples minds.' And everyone was like, 'Alright Miley is stepping it up.' And I was like, 'Yeah, it is my tour.' The first time I was actually going out, no Hannah Montana, none of that. Just my own style."
-Miley Cyrus on an interview with the Associated Press about the Wonder World Tour

THEMES & STYLES

Some of the tour's clothing was sponsored by Cyrus's and Max Azria's joint apparel line. Via her official Twitter, Cyrus stated that her clothes expressed individuality, and were "very rocker."

Cyrus said that the Wonder World Tour would be more elaborate with props like tractors, boats and motorcycles. Cyrus explained on an interview with MTV News that her appearance and performance had drastically changed from the Best of Both Worlds Tour. It would have several "pretty hi wild" and frequent costume changes that included a bejeweled bodysuit. She stated, "It's super fun. It's kind of for everybody. And it's got all these different types of styles into it. It's definitely crazy. It's a new, different world." On an interview with Tony Potts of Access Hollywood, Cyrus further elaborated on the themes of the tour. At first Cyrus described the work occurring in the Wonder World Tour. Cyrus said, "There's lots of pieces, lots of different things. We're driving tractors, motorcycles, I'm flying." She then explained that everyone on set share their ideas and the tapes of rehearsals were checked to see which ideas made the final cut. When asked what was different between the Wonder World Tour and previous efforts, Cyrus responded,

"Very different. I think you definitely have to see this show to, maybe if you saw the one with the Cheetah Girls or maybe the one last year, Best of Both Worlds Tour and you look at it now. It's things that I never could have done before and have the ability to do. As you get older, you know, I've been able to blah blah work a little harder and, you know, building things, putting things together, I've never had the confidence in myself to do before. I would have said, 'Oh, I don't know if I could do that while I'm singing' or 'Oh, I can't do that.' Now, I'm able to have the confidence and we have more resources, people that are wanting to help us out. More of the people that have been doing this for years and they know this is a serious tour. Everyone's that been working with us, they've been on tour with Led Zeppelin, Guns and Roses. I'm like, 'O.K. if you can do those shows, they got flames and fire, you can do this show'. Each person has their own character and their own story. So, we've added like everyone's kind of specialty into our show. This is not just a concert, it is an absolute show."

The main show commenced with Cyrus emerging from below the stage encased in a crystal-like glacier. She wore black boots, black shorts and tank top, and a white fur-like vest. She then escapes from the glacier for the opening number "Breakout." Near the end of the performance, the background dancers pulled out construction carts on which Cyrus danced atop. Cyrus then took off the fur vest performed the upbeat rock oriented songs "Start All Over," "7 Things" and "Kicking and Screaming."

Wearing a long, flowing gown, Cyrus next performed the ballad "Bottom of the Ocean" while large overhead screens behind her displayed such things as bubbles rising through water. At the conclusion of the performance, she jumped into stage and images of what appeared to be Cyrus swimming in the ocean appeared on the screens. The next song, "Fly on the Wall", started with two overhead screens displaying a frog catching a fly. Meanwhile, acrobats scaled imaginary walls. Cyrus, wearing an extravagant white dress with a feathered back, and her dancers then emerged from a green airboat to sing "Fly on the Wall" and perform elaborate choreography. At one point of the performance, Cyrus unexpectedly flew over the crowd for a few seconds. After the performance, Cyrus and her background dancers grouped together to perform a "brief interpolation" of the dance from Michael Jackson's Thriller.

Cyrus re-appeared in a short white dress to perform the the song "Let's Get Crazy", credited to Hannah Montana, as herself. Afterwards, she and her background dancers sang and danced the "Hoedown Throwdown". Mid-way through the song, will.i.am appeared on the screens to congratulate Cyrus and continued speaking as she left the stage. When he finished, the dancers performed to a remix of "Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas. Cyrus' next three songs were ballads that she performed in a black dress and boots. For "These Four Walls", Cyrus sat on a bar stool while the band performed acoustic. Cyrus then gave the audience a brief introduction to her forthcoming film, The Last Song, and exited from the stage as the film's trailer played on the overhead video screens. Once it finished, Cyrus reappeared at the bottom of the stage. She played a white grand piano and sang "When I Look at You" while film clips continued to play on the screens behind her. She then sang "Obsessed" in an elevated prop.

Wearing red cheetah-patterned shorts, a black shirt and boots, Cyrus performed a second Hannah Montana song, "Spotlight", from the soundtrack to Hannah Montana: The Movie, while altering geometric figures were shown on the screens. Cyrus changed her shorts to sing "G.N.O. (Girl's Night Out)". Cyrus then changed into a black leather mini-shorts, boots and a jean jacket to perform a cover version of the 1982 hit "I Love Rock 'n Roll", for which she danced in the center of the stage before mounting a red Harley Davidson motorcycle. Once again, Cyrus went airborne, flying in a circular pattern over the crowd with her motorcycle. In her next song, "Party in the U.S.A.", Cyrus paid another homage to Michael Jackson by changing the line, "And a Jay-Z song was on" to "And a Michael song was on". The performance involved an abundance of background dancers who maneuvered stunts, including one in which Cyrus danced in a hotel luggage cart. The luggage cart was a replacement for the ice cream pushcart Cyrus had used in her 2009 Teen Choice Awards performance due to the controversy surrounding the push cart prop.

The environmentalist "Wake Up America" was performed next, with Cyrus taking off her jean jacket. The screens showed images of Cyrus and environmental video clips. At several venues, Cyrus followed "Wake Up America" with "Hovering", which she performed as a duet with her brother Trace. In "Simple Song", Cyrus, wearing a tuxedo, performed as a music conductor and teacher. Mid-way through the performance, Cyrus was elevated with two long black fabrics which caused her tux appear to grow. "See You Again" was the penultimate song of the concert. Cyrus appeared from the bottom of the stage with gongs announcing her arrival. She used complicated dance routines and wore a pair of white shorts, a white tank top, boots, and a metallic vest. Wonder World's closing number was "The Climb." After finishing, Cyrus exited through a passageway in the stage while fireworks were fired above.

CRITICAL RECEPTION

The concert tour received generally positive reviews from critics. The Daily Telegraph's Kirsty Cameron praised the concert, claiming that "despite her relatively young age, Cyrus showed her unfailing capability as performer." Cameron added, "Cyrus provided her audience with choreographed set pieces and a different spectacle for each song." The Los Angeles Times reviewer Mikael Wood described Cyrus's scenario as her "still had to battle herself," instead of Hannah Montana. Wood stated, "Cyrus failed Tuesday -- as she did on her last outing -- to give her fans a deeper idea of who she is and what her music means. For all its eye-popping detail, the concert offered nothing that viewers of her TV show or buyers of her records don't already know about her." However, Wood noted that Cyrus gave charisma and good material.

Erik Enrst of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel complemented Cyrus vocal skills and praised the fact that she treated everyone with a "treated to visual spectacle". However, he noted that at times Cyrus seemed focus on the succeeding song, rather than the one she was performing. Jim Harrington, writing for The Oakland Tribune, described the show a portrayal of "the human embodiment of the Britney Spears' song "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" that mixed Gwen Stefani and Spears with children's music. Harrington added that the tour was a conscious transition for fans that do not want her to step out of the Hannah Montana franchise.

The Oregonian reviewer Melinda M. Thompson said Cyrus had star power and that the dancers "added energy to just about every number." Thompson also praised the performances of "Wake Up America" and "The Climb," saying the "showed what a powerhouse she can be using her voice and influence to get her message out." David Burger of the The Salt Lake Tribune described Cyrus's voice as "at first pitchy" and "murdered," but then improving with a "unique, distinctive tensed-throat twang that makes her one of Disney's most interesting vocalists." He added that Cyrus "soldiered through the rest" of the show well, despite being struck with strep throat. Variety magazine's Lael Loewenstein said that "Cyrus knows how to deliver the goods without losing her core audience." Loewenstein added that the concert was a "mission accomplished" with "inevitable hits" and that her vocal range was merely limited on some songs, but coupled with charisma, drive and spunk they made artistry.



SET LIST

"Breakout"
"Start All Over"
"7 Things"
"Kicking and Screaming"
"Bottom of the Ocean"
"Fly on the Wall" (with "Thriller" dance tribute at the end)
"Let's Get Crazy"
"Hoedown Throwdown"(special guest will.i.am)
"These Four Walls"
"When I Look at You"
"Obsessed"
"Spotlight"
"G.N.O. (Girls Night Out)"
"I Love Rock 'N Roll" (Joan Jett cover)
"Party in the U.S.A."
"Wake Up America"
"Hovering"(feat. Trace Cyrus)
"Simple Song
"See You Again"
"The Climb"

DATES

September 14 Portland, OR Rose Garden
September 16 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome
September 18 Oakland, CA Oracle Arena
September 20 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion at San Jose
September 22 Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center
September 23 Anaheim, CA Honda Center
September 25 Glendale, AZ jobing.com Arena
September 26 Las Vegas, NV Thomas & Mack Center
September 29 Salt Lake City, UT Energy Solutions Arena
October 2 Omaha, NE Qwest Center
October 3 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
October 4 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center
October 6 Auburn Hills, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills
October 7 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena
October 9 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena
October 10 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center
October 12 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
October 15 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center
October 18 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
October 20 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena
October 21 Memphis, TN FedExForum
October 23 Birmingham, AL BJCC Arena
October 24 N. Little Rock, AR ALLTEL Arena
October 27 Chicago, IL United Center
October 29 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
October 31 Louisville, KY Freedom Hall
November 1 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena
November 3 Washington, DC Verizon Center
November 4 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center
November 5 University Park, PA Bryce Jordan Center
November 7 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
November 8 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
November 9 Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden
November 12 Hartford, CT XL Center
November 15 Cleveland, OH Quickens Loan Arena
November 16 Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse
November 18 Long Island, NY Nassau Coliseum
November 19 Long Island, NY Nassau Coliseum
November 22 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
November 24 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena
November 25 Nashville, TN Sommet Center
November 28 Columbia, SC Colonial Life Arena
November 29 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
December 1 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum
December 2 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena
December 13 London, UK, The O2 London
December 14 London, UK, The O2 London
December 16 Dublin, IE, The O2 Dublin
December 17 Dublin, IE, The O2 Dublin
December 19 London, UK, The O2 London
December 20 London, UK, The O2 London
December 22 Birmingham, UK, LG Arena
December 23 Birmingham, UK, LG Arena
December 27 Manchester, UK, Manchester Evening News
December 28 Manchester, UK, Manchester Evening News

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• During the September 29 performance of "7 Things" in Salt Lake City at the EnergySolutions Arena, Cyrus ran off the stage due to being ill from strep throat and needing medical attention. Her band and back up dancers covered for her, and fifteen minutes later Cyrus returned to resume the concert. "Kicking and Screaming" and "Simple Song" were dropped from the set list to make up the lost time.
• Starting on the concert on October 10 in Milwaukee at the Bradley Center, Cyrus replaced "Wake Up America" with "Hovering", a duet with Trace Cyrus of Metro Station.
• Due to Miley being ill from strep throat, the three shows were postponed: the first, October 2 at the Qwest Center in Omaha was rescheduled to October 13, the second, October 3 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City was rescheduled to October 17 and the third, October 4 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis was rescheduled for October 28.
• After selling out all of her European concert dates, Cyrus has added a a fifth and final stop in London on December 29, 2009. Tickets went on sale October 30, 2009.


SOURCE: Wikipedia