TRAVERSE CITY -- A packed movie house will see the queen of reinvention in person, but all of Traverse City has caught Madonna mania.
The entertainment superstar, singer, tabloid fixture, trend-setter, philanthropist, Michigan native and Traverse City Film Festival headliner is scheduled to introduce her documentary "I Am Because We Are" at an 8 p.m. screening tonight at the downtown State Theatre.
"People are already coming down and trying to line up," festival executive director Deb Lake said.
That was two days before the big event. The hype heightened since the tickets went on sale in early June. The festival sold half of the 540 theatre seats to fans who waited in line, some for days. The remainder were sold by lottery to members of the festival's "Friends" group.
Marc Ryan of Traverse City stood in line for 52 hours to snag his ticket.
"At $25 a ticket, what a great way to see a national hero, really, Madonna. I'm not a big Madonna fan, don't get me wrong, but some of her older music is good," he said.
The festival also sold out a simulcast event tonight at the City Opera House. And, there's the anticipated crush of curious onlookers and paparazzi. The festival fielded at least 200 credential requests from press, a number that grows daily, Lake said.
Madonna's scheduled appearance is to promote "I Am Because We Are," a film she produced, wrote and narrated and Nathan Rissman directed. It examines the plight of orphaned children and AIDS in Malawi. She adopted her son David from the African country. Proceeds from the Traverse City screenings are donated to Madonna's charity Raising Malawi.
The film shows a country ravaged by disease but resilient.
"She realized that she could put Malawi on the map. She did. And so, she's more than happy to lend her celebrity status for the good of the poor ...," said Rissman, a first-time director, following a Friday press screening.
The documentary is just one endeavor in the star's extensive career. About to turn 50, Madonna will launch her "Sticky & Sweet" tour on Aug. 23. Her albums include "Like a Virgin," "True Blue" and, most recently, "Hard Candy."
"There are very few people who I can think of in the history of popular music who have been able to draw that kind of buzz just by who they are," said Keith Clifton, associate professor of musicology at Central Michigan University.
Clifton studied and wrote about Madonna's music and career. He said it's tough to find a female pop artist of the last two decades who hasn't been influenced by Madonna.
"Even at 50, she's still putting out great music. People are still interested in what she's doing, and I don't see that changing any time soon," he said. "That's the sign of a great artist, that you can still generate buzz 25 years after your first album."
In Traverse City, those shut out of the main event can still soak up the Madonna hoopla at a free Open Space showing tonight of her movie "A League of Their Own." Fans can participate in a "Rockford Peach Costume Contest," in honor of the baseball team from the movie.
"I am sure the buzz from Madonna will increase our numbers," said Open Space Manager Jodi Maas.
The festival will enforce crowd control on Front Street sidewalks. Lines for ticket-holders cannot form until 5 p.m. outside the State and 6 p.m. at the opera house. Traverse City Police Capt. Steve Morgan said there are no plans to close Front Street, but police will take precautions as they have throughout the festival.
Ryan, among those who scored a ticket at the State, could have cashed in on the Madonna fever and sold his seat online for a lot of money. But the festival discouraged folks from re-selling tickets, and he wanted to be part of Traverse City history made tonight. The long ticket wait was a "pretty cool experience" on its own, Ryan said.
"I'm an old hippy, and we used to stand in line," he said.
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