Lady Gaga Presents The Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden

It's no big surprise that Lady Gaga is delivering an HBO primetime special; Madonna, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake have all proved that the cable powerhouse can effectively convert a curious couch dweller to determined devotee in as little as two hours. And Gaga's "Monster Ball", for all of her mainstream fame, may have been a juggernaut, racking up $227 million from 2.5 million attendees - but it was also a niche play, its provocative visuals and subversive messages appealing to a particular demographic. Witness the audience shots in this special, premiering Saturday night: you'll notice the crowd is young, hip, gay and sensationally dressed.

Those are Gaga's "monsters," after all - and they've been invited to the 5th and final show at New York City's Madison Square Garden, where Gaga, through her music, incites them to rail against the machines of money, fame and preconceptions. Her wardrobe, her lyrics, her politics and even her stage chemistry are deliberate, intended to carve out a better future for the loners, the losers and the economically or socially oppressed - and here, in the epicenter of her 200-city tour, HBO subscribers are invited to join the ball.

HBO brings its best to the table: dozens of cameras able to shoot tight on Gaga's face or expand to include the entirety of her oversized, New York-inspired set, behind-the-scenes footage, and exquisite sound and color. There's no way it could approximate the experience of being in the room - but it's the closest many will ever get, and HBO ensures you've got the best possible seat for the show. Use of black & white versus color makes clear the language of off-and on-stage; and some of the most instructive and intimate moments occur when the cameras are rolling under and behind the enormous set structure. Off-stage, it's all business moving the physical set pieces and personnel into position (not to mention changing Gaga's clothes and makeup in fantastic, rapid-fire manner), plus a few moments where Gaga sings a capella and even breaks down emotionally, overwhelmed by the responsibility she feels to realize something fantastic for her fans - on-stage, it's all about entertaining them, lifting them up, and giving them one night where they can be their unabashed selves.

It's not really possible to experience that from your living room; the magic of the "Monster Ball", for those who saw any of its incarnations, was its kinetic similitude to a social network as realized through music. Sorry, it's just not the same on video. But HBO's presentation is nonetheless a potent vehicle for progression; its coercion of those watching to join the ball sets it apart from a conventional stage show (even Madonna's). Gaga's slavish devotion to the greater good - particularly when making statements about organized religion via music videos (witness the recently leaked "Judas") - informs her patter between songs. She incites her audience to dream large, accept their identities as perfect incarnations of human diversity, and then join the ranks of her monsters to help make the world realize, through sheer force of inner strength, that subjugating another's right to self-realization is just plain hate.

Thematically, her visuals support this mission: the underlying story of the show tells of a group of New Yorkers attempting to get to the "Monster Ball" despite obstacles thrown in their path: car troubles, frightening subway adventures, even an homage to "The Wizard of Oz," culminating in a mechanized monster that Gaga and her fans defeat using the ultimate modern equivalent of Galahad's lance: a cellphone's onboard camera. Wardrobe and choreography, as outlandish and awkward as ever, contribute to the fun.

For those looking for their favorite songs, they're pretty much all here. The ball begins with "Dance in the Dark" and then Gaga delivers her first unreleased gem: "Glitter and Grease." "Just Dance," "The Fame," "Love Game," "Boys Boys Boys," "Money Honey," "Telephone," and "Speechless" follow before she pounds out, alone on her piano, standing on the bench with her ass in the air, a second number from the imminent album: "You and I." In many ways, this song represents the apex of the show. "So Happy I Could Die," "Monster," an extended version of "Teeth," "Alejandro," "Poker Face," and "Paparazzi" close out the show prior to the two expected encores: "Bad Romance" and a rousing rendition of "Born This Way."

Gaga is superb at getting people to dance along: early in the show, she sums it up by screaming to her audience, "Welcome to the Monster Ball; now dance, you motherfuckers!" And she kicks the show into gear early, allowing extraordinarily brief moments for herself and her dancers to break; her ability to sustain is the show's only true weakness. In the latter half of the show, the energy dips, the result of failing to plan a restorative pause before the final third of the show; Gaga is vocally tired, and the entire cast has essentially been doing cardio for an hour and a half thanks to choreographer Laureiann Gibson. Moreover, HBO fails to inject creative variation into their shooting script, and the novelty of the production has burned off. It's not a fatal flaw, but some members of the viewing audience will feel their interest wane.

Nevertheless, "The Monster Ball" lives up to the hype, and then some. For those who were unable to see the concert in person, the HBO presentation is a wonderfully high-definition substitute. And for those of us who are already converted monsters, it offers a dose of new energy in front of the imminent CD release with some welcome sneak peeks.

"Lady Gaga Presents The Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden" premieres Saturday, May 7th on HBO.