Madonna will be expressing herself under the watchful eyes of NBC censors.
The bigwigs at the Peacock network haven't decided yet if they will show the Material One staging her mock crucifixion when it airs her forthcoming concert special, Live to Tell, recorded during the latest leg of her hugely popular and equally controversial Confessions tour.
Madonna, 48, has sparked a firestorm of criticism from Christian leaders for the act, in which she dons a crown of thorns to perform her '80s tune "Live to Tell" while suspended from a giant mirrored cross. Images of AIDS-stricken African children and Third World poverty are projected behind her during the number.
As of Wednesday, NBC said it was reserving judgment on whether it would jettison the crucifixion scene until network executives could review the program in its entirety.
"At this point, we're awaiting delivery of the special. Once we receive it, we'll take a look at it before making a final decision [as to any cuts]," an NBC spokeswoman told E! Online.
Despite Madonna's attempt to raise awareness about global suffering via the eye-catching stunt, both the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church condemned her performance as an affront to Christianity, claiming the leotard-wearing singer needs spiritual help while encouraging people to boycott the disco-themed shows.
During gigs in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and England, Madonna was taken to task by protesters ticked off by the Jesus-channeling routine.
Prosecutors in Düsseldorf, Germany, even went so far as to threaten to bring charges against the singer for insulting religious beliefs, but ultimately decided no offense had been committed and let her off the hook.
Ironically, the one crime committed allegedly came from a religious figure--a priest in Amsterdam was arrested for calling in a phony bomb threat in a fruitless attempt to stop a pair of September shows from going forward.
No word yet when the Live to Tell broadcast will take place, but NBC said the network is prepping the special for the November sweeps.
If Madonna's cross routine is nixed, fans have to wonder what kind of confessions the suits at NBC will go for in a racy two-hour affair that also features her using a riding crop to "whip" her male dancers into shape during the opening number "Future Lover" and crooning "Like a Virgin" as she executes a naughty pole dance atop a merry-go-round horse hovering above the audience.
NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly has suggested that--like it or not--what may be right for a concert venue may not be suitable for prime time, and the pop icon is keenly aware of that.
"She's not revising her act," he told a gathering at the annual Television Critics Association press tour in July. "We've discussed what content will be in and what is out, and we've come to a healthy place that represents her show but is appropriate for television."
Reilly said they'll decide later on which numbers would be included in the special. "We're not going to make any piecemeal edits," he added.
Madonna's manager, Guy Oseary, and publicist, Liz Rosenberg, didn't immediately comment on NBC's hand-wringing.
Madonna officially wraps her Confessions trek tomorrow night at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, capping what, according to Billboard, has been the highest grossing tour ever for a female artist.
Citing tentative estimates from tour producer Arthur Fogel, the trade magazine reported that Madonna grossed $193.7 million from 60 shows drawn from 1.2 million people in paid attendance, narrowly besting the $192.5 million earned by Cher's never-ending Farewell tour from 2002 to 2005.