Madonna Pledges Proceeds to Relief Effort

ByABC News
September 14, 2001, 10:35 AM

Sept. 14 -- Madonna became the first major musician on tour to return to the stage last night, pledging proceeds to help the families of the terrorist attacks.

The lights on Broadway had been black. The gates on the studio lots in Hollywood remained locked. Virtually the entire world of show business had shut down in the days after Tuesday's attack.

As the nation mourns, the three biggest networks NBC, CBS and ABC have pushed back the roll-out of their new prime-time schedules to Sept. 24, a week later than originally planned. And TV's highest honors, the Emmy Awards, are now scheduled for Oct. 7.The release of several movies has been postponed. Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest film, Collateral Damage, in which a terrorist bombs a Los Angeles skyscraper was to have debuted Oct. 5. Tim Allen comedy, Big Trouble, in which one scene involves a bomb on a plane, was also pulled from its Sept. 21 release.

For the entertainment world, Madonna's performance in Los Angeles and the resumption of The Producers on Broadway last night marked the return of some semblance of normalcy. Madonna Fans Join in Moment of Silence

At the Staples Center, Madonna fans were asked to arrive an hour early for the show. Madonna resumed her regular tour schedule, offering a moment of silence for those killed and injured in the terrorist attacks.

Ticket holders were told to arrive at least one hour early before the sold-out performance to allow themselves enough time to make it through heightened security procedures. But no one seemed to mind.

"I was a little apprehensive about coming tonight, just because of everything that's been going on, but I feel a little safer now being here with everybody and seeing security," said one fan.

Marquee Lights Just a Little Dimmer on Broadway

On the Great White Way, the marquee lights were back on, though dimmed to honor victims of the violence, as the curtains of many Broadway shows rose again. Nathan Lane, of the hit show The Producers, talked about the need to laugh in a time of grief.