TERRE HAUTE —
Madonna knew what she wanted for her Super Bowl XLVI half-time show in Indianapolis — and some folks linked to Terre Haute filled the bill.
Former Indiana State University outside linebacker Damon Clark and current-ISU students Tim Myers and Sean Winter were among the roughly 150 Roman gladiators who escorted the “material girl” onto the field for her approximately 15-minute music and dance spectacular.
In case you’ve forgotten or were not one of the 114 million TV viewers of the half-time show, Madonna’s show began with a small force of fully battle-dressed gladiators pulling and pushing a large platform or “cart” to midfield.
For several seconds, the top of the platform could not be seen thanks to about eight large “wings” — which looked like giant feathers — being held by some of the gladiators.
Then, on cue, the wings were pulled away and Madonna, one of the most successful entertainers of modern times, was revealed sitting on a regal throne.
One of the gladiators holding a wing was Sean Winter, a junior criminal justice major at ISU from Indianapolis.
“I was more excited than nervous,” Winter said about being part of the show. “The feeling of being in front of millions of people was kind of intoxicating.”
In all, the gladiators’ role in the halftime show lasted only about 71 seconds. But there was no room for error. Madonna — Clark, Myers and Winter all agree — is a perfectionist.
“She was making corrections from her throne” during the show’s numerous rehearsals, Clark, who lives in Indianapolis, said. “She made sure everything was perfect.”
And Madonna definitely wanted her gladiators to be perfect.
The pop star’s staff was at Lucas Oil Stadium for the first couple of days of rehearsal and it was they who assigned specific jobs for the gladiators. Some jobs — such as those closest to Madonna’s throne — were more coveted than others.
When Madonna arrived on the Wednesday before the Super Bowl, “we were sweating bullets,” said Myers, who pushed the cart carrying Madonna’s throne. He was just feet away from her.
“They kept telling us our spots were not set in concrete,” Myers said. “She checked us all out.”
Despite being a perfectionist, Madonna was also very nice, a hard-worker and very “down-to-earth,” the three “gladiators” said. But being that close to one of the best known entertainers in recent history can make even a battle-tested Roman soldier a little nervous.
“We could have interacted with her a lot more than we did,” Clark said, adding, however, that he could not help being nervous when Madonna would stand just a few feet away. Myers echoed those words, saying he didn’t want to be ‘one of those guys’ who pesters Madonna. The superstar is petite and beautiful, he said, but also a little “intimidating,” he said.
Myers, 24, of Covington, and Winter, 21, weren’t even born when Madonna started her rise to stardom in the early 1980s. Clark, 40, on the other hand, said being around Madonna was a special thrill since he grew up listening to her music.
“I love her music,” Clark said. “That first rehearsal, I was blown away. It was bringing back memories of my MTV video-watching days.”
All three gladiators agreed the most powerful moment of the experience came Super Bowl night when they first emerged from one of the Lucas Oil Stadium tunnels and saw — for the first time — the size and enthusiasm of the massive crowd.
“Everyone was screaming and using their cell phone cameras,” Myers recalled, adding he was nervous for a moment before telling himself to relax and take in the experience. “It was a pure adrenaline rush.”
Many of the gladiators were from Indiana, but others came from far away, said Clark, who was among the gladiators pulling ropes attached to the front of Madonna’s cart. He and Winter answered an open “casting call” and were selected from thousands of entrants. Myers, who has done some fitness modeling, was tapped for his role by a professional talent agency.
The hundreds of participants in the halftime show, including roughly 500 stage crew, choral singers, dancers and the gladiators, were strictly forbidden from using cell phones, taking photographs or otherwise sharing their experience with the outside world during rehearsals. A couple of stage crew members actually got kicked out for “tweeting” information to the outside world, Clark recalled.
After leading Madonna to about the 50-yard line at the beginning of her performance, the gladiators left the field, taking her cart and throne with them. After that, the gladiators were driven back to Ben Davis High School, which had been their meeting place for police-escorted transportation to the game. Many of them watched the second half of the NFL championship at the school.
“I would definitely do it again,” Winter said. Despite the long rehearsal hours, often coming after a full day of work or school, the experience was clearly worth it, he said.
That feeling was shared by Clark and Myers.
“Oh, heck yeah,” Myers said when asked if he would do it all over again. “It was probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was awesome.”
Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.
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Related Photos
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Tim Myers
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Madonna was here: Damon Clark holds a section of the floor Madonna and other performers walked on during the halftime show of the Super Bowl.
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis On stage: Indiana State University senior Tim Myers was one of the Roman soldiers that made it onto the stage with Madonna. Myers was one of about 150 men who made the cut to be the superstar's escort on stage.
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Damon Clark
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis That's me: Damon Clark holds the Life & Style magazine that included him as part of a photo spread of the Super Bowl halftime show.
Discussion
Hauteans turn gladiators for ‘material girl’ Madonna
Current, former ISU students part of legion of Romans performing at Super Bowl
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