Purple rain turned super

Fireworks, flashlights accent musical production

MIAMI -- While everyone else was dropping the ball during Super Bowl XLI, Prince picked up the spirits of a soggy crowd and turned in what was arguably the best halftime show in Super Bowl history.

Prince's 18-minute show before 74,512 fans at Dolphin Stadium was a mixture of adventure, innovation and even a dash of innocence.

It was little surprise that Prince opened with a searing version of his 1984 hit "Let's Go Crazy," but in what had to be a sly nod to Nipplegate and other halftime show malfunctions, he spotwelded "Proud Mary" onto "Baby I'm a Star."

Much of Prince's profound beat was delivered by the 100-member Florida A&M University Marching Band. The kinetic corps also backed Kanye West and Jamie Foxx at the 2006 Grammys. It was a cool idea, and it worked magnificently.

Prince rehearsed with the drumline all week, and the rhythms were tight and inspiring. His terse guitar solos were firmly entrenched in the military beat. (James Brown would be spinning in his grave -- if only he had one.)

Prince, his band and the marching band also dealt bluesy snippets of "All Along the Watchtower," removing any trace of the Jimi Hendrix cover of Bob Dylan's classic.

Another surprise was a classic funk-rock workout of the Foo Fighters' "The Best of You." It sounds as if Prince has been woodshedding since his recent residency in Las Vegas.

Performing in a driving rain, Prince wore a natty turquoise suit and a bandana/turban that gave him the hipster presence of a modern-day Chuck Willis. A pair of dancers Prince calls "The Twins" slithered up and down each side of the singer like snakes in the Everglades.

Before Prince took the stage, which was shaped like his male-female symbol logo, the audience had been prompted to point flashlights they received at their seats for the finale of another '84 classic, "Purple Rain" -- a perfect call for the wet night. (For some reason, the crowd also was asked to warm up in a sing-along of "We Will Rock You.") During "Purple Rain" a thin, white balloon emerged near the stage, and it appeared as if Prince was performing inside a condom.

Prince, 48, played to the biggest audience of his life -- 140 million television viewers -- and he delivered like Peyton Manning.

For something completely different, part-time Miami Beach resident Billy Joel sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the second time at a Super Bowl. His performance was punctuated by a dramatic flyover by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.

About 45 minutes before kickoff, the pre-pre-game festivities began with Miami resident Gloria Estefan introducing the Canadian performance troupe Cirque de Soleil, which interpreted "One Day, One Game, One Dream," a salsa-tinged piece that incorporated nearly 400 people and Miami DJ Louie Vega. A 22-piece marching band wore Bears and Colts uniforms. There were green and purple inflatable palm trees, stilt-walkers on pink flamingos and a bunch of butterfly puppets. I think someone spiked my margarita.

As fans entered the stadium on an overcast afternoon, they were first treated to the subtle recordings of Florida icon Jimmy Buffett before hip-hop and rap were ramped up to drown out the sounds of the predominantly Chicago crowd chanting "Let's go, Bears!" But it was only at halftime when everyone really went crazy.

dhoekstra@suntimes.com