From an article by Jane Stevenson on today’s Toronto Sun:

“Madonna, we hardly knew ye.

After playing three sold-out shows at the Air Canada Centre in 2004, the Material Girl bypasses Toronto in her tour this summer, the Toronto Sun has confirmed.

There will be only one Canadian stop – June 21 at Montreal‘s Bell Centre this time.

“That’s the only market in Canada,” Arthur Fogel, the L.A.-based president of Toronto’s The Next Adventure, told the Sun exclusively. “There’s no particular reason, other than on a fairly short tour, which this is – basically from late May to late September – there are only so many cities and shows that are possible. And she hasn’t played Montreal in a long time.”

In fact, she last played Montreal in 1993 with her Girlie Show, which also stopped at Toronto’s SkyDome. Her 2001 Drowned World tour had no Canadian dates at all.

So if Toronto fans want to see Madge’s latest show they’ll have to check her out in Montreal. Check out tomorrow’s paper for on-sale information and ticket prices.

Fogel said while he understands the Madonna faithful in T.O. might be upset, they won’t be the only ones.

“There’s certainly going to be disappointment in a lot of places because there are a lot of markets that we’re not getting to,” he said. “But I suppose there’s an attempt to find some geographical fairness, if you will, by playing some markets she hasn’t played in a long time.”

Madonna’s entire 2006 world tour, the first 20 dates of which will be announced at 9 AM this morning, will launch May 21 at The Forum in L.A.. The 47-year-old artist will play only arenas in North America, and stadiums/outdoor festivals in Europe and elsewhere. Madonna is playing the Coachella Festival on April 30 in Indio, Calif., but that is separate from her summer tour.

Early buzz had been that Madonna might also play clubs, but Fogel said that’s not in the cards this time.

“I don’t know where that came from,” he said. “Maybe it’s because she did a few (club) dates when she was releasing the record.”

Madonna’s latest tour is in support of her disco-inflected album, “Confessions From A Dance Floor“. British tabloid The Sun says she’ll be launching the show with a re-creation of the ’70s, hedonistic, drug-fueled Studio 54 scene.

“I know nothing about that,” said Fogel. “I guess I’d better get out my polyester suit,” he joked.”

From Jam! Music.