Srinivas Padma: Personal Musings on Life, Growth, and Connections

Kylie Minogue dazzled an adoring homeland crowd on Saturday in the diva’s triumphant first foray onto the stage since she discovered 18 months ago that she had breast cancer. “Good evening, Sydney!” were the Australian’s first words as she rose on a platform from the centre of the stage. “How are you feeling tonight?” she asked the cheering crowd. The 38-year-old Grammy winner’s performance before a sell-out crowd of 10,000 was the much-anticipated comeback from her shock diagnosis in May last year, just days before the Australian leg of “The Showgirl Tour” was set to begin. Minogue had a successful surgery in her hometown of Melbourne and underwent chemotherapy in Paris, where her French actor-boyfriend, Olivier Martinez has a home. During her recovery, she wrote a children’s book, The Showgirl Princess and launched her own perfume, Darling. The former soap opera teen star wore a pink feathered headdress and flowing gown by designer John Galliano to kick off her renamed “Showgirl Home

Kylie Minogue was forced to pull out of a performance with U2 due to exhaustion. The diminutive pop princess, who has beaten breast cancer, after being diagnosed with the illness in May 2005, was due to join the Irish rockers on stage on Monday as a thank you for frontman Bono performing a duet with her on the second night of her resumed “Showgirl Homecoming” tour in Sydney. However, Kylie, who is still not fully fit following an intensive programme of chemotherapy, had underestimated just how physically demanding the two-and-a-half-hour performances would be and was forced to grudgingly cancel her appearance. A source told Britain’s The Sun newspaper, “Kylie called Bono to explain that she had worn herself out. She is really feeling the physical effects of her return to the stage. He told her to spend Monday resting, get her energy levels fully restored and relax. It wasn’t a problem at all. Everyone realises Kylie is putting herself through the mill for the tour.” Kylie’s tour has ch