Madonna's live shows are regarded as organized sequences of events, scripts, known texts and movements. According to music critic Michael Heatley, she "always set high standards with her stage shows". Described as tableaux vivants, for senior lecturer Ian Inglis, her live performances are "theatrical events", while others deem them "immaculate performances". Writing for Slant Magazine in 2015, Sal Cinquemani considered her "the greatest performer of our time", saying that she is a showgirl with theatrical shows of narrative storytelling. Another group, explained how she divided into "thematic categories" her concerts in unusual forms. In William Baker's words, the splitting of sections derived that pretty much everyone copies or everyone is inspired by.
