It was all razzle-dazzle and smoke ‘n’ mirrors last night for Britney Spears’ engagement at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, where the pop tart unveiled her circus-theme extravaganza.
The concept concert began with a P.T. Barnum three-ring flair – featuring juggling, kung fu moves, scary clowns on unicycles and a daring female acrobat who bounced on a thin beam suspended between two muscle-bound strongmen.
No animals? Just one: After the 15-minute parade of circus folk, the elephant in the room was the yet-unseen Britney.
Finally, after the amusement acts loosened their grip on the house, and with 17,000 fans shrilly screaming “Britney, Britney!” the girl finally appeared.
Like dangling a shiny thing in front of a beast, the queen of pop tarts was lowered from the rafters for the rabid fans, dolled up in a ringmaster’s costume for her opening routine performing the evening’s key song, “Circus.”
Ostentatious flash and glitz were the order of the night; the show seemed to be designed by a Vegas showgirl on steroids. While there was plenty of music, this wasn’t a pop or rock show, it was an extravaganza more for the eye than the ear.
Did Britney sing a note that was actually allowed to pass through the mike to the speakers? Probably not – except for the song “Everytime,” which she squeaked through.
Instead, at this comeback gig, Britney showed off her buff new bod in some very revealing outfits, danced gracelessly, gyrated to her own music and acted as a cheerleader to her army of female fans.
The performance was divided into four acts.
The before-mentioned “Circus” opener, which hit a high with Brit performing “Piece of Me” from inside a gilded cage, then a “Funhouse” highlighted by the dirty spelling-song “If U Seek Amy.” The third act, “Freak Show,” which hinged on the song of the same name, was more filler than thriller although the production on the song “Get Naked” was as large and sexually suggestive as any girly show staged at the famous Crazy Horse Cafe in Paris. Finally, in “Electro,” Brit took on her most electronic material.
From the start almost a decade ago – when Spears turned her Lolita trick with the “. . . Baby One More Time” video, wearing a naughty schoolgirl uniform (the song reprised near the end of this show) – she was more about sex and movement than music, so there are no complaints about this show. She did what she’s always done.
Yet in the five years since she last toured, she’s gotten married and divorced – twice; become a mom – twice; and was even committed to a mental institution for a short stay.