Britney Spears' 'Circus' tour: The verdicts are in

It's been a week of premieres in the pop-culture world. On Monday, NBC debuted "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," and on Tuesday, Britney Spears unveiled the 2009 version of her comeback, the much-ballyhooed "Circus" tour.

But unlike a late-night talk show, which will evolve over time, a tour on the level of Spears' arrives on Day 1 as a Broadway-like machine. The surprises (a Perez Hilton introduction) and the set list landed before the show even launched, and the costume changes are online for your viewing perusal. Britney as the Naughty Cop, an outfit donned during "Womanizer," is at left.

If you're interested in seeing Spears when she comes to the Staples Center for a two-night stay beginning April 16, chances are you already have tickets. A Ticketmaster search reveals nothing available for the first night in Los Angeles, and only the premium-priced tickets are showing up for Sunday ($150 and up).

So how good is the show you're going to see? The Times' Ann Powers writes a largely positive review, but hers comes with reservations. She writes of "daring" dance sequences, including a well-choreographed, Bollywood-edition of "Me Against the Music," but also notes the backing track has a large presence, and Britney's dance moves aren't significantly advanced from anything you might see at your local gentleman's club.

But in terms of eye candy and bang for your buck, Powers writes, the "Circus" tour will likely deliver for fans. "She is back up on the beam," writes Powers. "The director, Jamie King, has made sure of that. If your star is a bit unstable, the best solution is to surround her with a backing troupe that can step in when she fumbles. Much like her music, the 'Circus' tour is all about added value. Instead of purchasing the coolest new beats and synth-pop augmentations, King and Spears signed up those experienced carny stars to not only fill in the gaps between numbers but enhance — distract from? — her own time onstage."

MTV noted that Spears herself is "dwarfed by the spectacle," but what a spectacle it was.

"Britney's Circus, a big, huge, loud, funny, nonsensical three-ring affair that includes everything under the big top — even an actual big top," wrote James Montgomery. "Broken down into four acts — 'Circus,' 'House of Fun,' 'Freakshow/Peepshow' and 'Electro Circ'— the two-hour show is every set designer and choreographer's wet dream, or nightmare, or both. There are literally dozens of costume changes, dancers of all shapes and sizes and acrobats and set pieces that fly about willy-nilly."

Locally (Spears is a Louisiana-native) the Times-Picayune's Keith Spera wondered how many songs Spears actually sang, and decided it was probably not many. But will anyone care? "Backing tapes and vocalists likely carried much of the load," Spera wrote. "For better or worse, many fans do not expect her to sing live. It's all about the spectacle, of which there was plenty."

As for the spectacle, Spera documents it well, and what he writes will likely make Spears purists a bit giddy. Spera wrote: "During 'Piece of Me,' she cavorted within, atop and alongside a cage. For 'Me Against the Music,' she sashayed in a sumptuous, Bollywood-style ensemble. Against the club pulse of 'Get Naked,' she posed in an oversize picture frame as dancers ogled her — a play on the media's Britney Spears obsession."

USA Today's Jerry Shriver tries to keep the spectacle in perspective. "The Circus show packs 17 song segments and every under-the-big-top cliché except Siegfried & Roy's white tigers into a crowd-pleasing hour and 45 minutes," Shriver writes. "A comeback, certainly, and a solid one at that. But all the sex, fire and stomp-and-slither choreography can't disguise the fact that the production needs a bigger, purely musical core (a few more songs from the current album would have helped) — and some spontaneity."

The New York Daily News' Jim Farber noted that Spears "dutifully hit her marks," but walked away feeling a bit empty.

"For all Britney's renewed physical prowess, she didn't project much in the way of personality," Farber wrote. "And the truth is she never has. Once again, she came across mainly like a Fembot — a dutiful, spry and attractive machine. In that sense, the show suited the "Circus" theme more than it may have intended. In the end, it's all about maintaining an illusion."

— Todd Martens

Photo: WireImage

Related: Acrobats, magicians and a bit of erotica: Britney Spears’ ‘Circus’ opens in New Orleans

Comments

[intello.cool]

amazing

[WWP]

I am just completely astounded at the comment that "many of her fans do not expect her to sing live."

What the hell is wrong with her fans? What the hell is wrong with consumers that they are willing to pay through the nose for a substandard concert -- Particularly in this down economy. What is the POINT of a concert except to experience live music?

Apparently, you can't even chalk it up to extensive dancing routines because the LA times own Ann Powers said the dancing was average at best.

so YEAH, as dang matter of a fact for the price she's charging, I expect a live and actual performance. Otherwise, I can stay home and watch a video (sans the tweeners and drunks) and get the same effect for no money.

So for the fools who pay big bucks for empty spectacle -- I'll give your girl Spears this, with the aptly named circus tour she proves PT Barnum right: there is a sucker born every minute.

[Hahahahahaha]

Wow, the person below is the fool. you are the mess.......thanks

[doug lominac]

she's a genius

[VtFarmboy]

I went to the show it was so disaponting. Britney lip sync'd everything. If your going to lyp sync you better bring on the dancing and she really did little ot that. She spent most of her show gyrating and grinding. If i want to see a pole dance i will pay alot less and go to a strip club and see alot more.again it was just very disapointing and iwoudlnt take my 12 year old daghter to see it.

[lauren]

us FANS, have seen her for years and we don't expect her to sing because she's BRITNEY. Has Madonna sang live lately? has BEYONCE!? C'mon give brit a break! I've been her fan since she came out and this tour is definitely far from a disappointment...

Can't wait Britney! she's really back

[Steve]

People: It's Britney Spears. Why are you expecting more? This is her last chance to savage her "career"; either way, you have to give the woman some credits for even trying to put on a show with such little talent; when you can't sing/dance, you distract the audience with lights, high volumes, and colourful clothings. And if the people in the audience are stupid enough to go and expect talent? Well, the high ticket fee is their punishment for being stupid and/or simply for having too high an expectation.

[Megan Jones]

This is the same old Britney with no talent, who thinks that the sexual gyrating and grinding and looking like a hooker is going to place her back on the map. You would have thought that having two children would have made her grow up and behave in a more classier way. She's never had talent so this is what she does best. Britney is not all the well at all and it showed in her performance. She's being pimped 24/7.

[christina]

i think her makingf a comback is awsome thing its called "therapy" hello people why cant u just let her be .... whene other people go thru it u embrace them why not brit she has a family 2 support just like all you do ....let it go move on to the next story .....

[Timothy]

I think Britney is one of the greatest artist of our time. Most of these stupid comments I totally disagree with. She's a very good artist and the charts are the proof to that. I think people judge her way to much when they should really look at themselves. From what she's been through..strong best fit the highlight. She's wonderful, very beautiful and many wish to be her, look like her, act like her and forever dream of her. Yes, she get all of your stupid little attention...why, because you love her but jealousy got you talking out of the side of your neck.

I love you Brit, great show...it's great to see you back.....
To all; Go check out her 10 year dedication in; www.theultimatelive.com

[Erin]

She doesnt sing because her dances is like running a freaking marathon. Most groups who have dance routines do not sing the entire time. Madonna, Janet, Nsync all of which have tapings so that the can stop singing when they need to or they would just be panting in the mic.

[Revanthas]

I think you're all confusing the difference between an entertainer, and a true musician. A true musician is someone who has exceptional musical skill, and we marvel at their voice, or their ability to play an instrument. Then there are others who are more entertainers than musicians, and we like them because they entertain us. Britney is an entertainer, just like Madonna, just like the Pussycat Dolls - we go see them for the whole package. Because it's a audio-visual feast for the senses. I applaud britney for having the courage to get back up off her butt and try again. You may not like her music, you may not like her personally... but the personal resolve that she developed after all the crap she went thru, to get back on the horse and try again no matter the results, is very honorable. I personally like her, and I think her marketing/management team is genius.

[Ron]

Enought of Spears, can anyone who went to the concert tell me what they thought of the Pussy Cat Dolls performance? I have their new CD and I happen to like it and I am not a young person or a dirty old man. I am from the old school of music and just like good music with a beat and good lyrics. Also not hateing on Ms. Spears

[Wondering]

The wardrobe looks like she should be at scuttlebutt men's club, does anyone actually like her singing or do they go to watch the performances she does only? Poor young girls with such a floozy being a role model for them.

[Patrick]

EPIC FAIL.

The lip syncing is utterly inexcusable. Britney neither sings live, nor dances the way she could just a few years ago, and my god isn't even performing more than THREE songs of the current album! She has two full albums' worth of unperformed material yet chooses to walk around the stage lip syncing to the "classics".

Madonna, who is TWICE Britney's age, sings live, dances up a storm and maintains a solid musical base to her concerts.

Screw this. I'm selling my ticket.

[Whitley]

Someone tell me please, if Spears had any talents when it came to singing, why would she have to dress like a whore to attract attention?

[Mark Elliot]

This comentary is interesting. I see adjectives like "floozy...hooker...sexual...whore." It looks like Britney is not the only person around with issues, and this choice of words says more about the person making the comment than her. So Britney doesn't compare to Madona...and exactly who does? How about this for an adjective "two hundred million dollars," as in, what she is worth. Not bad for someone with "no talent," as if the person making that evaluation is an expert on the subject, right? I am not really a Britney fan, but I am a fan of civility and fairness. So to those of you who feel the need to call her a whore, I am sorry your lives suck. If that was my daughter up there on stage my comment would be, "cool costumes, are you having any fun?"

[Anonyourmom]

You people can say what you want about Britney, but until you can record multi-million dollar singles and sold-out concerts across the world, sit down and shut up. Get with the times...she gives the crowd what they want...and nobody's forcing you to go to a concert so let the people who do want to watch enjoy her. Do something more collective with your time.