The Circus Starring: Britney Spears

The Circus Starring: Britney Spears is the seventh concert tour by Britney Spears to support her fifth and sixth studio albums, Blackout and Circus. It is also expected to reach Australia and Asia later in the year.

Shortly after the New York radio station Z100 premiered her new song, "Womanizer", Spears made a surprise appearance on the show and announced she would be going on a worldwide tour in spring of 2009 to support the album. The tour was officially announced on December 2, 2008 to coincide with the album's release. Wade Robson and his wife Amanda were going to direct and write the tour, but decided not to in order to focus on one of their own projects. Rehearsals for the tour began in January 2009, in preparation for a March kick off. So far, the tour has sold over 1,000,000 tickets and all the London dates on the European leg have sold out. As the tour approached commencement, it was revealed that gossip blogger, Perez Hilton, appears in a video to be shown during the opening of the show.

Additionally, magician, Ed Alonzo joins Spears on stage during a magic act. He commented about working with Spears, “She does all the classic elements of magic. Britney loves magic and really enjoys doing it. She dances so hard in the show, she gets a little break when I saw her in half or transport her from one place to end up in another. She looks incredibly toned and in fantastic shape. She has to dance really hard with all the dance crew kind of moves with hip-hop and tumbling. She works her tail off.”

Tour promoter AEG Live's president John Meglen spoke with the Las Vegas Sun about the tour, "It is one of the biggest and best-selling tours of the decade. Response and reaction has been phenomenal worldwide, and this weekend date at MGM is the highest ticket-selling gross so far. European fans cannot wait for her to get there, and in many, many venues, the tickets have been sold out instantly, and we’ve had to juggle dates to add more shows to meet the demand."

The Las Vegas Deluxe reported that "the stage alone costs $10 million to build as an intricate jigsaw puzzle, and it costs $6 million a week just to keep the tour running with its road staff of 220 -- plus the cast of circus performers! The stage gear, including sex swings, love couches, unicycles, stripper poles, a gold cage and giant picture frames, travels in some 3,000 rolling cases packed into 32 semis -- plus wardrobe for Britney and the onstage performers."

The traveling staff for the tour consists of over 200 people, 50 of them being dancers, magicians, clowns and acrobats, and 6 full-time wardrobe staff to keep the 350 costumes in order. Additionally the entire wardrobe includes around $150,000 worth of Swaroski crystals. 150 technical crew are used each night to set up the staging, lighting, rigging and special effects, and it takes approximately 12 hours to build the entire set for each show. 34 trucks are used to transport the 60 tons of equipment. In addition, the budget of the tour was revealed to be of US$ 50 million.

About The Show

The show begins with a video introduction featuring Perez Hilton parodying Queen Elizabeth I. Spears appears in the video from behind a curtain and shoots him with a crossbow. As the video ends, the curtain goes up and she descends on a suspended platform, dressed in ringleader attire, to perform "Circus". At the conclusion of the song, she enters a golden cage, where she performs "Piece of Me", dancing and attempting to escape from her dancers. A brief interlude follows, featuring a performance by acrobats simulating a thunderstorm, before Spears goes into "Radar" which features her pole dancing. Spears performing "Boys" during the second act of the show.

A video interlude follows, showcasing a martial arts inspired dance to the LAZRtag remix of "Gimme More". Spears returns to the stage playing a magician's assistant and performs "Ooh Ooh Baby" dressed in a glittery dress, as she is sawed in half and escapes from a box, only to reappear on the other end of the stage, performing "Hot as Ice" in a different outfit. Dressed in military clothes, she performs the Co-Ed remix of "Boys", riding on the back of a bicycle. She performs a military drill before moving into "If U Seek Amy". Spears continues the act with a Bollywood-inspired remix of "Me Against the Music". Spears is then lifted into the air on a giant umbrella to perform "Everytime".

The show continues with a video interlude featuring Marilyn Manson's cover of "Sweet Dreams", showing Spears at a party, in which everyone except her are wearing masks. A distorted voice welcomes spectators to the freak show and Spears appears onstage to perform "Freakshow" with her dancers, all of them representing different rarities. She then moves onto "Get Naked (I Got a Plan)", which features the dancers taking their clothes off as the song moves forward. A video spoofing late-night chat lines features "Britney's Hotline", while clowns take a person from the audience and goof around with them before she performs a medley of "Breathe on Me" to the person taken from the audience, and "Touch of My Hand", blind-folded for most of the song; she is lifted into the air by two aerialists supporting her on the back of their legs.

Near the conclusion of the show, there is a band interlude, and Spears returns on stage to perform "Do Somethin'" and a remix of "I'm a Slave 4 U", in which she's raised on a platform as a ring of fire starts below her. After "Heartbeat", a dancers interlude, Spears appears on the stage to perform "Toxic" and a remix of "…Baby One More Time".

The encore begins with the "Break the Ice" video interlude, which includes various clips of Spears' past music videos. Spears returns for a performance of "Womanizer" dressed as a policewoman. At the end of the song, Spears and her dancers gather on the center stage as a wall of fireworks (similar to her "Circus" video) surrounds them. Spears and her dancers then bow to each side of the arena, before they head to the left side stage. They then dance quickly around the small side stage before leaving the arena.

Opening Acts

Pussycat Dolls (North America)

Set List:

- "Don't Cha" (features sample of "Show Me Love" by Robin S.)
-"Beep"
- "I Don't Need a Man" (Rock Remix)
-"I Hate This Part" (Dave Aude Dance Hybrid Mix)
-"Buttons" (Dave Aude Button Fly Hybrid Mix)
-"Whatcha Think About That"
- "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)"
- "Stickwitu"
-"When I Grow Up" (Video Version)

Additional Notes:

The Pussycat Dolls used this tour as the North American leg of their World Domination Tour.
On March 11, 2009 "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" was added to the set list and they also re-arranged some of the songs.
On March 23, 2009 The Pussycat Dolls did not perform due to Nicole being sick.
On May 5, 2009 Girlicious performed instead of The Pussycat Dolls. Their final official show of this tour was May 3, 2009.

Big Apple Circus (North America, Europe)

15 Minute Performance right before Britney gets on stage. Certain members also join her later on during the show.

Girlicious (North America) For May 5 only.

Set List

-Intro Mix
-"Baby Doll"
- "I.O.U.1"
-"Do About It"
-"Save The World"
- "My Boo"
-"Still In Love"
- "Stupid Shit"
-"Liar Liar"
-"Like Me"

Ciara (Europe)

Set List:

-"Go Girl" Intro
-"High Price"
- "I'm On"
-"Like a Boy"
-"Goodies"
-"Love Sex Magic"
-"Get Up"
- Medley: "Takin' Back My Love"/ "Lose Control"
- "1, 2 Step"
- "Work"

Set List:

Act 1: Circus

Welcome to the Circus (Video Introduction)
-"Circus" (Funky Remix)
-"Piece of Me"
Thunderstorm (Performance Interlude)
-"Radar"

Act 2: House of Fun (Anything Goes)

Martial Arts (Performance Interlude featuring Gimme More LAZRtag Remix)
-"Ooh Ooh Baby"/"Hot as Ice" (Medley)
-"Boys" (The Co-Ed Remix)/Boot Camp Drill
-"If U Seek Amy"
-"Me Against the Music" (Bollywood Remix)
-"Everytime"
-"I'm Scared" (Duffy cover) 1

Act 3: Freakshow/Peepshow

Everybody's Looking for Something - Video Interlude (featuring "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)")
-"Freakshow"
-"Get Naked (I Got A Plan)"
-"Mannequin" 2
Britney's Hotline (Performance Interlude containing elements of "Breathe on Me," "Boys" and "I'm a Slave 4 U")
-"Breathe on Me"/"Touch of My Hand" (Medley)

Act 4: Electro Circ

Band Jam Segue (Performance Interlude)
-"Do Somethin'"
-"I'm A Slave 4 U" (Remix)
Heartbeat (Dance Interlude featuring "Lollipop," "American Boy," "Don't Stop the Music," "Closer" and other songs)
-"Toxic"
-"...Baby One More Time" (Remix)

Encore

Break The Ice (Video Interlude containing elements of "Run the Show," "Gimme More," and "I'm A Slave 4 U")
-"Womanizer" (Extended Remix)

1 Performed at the New Orleans Arena only.
2 Added on the July 5th show in Paris.

Tour Dates

North America (61 shows), click link for more:

*2009-03-03 NEW ORLEANS, LA New Orleans Arena
*2009-03-05 ATLANTA, GA Philips Arena
*2009-03-07 MIAMI, FL AmericanAirlines Arena
*2009-03-08 TAMPA, FL St. Pete Times Forum
*2009-03-11 UNIONDALE, NY Nassau Coliseum
*2009-03-13 NEWARK, NJ Prudential Center
*2009-03-14 NEWARK, NJ Prudential Center
*2009-03-16 BOSTON, MA TD Banknorth Garden
*2009-03-18 TORONTO ON Air Canada Centre
*2009-03-19 TORONTO ON Air Canada Centre
*2009-03-20 MONTREAL QC Bell Centre
*2009-03-23 UNIONDALE, NY Nassau Coliseum
*2009-03-24 WASHINGTON, DC Verizon Center
*2009-03-27 PITTSBURGH, PA Mellon Arena
*2009-03-30 HOUSTON, TX Toyota Center
*2009-03-31 DALLAS, TX American Airlines Center
*2009-04-02 KANSAS CITY, MO Sprint Center
*2009-04-03 MINNEAPOLIS, MN Target Center
*2009-04-06 EDMONTON AB Rexall Place
*2009-04-08 VANCOUVER BC GM Place
*2009-04-09 TACOMA, WA Tacoma Dome
*2009-04-11 SACRAMENTO, CA ARCO Arena
*2009-04-12 SAN JOSE, CA HP Pavilion
*2009-04-14 SALT LAKE CITY, UT EnergySolutions
*2009-04-16 LOS ANGELES, CA Staples Center
*2009-04-17 LOS ANGELES, CA Staples Center
*2009-04-19 ANAHEIM, CA The Honda Center
*2009-04-20 ANAHEIM, CA The Honda Center
*2009-04-22 OAKLAND, CA Oracle Arena
*2009-04-24 PHOENIX , AZ Jobing.com Arena
*2009-04-25 LAS VEGAS, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena
*2009-04-28 CHICAGO, IL Allstate Arena
*2009-04-29 CHICAGO, IL Allstate Arena
*2009-04-30 COLUMBUS, OH Schottenstein Center
*2009-05-02 UNCASVILLE, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
*2009-05-03 UNCASVILLE, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
*2009-05-05 MONTREAL QC Bell Centre
2009-08-20 HAMILTON ON, Copps Coliseum
2009-08-21 OTTAWA ON, Scotiabank Place
2009-08-24 NEW YORK NY, MSG
2009-08-25 NEW YORK NY, MSG
2009-08-26 NEW YORK NY, MSG
2009-08-29 BOSTON MA, TD Banknorth Garden
2009-08-30 PHILADELPHIA PA, Wachovia Center
2009-09-01 ORLANDO FL, Amway Arena
2009-09-02 MIAMI FL, AA Arena
2009-09-04 ATLANTA GA, Philips Arena
2009-09-05 GREENSBORO NC, Coliseum
2009-09-08 DETROIT MI, The Palace of Auburn Hills
2009-09-09 CHICAGO IL, Allstate Center
2009-09-11 DES MOINES IA, Wells Fargo Arena
2009-09-12 GRAND FORKS IA, Alerus Center
2009-09-15 TULSA OK, BOK Center
2009-09-16 HOUSTON TX, Toyota Center
2009-09-18 DALLAS TX, American Airlines Center
2009-09-19 BOSSIER CITY LA, CenturyTel Center
2009-09-21 EL PASO TX, Don Haskins Center
2009-09-23 LOS ANGELES CA, Staples Center
2009-09-24 SAN DIEGO CA, San Diego Sports Arena
2009-09-26 LAS VEGAS NV, Mandalay Bay
2009-09-27 LAS VEGAS NV, Mandalay Bay

North America Postponed Dates: The March 26 show in Uncasville, CT was postponed to May 3, 2009, due to there not being enough time to transfer the staging equipment from the previous city.

Europe (22 shows), click link for more:

*2009-06-03 LONDON UNITED KINGDOM, O2
*2009-06-04 LONDON UNITED KINGDOM, O2
*2009-06-06 LONDON UNITED KINGDOM, O2
*2009-06-07 LONDON UNITED KINGDOM, O2
*2009-06-10 LONDON UNITED KINGDOM, O2
*2009-06-11 LONDON UNITED KINGDOM, O2
*2009-06-13 LONDON UNITED KINGDOM, O2
*2009-06-14 LONDON UNITED KINGDOM, O2
*2009-06-17 MANCHESTER UNITED KINGDOM, Manchester Evening News Arena
*2009-06-19 DUBLIN IRELAND, O2
*2009-06-20 DUBLIN IRELAND, O2
*2009-07-04 - PARIS FRANCE, Bercy
*2009-07-05 - PARIS FRANCE, Bercy
*2009-07-06 - PARIS FRANCE, Bercy
*2009-07-09 - ANTWERP BELGIUM, Sportpalais
*2009-07-11 - COPENHAGEN DENMARK, Parken
*2009-07-13 - STOCKHOLM SWEDEN, Globen
*2009-07-14 - STOCKHOLM SWEDEN, Globen
*2009-07-16 - HELSINKI FINLAND, Hartwell Arena
*2009-07-19 - ST. PETERSBURG RUSSIA, SKK
*2009-07-21 - MOSCOW RUSSIA, Olimpiiski
2009-07-24 - WARSAW POLAND, TWKS (CANCELED)
2009-07-26 - BERLIN GERMANY, O2 World

Australia (6 shows), click link for more:

2009-11-06 - PERTH AUSTRALIA, Perth Burswood Dome
2009-11-11 - MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA, Rod Laver Arena
2009-11-12 - MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA, Rod Laver Arena
2009-11-19 - SYDNEY AUSTRALIA, Acer Arena
2009-11-20 - SYDNEY AUSTRALIA, Acer Arena
2009-11-24 - PERTH AUSTRALIA, Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Critical Reception

The tour has been received well, and with high praise from most critics, although some pointing out the concert was mainly lip-synced. Many declared that Britney Spears has officially come back with a vengeance.

TV Guide applauded her debut in New Orleans, "The show marked a triumphant return to the spotlight for the 27-year-old, whose personal troubles in the past five years have included a nasty custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline and her psychiatric hospitalizations."

Billboard was very happy with the show, saying this is her comeback show and said "The 'Circus' tour was another strong step in the right direction. Spears didn't interact much with the crowd - the only thing she uttered to the audience was "Thank you, New Orleans" at the end of the nearly two-hour show - and appeared at times to be lip-synching. But fans didn't seem to care, screaming wildly at the first sight of Spears, who descended from the ceiling on hoops suspended by wires, wearing a short red and black ringmaster ensemble." and "Acrobats twirled from suspended fabric as Spears sang and danced, showing off her toned body with flirty, seductive moves."

TMZ, who has often been one of Britney's harshest critics even praised her return to the stage, "Sure, she lip-synched it, but that's nothing new -- and judging from the opening night of her Resurrection of Britney tour, it's safe to say Brit's back with a vengeance...it's actually pretty breathtaking ... in a positive way. Think back one year when her career was not only written off as over, but she was almost given up for dead. We're told she felt "at home" on stage in New Orleans last night and was beyond happy to be there. The only thing going crazy now ... is the crowd."

The Los Angeles Times was less impressed with the performance stating: "Her singing was dominated by a backing track. Her moves were nothing special -- defined by much strutting and stripper-like shimmying, with the minimum amount of acrobatics to prove her mettle as a dance-pop queen. Her physical form, still beautiful, didn't take one's breath away the way it did when she was 17."

People magazine wrote that Spears "never really hit her old stride", and that "there was a lot more strutting than real choreographic feats from Spears." The magazine also reported that there was a "lack of joy in her performance, which felt labored at times", and that a miscue occurred after Spears didn't join two backup singers for a rendition of Duffy's I'm Scared.

MTV praised Spears's performance saying, "[It's a] big, huge, loud, funny, nonsensical three-ring affair... She looks great in her myriad of outfits, and she can still move with the best of them."

New York Post said, "...[Britney fans] want lavish productions, insane choreography and spectacle, spectacle, spectacle! Well, that's exactly what they were given. All in all, it seemed like the kick off was a resounding success."

Additional Notes

-During the show at the New Orleans Arena, Spears performed a cover of Duffy's "I'm Scared", after "Everytime". It was only performed at the New Orleans show.

-After finishing her performance of "I'm a Slave 4 U" at the March 8th Tampa, Florida show, Britney didn't realize her microphone was still on, and shouted: "My pussy is hanging out", which was clearly heard throughout the audience. The incident has received notable attention from many blogs, and has received thousands of views on YouTube.

-The Pussycat Dolls didn't perform at the March 23rd show in Uniondale, New York, due to Nicole Scherzinger's illness.

-Two of the crew members on the tour, Rockey Lee Dickey Jr. and Alex Montes, were arrested for aggravated assault on March 26, 2009.

-Spears has made several alterations and changes in her costumes. After Britney's first show in Newark, New Jersey, the gold metal corset she wore for "Do Somethin'" and "I'm a Slave 4 U" was replaced by the original black valor suit used during tour rehearsals. The costume was somewhat uncomfortable and was a reason for the "wardrobe malfunction" at the Tampa show. It was then modified at the Sacramento show to include crystals on the front. She also replaced the black outfit she wore for "Toxic" and "...Baby One More Time" for a striped top after the New Orleans show. The costume used during "Freakshow" and "Get Naked (I Got A Plan)" was also changed for the Sacramento show. The mid-section was removed, exposing Spears' stomach, the black swirl spots over her breasts were removed and replaced with the same color as the rest of the outfit, a purple bow was added to her back, and a purple tie to the front. On April 15, 2009 Spears announced new costumes for the Los Angeles show.

-As the tour has progressed, dance breaks have been added to "...Baby One More Time", "Toxic", and "Womanizer". Initially during "I'm A Slave 4 U", Spears was lifted by a rising surface while fire appeared from the stage, thus creating a "Ring of Fire". However some arenas haven't allowed this part of the show due to fire hazards. Instead Spears dances on the floor.

-During her performance in Vancouver, Spears halted the concert after "Radar" claiming that the arena was too smokey due to spectators smoking marijuana and cigarettes. An announcement was made for all spectators to extinguish any smoking-related items. Afterward, Spears continued the show.

-During the May 2nd show in Uncasville, a fan managed to climb onto the stage during "Womanizer" and run up to Britney, startling her. He was quickly removed by several dancers. At first Britney stopped singing and dancing, but after a few seconds resumed.

- For the European leg of the tour, "Piece of Me", "Radar", "Ooh Ooh Baby", "Do Somethin'", "I'm a Slave 4 U", "...Baby One More Time", and "Womanizer" were remixed.

-At the June 17th show in Manchester, an instrumental version of "Circus" played as Britney descended to the stage after the opening video.

- "Mannequin" was added to the tour's setlist on July 5, 2009 for the second show in Paris.

Costume Alternations

-At several points during the tour, alterations have been made to the outfits that Britney wears including:

-After opening night, she replaced the sparkled bra top she wore for "Toxic" and "…Baby One More Time" with a striped top cut off t-shirt.

-The top of the Bollywood outfit that Britney wears for "Me Against The Music" and "Everytime" was altered to be less revealing, and the green pants were changed to light blue.

-At Britney's second show in New Jersey, the gold metal corset she wore for "Do Somethin'" and "I'm a Slave 4 U" was replaced by the original black valor suit used during tour rehearsals due to the "wardrobe malfunction" that occurred at the Tampa show. It was then modified at the Sacramento show to include crystals on the front.

-At the Kansas City show on April 2, Britney wore a short blonde wig during "Do Somethin'", "I'm A Slave 4 U", "Toxic" and "...Baby One More Time"

-Also at the Sacramento show, the outfit for "Freakshow" and "Get Naked (I Got A Plan)" was altered. The mid-section was removed exposing Spears' mid-section, the black swirls around her breasts were removed and the top is now the same color as the rest of the outfit. A purple bow was added to the back, and she now wears a purple tie.

-At the Oakland show Britney wore the "B" police officer hat during "Toxic" and "...Baby One More Time" in addition to the normal performance of "Womanizer".

-At the Anaheim show, Britney added a belt over her mid-section while performing "Radar".

-At the Las Vegas show, crystals were added to her dress for "Ooh Ooh Baby".

-At the Columbus show, the matching tight shirt/pant combo "Breathe On Me"/"Touch Of My Hand" was changed. There was no shirt, only the bra.

-Also at the Columbus show, the sparkling pants for "Toxic" and "...Baby One More Time" were replaced by black hot shorts and fishnet stockings. To celebrate the final show of the North American leg, the male dancers pranked Britney by coming on stage wearing only pink boxer-briefs that said 'True Britney' on the elastic bands during "Boys" and "If U Seek Amy" in Montreal.

-At a few shows, Britney wore a black wig during most of the show's third act.

-For the European Leg, many outfits were changed:

- At the July 6th show in Paris, the white and blue striped top for "Toxic" and "...Baby One More Time" was replaced by a pink, purple, and white striped bra.

Personnel

Tour director: Jamie King
Musical director: Simon Ellis
Choreographers: JaQuel Knight, Tony Testa, Dreya Weber, Rujuta Vaidya
Dancers: Jose Omar, Willie Gomez, J-Boogie, Chase Benz, Jia Huang, Laura Edwards, George Jones JR, Luke Broadlick, JP San Pedro
Managers: Larry Rudolph, Adam Leber
Costume design: Dsquared2, The Blonds, David Alexander
Stylist: William Baker
Tour promoter: AEG Live
Tour Sponsor: Virgin Mobile



Source: Wikipedia