"I'm Like The Ringleader; I Call The Shots..."

On Wednesday, September 02, Rhiannon, Sarah, and I headed down to Miami to see The Circus: Starring Britney Spears for the second time this year. (We went to her show in March, as well, which is where the above advertisement is from.) I had read that she was "revamping" the show with new costumes, new dance routines, and adding a new song, "Mannequin", so we bought tickets.

Plus, the three of us just heart us some Britney Spears, so we would've gone even if it was the exact same show from March...

The show began with THREE opening acts... Kristinia DeBarge, One Call, and Jordin Sparks. After suffering through the first two, I really enjoyed Jordin Sparks. (I love "Battlefield" and "Tattoo"!) The opening acts finished up a little after 08:30 PM.

Then, a countdown clock appeared on the screens, telling us that The Circus would start in twenty-two minutes...

When the twenty-two minutes were up, The Big Apple Circus performed for what seemed like an eternity. I can only stand to watch acrobatics for so long without becoming extremely bored. (Couldn't they have performed during the twenty-two-minute period?)

Yes... They are amazing.

Yes... I could never do any of the stunts if my life depended on it.

However... I didn't come to see them; I came to see Britney Spears!

After they finished up, the show started. Perez Hilton, who I'm not a fan of at all, welcomed the audience in a video dressed as Queen Elizabeth. Enough said...

Here's the set list from Wednesday night, which is broken up into four main sections. I tried to find a picture from each section, so that you could see some of her outfits... Enjoy!

Act I: The Circus

• Welcome to The Circus (Video Introduction)
• "Circus"
• "Piece of Me"
• "Radar"

Act II: House of Fun (Anything Goes)

• "Ooh, Ooh, Baby"/"Hot As Ice"
• "Boys"
• "If U Seek Amy"
• "Me Against The Music" (Bollywood Remix)
• "Everytime"

Act III: Freakshow/Peepshow

• "Freakshow"
• "Get Naked (I Got a Plan)"
• "Breathe on Me"

Act IV: Electro Circ

• "Do Somethin'"
• "I'm a Slave 04 U"
• "Toxic"
• "...Baby, One More Time"

Encore: "Womanizer"

Now, it's time for my thoughts... Let me preface this by saying that I'm a HUGE fan of Britney Spears. I think that she's had some really rough times in the past, but I truly feel that she's on the mend. This "comeback" tour for her "comeback" album really proved that she is a gifted entertainer. (By the way, if you don't own 'Circus', you should. It's a fantastic album!)

Okay... Here we go...

My Thoughts:

• The fact that she lip-syncs throughout the entire show, except for "Everytime", doesn't really bother me. It's because she performs so well, and there's so much to see onstage. This is truly a show and not a concert.
  
• With 'Circus' being such a wonderful album, I was a bit disappointed that only the "singles" were performed: "Womanizer", "Circus", "If U Seek Amy", and "Radar". The album is full of other great tracks, including "Kill The Lights", "Shattered Glass", and "Unusual You".
• One of the reasons that Rhiannon, Sarah, and I wanted to see the show again was to see her perform "Mannequin", another great track off of 'Circus'. For some unknown reason, it wasn't performed...
• "Touch of My Hand" was also missing from the set list, which she did perform in March. (This didn't bother us at all because we're not fans of that song!)
• The beginning of the show is spectacular with "Circus" and "Piece of Me" being performed back-to-back. Those are two of my favorite songs, and the performances are fantastic.
• In my opinion, the show hits a bit of a lull during the Freakshow/Peepshow segment. Besides "Get Naked (I Got a Plan)", I don't care for the other songs... Luckily, once again, the performances are enough to keep you engaged.
• I'm glad that she touched upon some of her older hits, like "Me Against The Music", "I'm a Slave 04 U", and "Toxic".
• Speaking of "Me Against The Music", the Bollywood theme is fantastic!
  
• "Everytime" is performed live, and she does a wonderful job. (In March, she sat on an umbrella that floated above the stage while singing this song. On Wednesday, she told the audience that some of her stage was "down", so she stood center stage and sang. It was a neat moment because there wasn't any glitz or glam; it was just her.)

All in all, it's a terrific show that I highly recommend. If she's coming to your area, get tickets. You won't be disappointed!