I was given an opportunity to attend Brittany Spears- Circus Tour at Madison Square Garden. I am not a fan of Brittany but I do like some of her songs, especially “Slave for you”. Before I move onto Brittany let me tell you about the opening acts.
Opening acts are like a crap shoot. When they bomb they stink up the place. Kristina De Barge , yes the daughter of James DeBarge , who was Janet Jackson’s first husband strolled onto the three ring stages with comfort and belted out a melodic anthology to the crowd. Young, Eager and Talented she kept the De Barge name intact. She has a solid foundation to a lasting career, as she was infectious and charming without sending you into a diabetic coma.
Next up was One Act a quartet of four young men who started out singing accapella to prove that yes they could sing. The “Minnie Vanilli” debacle has somehow cursed all acts to prove that yes they can carry a tune. It was decent but not mind blowing. When they stopped pontificating and broke out into crisp choreography intertwined with high energy then they sold their act. Visually the only drawback was the retro 80’s style military jackets an odd throw back to The Back Street Boys. If we wanted to see retreads then we have You Tube to watch their videos. Sometimes less is more and a simple yet cohesive visual style would benefit this group to push their true potential.
The last act was Jordan Sparks whose album has been certified gold and has the most recognizable hits. She was surrounded by back up singers who fought to carry the show. It is undeniable that she has a voice but her stage presence was often overwhelmed by her cadre at times often eclipsing her. Only when she belted out the diva signature improvisation did she resurface. Her set was the longest and at times became long running. She sang a rendition of Shannon’s “Let the Music Play” which barely had enough wattage to light the stage. She did reclaim herself when singing her hits and the audience knew every word singing in unison with her.
Twenty minutes later The Circus opened with comedic clowns, dancing little people, twirling ballerina’s, flying trapeze artists and a plethora of dancers. The effect was in short well crafted with a circular screen for everyone not to miss the fireworks. A highlight of the show was the gymnast in the chair who bounced in the air effortlessly with her partner. It made you forget that she rolled onstage in a wheelchair with only the upper half of her body. Bravo Brittany!!!
Say what you will and many have Brittany has studied how to entertain and she opened with her hit “Circus”. As the ringleader in her Circus she leads you through a visual fantasy of Eastern and Western Mysteries pumping adrenalin through her talented and funky dancers. Not to be outdone she hung in there and twisted her nubile body in the air with barely a kiss lifted by a chair made from two male dancers bodies intertwined. Brittany understands that a show is to draw you in and want to become part of it.
Brittany leads her flock to dance swathed in Hindu adorned regalia and dance they did. The spotlight was on and when she wanted your eyes on her they were. If you are wondering who came to see the former Disney girl gone World Star the garden was planted with adults, children from six years and up, parents, multiple ethnicities and starry eyed fans. Say what you Brittany will has created an image and intends to continue her reign as long as she wishes. It’s nice to know that she took time out to become a mother and a person. She has indeed taken some time to smell the roses and get a little piece of life of her own away from The Circus.
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