Britney Jean Spears had a landmark first week of December. Spears arrived in Las Vegas the day after she celebrated her 32nd birthday to find thousands of fans awaiting her arrival in front of Planet Hollywood Resort to celebrate the impending opening of Britney: Piece of Me. Fans bearing greeting placards lined the steps to the casino’s entrance and spilled into the street. Acrobats sporting iconic Britney outfits such as the “…Baby One More Time” schoolgirl uniform and “Toxic” bodysuit revolved around stripper poles and climbed a metal rigging. One officer, asked if this was the response Las Vegas Metro Police had expected, responded, “Not nearly this many people,” as he surveyed the crowd with awe.
Britney was about to be back, again. Her new album, Britney Jean, had just been released that morning and would be iTunes’ No. 2 seller the next day. And judging by the turnout at Planet Hollywood Resort, the same public that watched her rise to stardom in 1999 and gradually transform from pop princess to paparazzi prey was ready to shower her with adoration all over again. Britney: Piece of Me officially debuts Dec. 27, but fans have already assured that most of the 4,500-seat showroom will be filled during the initial shows.
Britney Spears
A Shania Twain billboard van was stopped in the traffic, with Twain’s smile beaming from Las Vegas Boulevard, symbolically and spontaneously welcoming the headliner as she climbed the steps to her new home. Spears’ residency was symbolic in itself, opening the door to the inevitable next generation of entertainers who will create the shows in years to come. Under the guidance of director Baz Halpin (whose resume includes tour productions for Katy Perry, Pink, Lady Antebellum and Taylor Swift), Piece of Me brings a dance-club atmosphere into the showroom experience. Descriptions of special effects and stage design promise a 360-degree experience with dazzling sight lines in every direction. Expectations are high for costume design, but wardrobe details may be the best-kept secrets of all.
Britney’s recent road to Las Vegas included introducing Miley Cyrus at this year’s 2013 iHeartRadio Music Festival at MGM Grand and announcing her new Vegas show by descending in the desert via helicopter as 1,000 Britney-ettes watched. Her tenure as a judge on the X Factor was over, but the next (final?) stretch of her career was just beginning. Two days after her Planet Hollywood arrival, online gossip aggregator Perez Hilton was playing up that idea along with an unattributed quote that included the word “retire.” At 32, she’s got a ways to go before she has to consider that decision, but it is true that Piece of Me will have a finite number of performances—and fans will literally get to dance along with Britney like they’ve never been able to before.
Planet Hollywood Resort 9 p.m. Dec. 27-28 and 30-31, starting at $59 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster
