The events (and non-events) that punctuate Britney Spears' long relationship with Las Vegas present themselves like a microcosm of her adult life as a whole, and that's to say constitute a history that is nothing if not checkered and, by turns, downright confusing.
It all started out as an entirely social affair, with the usual celebrity-partying stuff, although taken to suitably Britneyesque dimensions, of course, with the notorious 55-hour marriage fiasco in January 2004, but it wasn't until a couple of years later, toward the end of 2006, that a Sin City residency for Ms Spears was first mooted. Palms founder George Maloof was considered the most likely host for such a phenomenon, given his close personal relationship with the singer and on-the-record open invitation for her to appear in the property's then-new 2,500-seat showroom, The Pearl.
Her next appearance was to emcee the New Year's Eve countdown to midnight at Pure nightclub in Caesars Palace, an event from which she had to be carried out due to intoxication or fatigue, depending on whose account you choose to read. The incident apparently did nothing to dampen demand for her presence, however, and the following year Britney Spears was reportedly paid $250,000* just to show up for the opening of LAX, the new club at Luxor. She honored her contract to the very minimum of its requirements, saying virtually nothing and removing her physical presence from the scene as soon as the mandatory 90 minutes was up. (*That was down from the $300,000 fee that she allegedly bagged for the Pure engagement, perhaps a reaction to her unfortunate exit.)
In May 2008, the whole Palms-residency red herring reared its head once again, with a U.K. entertainment publication citing a mix of tabloid stories, unsourced quotes, and a sighting of Ms Spears and Mr Maloof dining together in L.A. as evidence. The piece even ventured to put some numbers on the story, stating that a figure in the region of $10 million was under negotiation.
Yet another rumor circulated later that fall that Brit would be testing the waters by hosting the Palms' New Year's bash, but nothing came of that and by October Kid Rock had been confirmed for the gig, although Brit did manage a concert at MGM Grand in early December as part of her North American tour that year.
Fast forward to March 2011, and there must have been something in the air that month, because first Lady Gaga wowed the crowd at LGBT nightclub Krave with a surprise performance, then just four days later Britney Spears performed two free shows inside Rain at the Palms. For the first time, George Maloof appeared to back off from his former enthusiasm for a residency, stating that a headlining gig at his property had been discussed and would make sense "someday, maybe."
We have to give full marks to the tenacity of the Britney rumor mill in managing to sustain momentum for so long, because in April 2011 Robin Leach broke the story that she was now allegedly in talks with the Hard Rock, while in January 2013 TMZ announced that Spears was in "serious talks" about moving to Las Vegas to headline a "Celine-type" show at a Caesars Entertainment property.
You can't blame us for having grown a little jaded by this juncture, but our "believe-it-when-we-see-it" attitude turned out to be wildly over-cynical when, last April, this last story was "unofficially" officially confirmed, as it were, by scoopmaster Leach. It took another five months before the "official" official announcement was made on "Good Morning America," sealed with a bizarre $100,000 PR stunt (more than $4,000 was spent on tents and $27,000 on buses to transport the faithful to the middle of nowhere) in which a somewhat bemused and disoriented-looking singer, sporting huge sunglasses in spite of the fact that it was pitch dark, was briefly helicoptered into the Las Vegas desert (and apparently barfed during the flight), where she confirmed the news before leaving (via terra firma and in an Escalade, it was noted) almost as suddenly and strangely as she'd arrived.
As to the facts and figures, there's been much discrepancy about how many actual shows she's due to perform, but using our superhuman powers of deduction, and the fact that the consistently reported $30 million payday for Ms Spears that this contract includes, accumulated at the rate of $310,000/show, would tally with those accounts reporting the "parachuter-style" residency (she has not relocated to Las Vegas for the duration) will comprise 98 gigs across a two-year window.
After literally years of anticipation, Britney: Piece of Me finally got underway last December 27, with reviews documenting a show that's as characteristically inconsistent as pretty much everything else the former child star does (at least she's consistent in that). As Rolling Stone put it, "Viewed through a lens of diminished expectations (Britney's bar for success was reset in 2007 after her well-publicized breakdown), Britney: Piece of Me is an entertaining tour through the 32-year-old star's nearly 15-year recording career. Compared to pop spectacles staged by Madonna and Beyoncé (and even Katy Perry, who was in attendance for Spears' opening night along with Miley Cyrus), however, the weaknesses that remain in Spears' live act are stark."
Before it even opened, still more rumors abounded, this time that Brit would be lip-syncing for the entire performance, much to the consternation of some. Others expressed relief, having previously heard what the results of her attempting to sing live might actually sound like, especially while holding it together with some complex choreography and aerial acrobatics (Britney is no Pink). It's not just the concept of vocalizing the words to all her hits, while simultaneously doing all the actions, that's proven to be too much for the star; apparently, during one February performance, she completely forgot even to lip-sync during "Alien." On the other hand, when she experienced a serious wardrobe malfunction during the Dec. 30 show, Britney carried on like a pro (perhaps she didn't notice). The former teen idol has even be accused of painting on fake abs!
In its review of the opening night, the LA Times reported sadly that, "For a few tantalizing moments Friday night, Spears -- the one-time teen-pop queen who’s spent much of the last few years inching back from the brink -- seemed ready to reclaim her once-vivid form. Then the bubble burst." Rolling Stone offered a similar take, describing how the "approximately 90-minute performance featured a strong corps of backup dancers, a four-piece live band pounding out classic and grimier, darker versions of Spears' hits and Britney in a variety of sparkly and skin-baring outfits strutting across the stage...[in a show that] features flashes of greatness." What more could any Britney fan could desire, we ask?
The flaws, apparently, are too glaring for anyone but a diehard to overlook, however, and include flat, even melancholic moments, with a number of lackluster attempts at recreating the spectacle of some of her more extravagant videos. In reference to one song, RS observed how the singer "seemed truly frightened," while a bondage-themed rendition of "Freakshow" was described as being "stunningly sex-less and unprovocative."
Even Anthony Curtis, who characteristically tends to emphasize the positive, commented in his official review for the LVA newsletter that "Britney looked somewhat stiff as a dancer (and just plain scared stiff in an aerial sequence) and her earliest hits, "[Hit Me] … Baby One More Time" and "Oops! … I Did it Again" are given short shrift." However, he concludes that overall "this show is pretty kick-ass" and that "as with any star with Britney's longevity, the list of hits is long … and even for casual Brit followers, eminently recognizable. The lighting, staging, and choreography are gonzo, and the crazy-devoted fans amp up the energy level (count on spending 80 minutes or more of the 90-minute show on your feet)." Fair enough. And, starting at $71.11 (including taxes and fees), ticket prices are a relative bargain for a show of this magnitude.
So, getting to the nub of your question, how's it doing? The answer, if last month's official statements are to be believed, is remarkably well. According to reports in USA Today and other sources, all 16 of the first performances, through February 22, were sold out -- a fact less surprising when it's considered that the more intimate Axis venue (formerly Theater for the Performing Arts) at Planet Hollywood, holds only 4,600 (less than half the size of the average tour-stop venue -- MGM Grand Garden Arena seats 16,800 people). Thanks to the 72,000 tickets sold to date, the show has already grossed $10.9 million, and the fact that the dates are limited and sporadic should encourage the pop diva's fans to plan trips around the concert schedule and keep the demand for tickets up.
Piece of Me is already the third highest-selling Las Vegas residency ever, behind Celine (who opened in 2011) and Elton (whose Red Piano debuted at Caesars in 2004) and she's been outselling them both, as she has Shania and Rod. Britney's next set of dates kicks off April 25, with concerts announced through September 6 and, according to Ticketmaster, tickets area already getting close to sold out, especially in the lower-priced tiers, so hurry up and book if you don't want to miss out. While the shows in general appear to be silencing (or at least quieting) the critics and pleasing her fans, it's considered unlikely that Brit will want to prolong this grueling schedule of workouts and performances, and she's conscious of not wanting to disrupt her kids' schooling (one of the principal reasons why she didn't move to Sin City for the duration). Hence, once these 98 dates are done, we figure that'll be it, folks.
For some song highlights (and low points...) check out all the video links in the Rolling Stone review, while the U.K.'s Daily Mirror tabloid has some great shots from opening nights, including of the star-studded audience.
