5 Things We Learned About Britney Spears’ Opening Night In Las Vegas

It’s official: Britney Spears is Sin City’s newest showgirl.

On Friday night, the pop princess began her two-year residency at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. By Saturday, the Internet was abuzz with reviews, both good and bad, of her “Piece of Me” show.

Did the pop diva sing live like her reps said she would? Does Britney still have what it takes?

Here are five things that stood out to me as an audience member on opening night. Hopefully this will help you determine whether or not “Britney: Piece of Me” is worth your time – and your $59.

Britney Does Sing Live, But…: Chances are you won’t be able to hear most of it. Although Britney wears a microphone, it’s not clear how high it’s turned up, except during select ballads like “Everytime.” Even then, the music superstar seems to be singing over her backing track, which distracts from her live vocals. Like Britney’s tours in the past, the focus seems to be less about singing and more about the 32-year-old’s ability to dance and entertain.

“Piece Of Me” Is A Real Work Of Art: The entire show features amazing art direction, lighting and directing. Directed by Baz Halpin, the show’s creative team is comprised of assistant creative director Melisa Garcia, multimedia designer GEODEZIK, choreographers The Squared Division and costume designer Marco Marco. The end result is a cross between an electronic dance music concert and a Cirque du Soleil production. Prepare to be delightfully bombarded with double helixes of lasers, cascades of water and shots of indoor fireworks as well.

A Free Lap Dance From Britney: Yep. Well, sort of. Britney picks a fan out from the audience and gives them a dance on stage during an S&M inspired number. In other words, if you’re lucky and you’re into getting tied up with leather, this could be you. During the Opening Night performance I attended, the part went to volunteer Mario Lopez, presumably a friend whom Britney had playfully crawling on all fours by the end of the song, “Freakshow.”

Britney Can Still Dance! The singer is extremely well rehearsed and in tune with her choreography. Yes, not only did Britney know all her moves, she executed them with the athletic prowess of an instructor at an upscale gym. In “Me Against the Music,” Britney dons a black fedora and performs a polished and energetic dance solo.

Brit’s Big Bag Of Tracks: No doubt about it, Britney has a more extensive music catalogue than most. When I realized that Britney had included more than 20 tunes in her show, it dawned on me that the woman has been around for 15 years. Very few artists in the world would be able to boast that they have as much hit material as Britney has. This is what makes her an icon and it’s the reason why she remains relevant today.

The bottom line — the pros outweigh the cons, so get to work b**ch… and buy those tickets already!

— Genevieve Wong