Songstress kicks off world tour extravaganza in New Orleans
By Matthew B. Zeidman
NEW ORLEANS (RushPRnews/Hollywood Today) 3/5/09 – Britney Spears kicked off her long-awaited Circus tour in her home state of Louisiana on Tuesday night. The “Baby One More Time†singer and frequent tabloid focus appeared at the 19,000-seat New Orleans Arena, less than two hours from her home town of Kentwood, La.
Spears, now 27, had been scheduled to perform at the venue during the summer of 2004 as part of her Onyx Hotel Tour, but had to cancel her appearance there, along with three-dozen other North American tour dates, when she injured her knee while filming a music video.
Featured during Tuesday’s event were celebrity blogger Perez Hilton in a prerecorded opening segment and a live appearance by illusionist Ed Alonzo, best known in Hollywood circles for his portrayal of friendly diner owner Max on 90s sitcom “Saved by the Bell.â€
The tour, officially titled “The Circus Starring Britney Spears,†is Spears’ first worldwide tour since her 2004 outing. It is significantly scaled back, with only 45 stops in total, as compared to the Onyx Hotel Tour’s originally scheduled 91.
Hollywood Today