Ms. Spears in the T-dot

Last week, on Wednesday and Thursday, Ms. Spears hit Toronto one more time.

As a self-proclaimed Britney Spears super-fan, I was there, front row centre (ok, maybe a bit to the right) with my purse full of concert swag and memorabilia. I have been looking forward to this concert for months! With my VIP ticket in hand, all the Circus lyrics memorized, I was ready to be wowed. And I definitely was - by everyone but Britney.

The show started off with a performance by the Pussycat Dolls, which was phenomenal. They only sang a couple of numbers, but sounded stellar and danced the daylights out of that stage. After PCD, and following the Circus theme, the audience was entertained by circus performers, acrobats and contortionists. And then it was time. With the audience screaming and cheering, lights blaring, there she was. Brit brit herself. Introduced by Perez Hilton in "Elizabeth" drag on the large screens, announcing the return of Ms. Spears. After the initial wow factor of "Omigod she's actually here!" the audience seemed to quiet down and watch the long awaited performance.

She was on stage for about 90 minutes, performing everything from new Circus tracks, to the ever-famous 'Hit Me Baby One More Time.' Her dancers were unreal! Accompanied by the occasional circus performer as well, the overall performance was definitely worth every penny!

Britney however, pranced and strutted on the Circus-like stage, occasionally hitting her marks. She knew the choreography, that's for sure, but she lacked the drive, effort and excitement to make this performance unforgettable. After a solid 90 minute performance, there wasn't a drop of sweat to be seen on her. And I was sitting damn close.

We all know she doesn't sing on stage, but before she seemed to have an excuse. She was always known for fierce choreography, skilled dance routines and was thought of as an 'entertainer.' This time, the sweaty, heavy-breathing-snake-carrying Britney didn't show up for the concert. Instead, the audience got to watch her change her outfit at least 12 times, wave her arms here and there, toss her hair around and the occasional high kick.

I saw her a number of years ago when the Onyx Hotel Tour came to Toronto and that's when I fell in love with her as an entertainer and a performer. Circus, however, did not compare to that performance.

I'm still a huge fan - I wore my concert T-shirt proudly to work on casual Friday. But to say that this is definitely her big comeback is a bit of a stretch.