Britney Spears Picture 5257719

Pic caption: Britney Spears. performing at the New Orleans Arena on the opening night of 'The Circus: Starring Britney Spears Tour'. New Orleans, Louisiana - 03.03.09. . * SPEARS SHINES AT THE CIRCUS. BRITNEY SPEARS delighted fans with her comeback concert in New Orleans, Louisiana on Tuesday night (03Mar09) - putting her past problems behind her to stage a spectacular Circus-themed show.. The pop star kicked off the night at the city's New Orleans Arena by descending from the ceiling on a circular trapeze, singing her recent track Circus, which provided the inspiration for the stunt-filled extravaganza.. Spears straddled a stripper pole to sing Radar while her 2007 hit Gimme More was given a martial arts theme, with the star performing alongside a troupe of dancing ninjas. Her collaboration with Madonna, Me Against the Music, was restyled with a Bollywood routine.. The star added some magical twists with a series of stunning illusions - the audience saw the star placed in a box and 'cut in half' during her rendition of Ooh Ooh Baby - and over 25 costume changes.. The singer stopped during the gig to pay tribute to her fans, telling the crowd, Thank you New Orleans for coming out tonight, I love you.. The star ended the gig with a remix of her debut single Baby... One More Time, before returning to the stage dressed as a cop for her recent hit Womanizer and a reprise of Circus.. Spears' show marks a triumphant return to form following a traumatic year which saw her stripped of custody of her two children and hospitalised under a mental health order.. The performance is Spears' first arena concert since her Onyx Hotel Tour in 2004. Spears' Circus tour will take in over 40 dates and conclude in London on 14 June (09). (LR/WN/LR)