"Anything, I mean anything, can happen," she announced at the beginning of her show, before vanishing through a trap door for the first of many costume changes. The statement was absurd in that, barring an act of God, nothing unexpected happens at a highly rehearsed Spears concert. But it also revealed where Spears is positioned at this volatile point in her career -- not even the mistress of premeditation can say with certainty what's going to happen next. 

At 20, she's at a career turning point, trying to draw an older audience without alienating her lucrative young fan base. It's a delicate balancing act, 

and her Oakland concert showed Spears wants to have it both ways. Unsure of how to proceed, she's keeping one foot in teen stardom while the other tests the waters of adult divadom. 

DeMille might have conceived in the throes of an apocalyptic fever-dream. As flames exploded and video screens played a pastiche of cyber-new age images, Spears rose from the stage strapped to a whirling metal slab, looking like a gorgeous Frankenstein monster in a sexy Goth ensemble as she sang a heavy, dense remix of "Oops! . . . I Did It Again." 

Her eight dancers whirled, her five-piece band rocked, her two backup singers wailed, the prerecorded soundtrack boomed and the sold-out arena launched into a wave of screaming that continued the length of the 90-minute set. The star prowled an enormous three-tiered stage that extended the length of the venue, looking winsomely wicked. It was pure Britney excess, and it was hugely entertaining. 

While it's all too easy to deride Spears' contrivances from a distance, in person there's no denying her charisma or her archetypal appeal. She's like a refugee from David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive," a gleaming dream cipher waiting to be filled with an audience's fantasies. And she works that role with flawless professionalism, punctuating her choreographed moves with an amiable accessibility that drew fans into her airtight world even as it kept them at a safe distance. In short, she connected -- through smiles, giggles and what seemed to be genuine pleasure in performing. 

Spears' onstage ease helped carry her through a show that boasted as many variations on virgin-whore, child-adult dichotomies as it did costume changes. For "Unprotected," Spears gyrated in a skintight silver body suit as confetti showered around her; in the next song, "Born to Make You Happy," she rose from a giant music box dressed as a ballerina in fairy-tale white -- then tore the tutu off to prowl the stage in a slinky, Betty Grable-style bathing suit. 

The sexy jungle-green ensemble worn for "I'm a Slave 4 U" (primal Britney!) starkly contrasted with the patchy denim skirt and coloring-book backdrops for a wide-eyed version of "Anticipating" (baby Britney!). Spears tried some dirty dancing in the urban-lite "Boys" before settling on a piano bench to announce, "My life is so much bigger than me right now." She followed with a snippet from a new, decidedly R&B-flavored song before sliding into the syrupy hit "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman." 

One outfit later, she was playing a savvy street chick in hipbone-baring bell bottoms for her cover of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll." In a playful theatrical touch, she bungee-jumped from an elevated platform. For her blowout encore of ". . . Baby, One More Time," she swung from a trapeze and became a literal wet dream as she strolled through a waterfall -- one of the most sophisticated effects to ever grace a concert stage -- wearing a transparent cowboy hat. 

At times she was obviously lip-synching, and her stage patter was as rehearsed as her musical numbers. What does it matter? Spears has never claimed to be an artist, only an entertainer; and her stage show has no more room for improvisation than a Broadway musical. (For those in the audience -- parents, perhaps -- who prefer the opposite performance approach, opener Nikka Costa turned in a growling, funky set that included her debut album's title song, "Everybody Got Their Something.") 

The night's most telling moment came with Spears' second song, "(You Drive Me) Crazy." As her dancers swirled around her, holding up a series of jagged mirrors, the pop princess feigned a mix of confusion and fascination as she watched her reflection flashing past in multiple shapes and angles. Surrounded by myriad conflicting images of herself, all dressed up but unsure where to go, 

she simply chose to keep on dancing.  

"I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman" on the single charts:
Czechia #4
Russia #6
Ireland #18
Austria #21
Australia #28
Sweden #29
World #34
France #40
Belgium #40
Switzerland #43
UK #60

"Britney" on the album charts:
Ireland #11
Australia #21
Austria #24
Belgium #36
Finland #36
Germany #42
Belgium #48
Canada #49
France #49
UK #53
Netherlands #69
Switzerland #74

"Overprotected" on the single charts:
France #99 

She is all set to strap on her helmet and put the pedal to the metal in a movie about Nascar racing, the US motorsport where saloon cars race round an oval track.

The pop star chose the film, her second, from a pile of offers and will start filming in October.

An insider told the Sun: "There is no title yet but the film is inspired by one of Britney's favourite movies, Days Of Thunder, which starred Tom Cruise.

Hot-tempered

"Tom played a hot-tempered Nascar racer - Britney wants to race too."

The news comes after reports that the singer is to make a cameo appearance in the new Austin Powers film Goldmember. 

When lunching in a Las Vegas restaurant over the weekend the sexy singer asked a waitress for a Coca-Cola.

The showbiz-savvy server, was fully aware of Britney's big deal and said, "Don't you mean Pepsi?" To which an embarrassed Spears replied, "Oh... yeah." 

If you think you have what it takes, email MTV the following information: 

1. Your Age 

2. Your hometown 

3. What you know about Britney that makes you a true fan. 

4. Whether or not you’d like to appear on camera. 

Email the information to BMTV@Hotmail.com. If MTV is interested in your entry, they will contact you via email. Good luck! You must be over 13 to be considered.  

BILLBOARD 200 HISTORY: Britney
week (29) ending 06.01.02 #82
week (28) ending 05.25.02 #79
week (27) ending 05.18.02 #81
week (26) ending 05.11.02 #68
week (25) ending 05.04.02 #59
week (24) ending 04.27.02 #49
week (23) ending 04.20.02 #50
week (22) ending 04.13.02 #41
week (21) ending 04.06.02 #29
week (20) ending 03.30.02 #34
week (19) ending 03.23.02 #28
week (18) ending 03.16.02 #26
week (17) ending 03.09.02 #25
week (16) ending 03.01.02 #9
week (15) ending 02.23.02 #14
week (14) ending 02.16.02 #17
week (13) ending 02.09.02 #25
week (12) ending 02.02.02 #22
week (11) ending 01.26.02 #21
week (10) ending 01.19.02 #20
week (09) ending 01.12.02 #14
week (08) ending 01.05.02 #12
week (07) ending 12.29.01 #4
week (06) ending 12.22.01 #3
week (05) ending 12.15.01 #4
week (04) ending 12.08.01 #5
week (03) ending 12.01.01 #3
week (02) ending 11.24.01 #2
week (01) ending 11.17.01 #1 (debut)
 

Twenty minutes before the show last night, the shrill chants began, bouncing off the ceiling of the sold-out Tacoma Dome. 

Anyone who predicts the demise of bubblegum pop underestimates the appeal of 20-year-old Ms. Britney Spears. It's a thought to mull over while sitting in traffic on Interstate 5 for an hour and a half from Seattle to the Tacoma Dome, where parking lots had been full since 3:30 p.m. (Britney wasn't due to appear till 9 p.m.) 

Promptly at 9, the lights dimmed to a frenzy of blue and green glow sticks. Britney appeared, strapped to a revolving metal backdrop on a stage shaped like a large banjo and opened the show with an edgy, borderline Goth version of "oops... I Did It Again." (Her eight backup dancers looked like a cross between "The Lost Boys" and high-school misfits on prom night.) 

The Goth Britney look is not one that has yet registered with fans who buzzed around the Tacoma Dome. Before the show, various incarnations of Britney were everywhere: pig-tailed girls with plaid skirts, midriff-baring tops, body glitter, even the single tube sock on one arm from Britney's Super Bowl appearance. 

But never fear, fans: After a couple of songs, the pop star shed her dominatrix-like black-leather get-up and appeared as a ballerina atop a huge music box, pink tutu and all. This was the Britney Spears the preteen girls came to see, and they screamed for more. Britney didn't disappoint, appearing next as a beauty-pageant queen in a sparkling silver leotard as she sang "Lucky." Is she a girl or is she a woman? 

Make up your mind, already! 

As expected, the show was pure mindless entertainment, with plenty of fancy footwork, explosions, video montages and one revealing outfit after another. With all the dancing, can Britney be forgiven for apparently lip-synching a few numbers, most obviously, "Stronger"? 

She performed songs from all three of her albums, including her most recent hits, "I'm a Slave 4 U," "Overprotected" and "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman." The song that made her famous, "Baby One More Time," was saved for the encore. 

At one point, Britney sat down on a piano bench and confessed to the audience that she had been feeling "a little overwhelmed" lately. She's busy for a young not-a-girl-not-yet-a-woman, what with breaking up with her teen heartthrob of a boyfriend (Justin Timberlake of 'N Sync), being constantly hounded by the press and kicking off this second leg of her "Dream Within A Dream" tour. This show didn't stray far from the shows on the first leg: same songs, same outfits, same tricks — including one with a bungee cord during an energetic cover of Joan Jett's "I Love Rock-n-Roll." And don't leave early and risk missing Britney & Co. get all wet in the encore (and no, she wasn't wearing a white T-shirt). 

It wasn't anything Britney-watchers hadn't seen before, but to the screaming fans who filled the Tacoma Dome: Yes, she did it again.  

Nat explains, "I got an invitation (from Britney) to a party and forwarded it on to my friends as a joke.

"They told me they would murder me if I didn't go and take all of them, so I went with six boys. It was basically the thrill of their lives." 

"Shades of Britney" glasses will cost between $15 and $22 and can be bought by Britney devotees in stores and online.

A source close to the singer - who also endorses skates, trainers and soft drinks - says, "Everyone knows Britney for her cool style and looks. She has personally picked the range so the demand has been amazing." 

"She doesn't drive yet," Romano adds, "so she's constantly calling in favors from people she's saved in the past, catching rides on airplanes, boats, trains. In one episode, Britney Spears takes her to Peru!"
 

Director Chris Bailey, whose animation credits include "The Lion King" and "The Little Mermaid," for which he created Sebastian's famous "jaw drop" scene, says he had "fun with the color palette," using it to accentuate the show's story line.

"Her home, school, and the local hangout, Bueno Nacho, are bright and friendly," he explains, "whereas the more exotic locales take on a different feeling. When you get to her archenemy Drakken's lair, for example, it gets dark and sinister."

Kim Possible is "a good role model," says Romano. "She doesn't let herself give in to insecurity." In the "Bueno Nacho" episode, for instance, Possible gets obsessed with a coat in a fashion magazine, but ultimately learns that clothes do not make the woman. 

"Every episode quietly offers a moral," says Romano. 

An executive producer, Mark McCorkle, agrees that "Kim's the kind of person who wants to do the right thing because it's the right thing, not because she's part of some spy organization or because she gets paid." 

During the short vacation, Brit, Jamie Lynn, Crystal and I drove to Malibu. It was Memorial Day and the beaches were packed. We loved watching the sailboats sailing on the ocean in the distance and the many unusual kites that were being flown up and down the beach front. We stopped to eat Alaskan King Crab and stuffed shrimp at this great little restaurant on the beach. We made it back to Los Angeles in time to go to Century City to see the movie "Insomnia." The night before we saw "Enough." It was great to be able to see two good movies back to back. 

Brit, Big Rob, Fe, Crystal, Jamie Lynn and I flew the next morning to Vancouver for the next show. The flight was a good one. The little girls made beaded jewelry the entire flight. 

Everyone is excited about coming to Vancouver. Plans are to shop and look around a bit before the show. Jamie Lynn and Crystal can't wait to ride the tour bus again tonight after the show. The bus is like a giant moving play house. It looks as though we've left the sunshine and are headed for drizzling rain in Canada. Oh well, I guess all our days can't be sunny! Got to go - it's time for another show!  

Jamie recently walked out of the mansion Britney built for them in Kentwood, La., and moved back to the family's former home nearby.

Some claim Brit's stardom played a role in the breakup. Lynne, a teacher, thrives on her 20-year-old daughter's fame — touring with her and collaborating on books. Jamie, a building contractor, is said to prefer a quieter life.

But the friend insists, "Britney isn't the cause. This has been a long time coming."

Nevertheless, all of this may be having its effect on the singer, who is still reeling from her breakup with boyfriend Justin Timberlake. Another source says she appeared "extremely distraught" last week in Las Vegas on the eve of her new tour.

"She was ready to call off the tour," claims one insider. "The tour was off, then it was on. It was really tense backstage hours before the show. 

"She finally did the shows. But she ended up canceling [other] appearances [in Vegas]. She didn't go to any of the parties."

Britney's rep Lisa Kasteler wouldn't comment on the breakup of Mr. and Mrs. Spears. But she says that Britney never gave a thought to scratching the show.

"She's doing what she loves," says Kasteler, adding that she knew of no parties Spears missed. 

"I doubt she's out partying," says the spokeswoman. "It's a very demanding show." 

The singer makes a cameo appearance as herself in the third installment of the movie series. And studio sources have revealed that in one funny scene, Britney attacks randy secret agent Austin - with her bulging bosom.

Austin - played by Myers - wanders onto the set of one of Britney's music video's and discovers she is really a deadly "Femme Bot" robot.

In the script, Britney even jokes about real-life rumours she has had a breast enlargement, quipping, "It's true, my breasts have been enhanced." Her nipples then open up to reveal machine guns, which she fires at Myers' character.

Britney isn't the only star to make cameo appearances in Goldmember - which hits cinema screens next month.

Tom Cruise, Danny DeVito, Kevin Spacey, Ozzy Osbourne and Gwyneth Paltrow also star as themselves. 

There was no dissing of Justin Timberlake during the opening night of the second leg of the Dream Within a Dream Tour. No cigarette smoking. No ... whatever vice the rumor mills have her doing this week. 

Things may have changed in Britney's well-chronicled life since the last time we saw her onstage — and that's only if you believe the gossip — but there were no signs of it Friday at Mandalay Bay. The 20-year-old headliner was the same pop princess she was at 19.

Nearly every part of Spears' 90-minute show was the same as it was when she launched the tour last November, save for a few production details, updated remixes and a new song, or at least part of one.

About midway through the eye candy that is Dream Within a Dream, after fireworks capped off a vigorous version of "Stronger," Spears sat down on a piano bench next to one of her keyboard players (the one who resembles a young Elton John). Instead of addressing the flack she has taken for her revealing garments, like she did on the first leg of the tour, Spears told her adoring fans she wanted to update them on her life. Don't hold your breath: She didn't reveal the status of her relationship with Timberlake or go into other nitty gritty details, but instead talked about feeling overwhelmed and writing songs as therapy.

Spears then sang a few verses of a new ballad before segueing into "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman." The new song, for which Spears did not announce a title, was similar to the fan favorite that followed, but with a bit more traditional R&B flair, a la Alicia Keys.

The "intimate portion" of the evening (if that sounds cliché, it's because it was) seemed to resonate the loudest with the nearly sold-out arena (seats behind the stage were still available for $50, half the regular price), if not for being the biggest deviation from the show most of them probably already own on DVD, then for being the only real chance to see Britney concentrate on singing. 

The rest of the show was far more about the dancing and the spectacle. Despite taking several months off, Spears didn't miss a step, looking as well rehearsed as ever. Some things, such as a few of the "thank yous," appeared a bit too practiced, but no one seemed to mind.

Either because they had already seen it or were still lost in it, the audience didn't pay much attention to the whole Dream Within a Dream concept video that began the show. It was when Spears appeared strapped to a moving wall like a knife thrower's target that the building erupted. It helped that the band had already gone into a remix of "Oops! ... I Did It Again" that enlivened the original with an insulin shot of funk. 

Spears continued into "(You Drive Me) Crazy" and the rest of the winning formula that is the Dream Within a Dream set list, complete with all 12 different outfits and stage props that vary from a giant music box to a Flintstones-like car.

Theatrically, there were a few changes. Video screens did not have as prominent a role on the stage (the bald Britney footage was axed completely), except when the real Spears danced with a video of herself. 

Musically, the biggest difference was "Boys," which was replaced by a new remixed version, presumably the one Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes has done for the "Austin Powers in Goldmember" soundtrack. Spears didn't talk about the remix, which is also her next single and video, but she did wear a new outfit for it that was a tad more shagadelic than the suspenders she had previously worn for the number. "Overprotected" was also remixed for the second leg of the tour.

For the grand finale, the waterfall was back, and it's still quite possibly one of the coolest (and sexiest) stage effects ever. Undoubtedly the loudest screams of the night came when Britney's cowboy hat first hit the water. It's just one of those moments that you can see over and over and still find gripping.

Although the rest of the night seemed mostly like a rerun, there was one huge difference: the opening act. Rather than snag another "TRL" favorite, Spears handpicked soulful up-and-comer Nikka Costa.

Costa — who noted her godfather is Las Vegas legend Frank Sinatra — and her party-starting back-up band had a hard time luring in the pre-teen crowd that was still outside purring over the newest Britney posters, but the older women and men in the crowd, ranging from high schoolers to grandparents, were grooving along by the second song. 

A cover of Sly & the Family Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" didn't get the response Costa had hoped for, though her own "Like a Feather" had people dancing in the aisles.

Wearing Lenny Kravitz glasses and a floral-patterned dress over cut-off jeans, Costa didn't appear to have much in common with Spears, but as she sang, "Everybody got their something." 

Spears' Dream Within a Dream Tour continues Tuesday (May 28th) in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is scheduled to run through July 27 in Mexico City.