Oh Britney, how you keep us intrigued and entertained.

The pop princess graced Boston at the TD Banknorth Garden Monday to an audience of 17,804 circus freaks (also known as “Britney fans”).

The titillating and death-defying acrobatics of the opening circus performers who performed everything from dance style martial arts to graceful and awe-inspiring flips on a flexible beam carried by two strong men was enough to have the audience riveted throughout the entire pre-show acts.

Following that and the Pussycat Dolls opening act, Britney gyrated, lip-synched and got her freak on for an hour and half, performing her newest radio hits from her latest album “Circus” and classic Brit faves including “I’m a Slave 4 U” and “Baby One More Time.”

Britney is a performer first, plain and simple. She can put on a show, she can dance her heart out and boy can she make an exhibition of herself. But something was missing from this show. Yes, the 27-year-old mother of two and divorcee has been through a lot since becoming a teen pop sensation at the tender age of 16, but she could have given 100 percent to her dancing rather than the mildly disappointing 80 percent the audience witnessed.

That said, her dancers, acrobats, clowns and all around circus talent from the Big Apple Circus put on a fantastic show that had the audience on the edge of the seats, when they weren’t standing and dancing along with the music. The costumes were elaborate and glittery, to say the least and a toned Britney seemed content. Her one ballad “Everytime” was beautifully done, with Spears sitting poised and sweetly on a giant, brightly colored umbrella, pouring her heart out.

With a Bollywood themed rendition of her hit “Me Against the Music,” her and her dancers, clad in bellydance garb, shook their stuff utilizing all three circus “ring” stages. Other showstoppers included “Piece of Me” which had Britney caged and exploited — what else is new?

One of the best songs wasn’t even Britney’s and didn’t have her or anyone else present on stage and was a sexy and burlesque inspired video of an amazing dance version of the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams are Made of This.”

With a borderline-S&M themed “Freakshow” number, funky and upbeat “If You Seek Amy” piece and fun, flirty, risque mix of two songs from her “In the Zone” album: “Breathe on Me” and “Touch of My Hand,” the audience was completely satisfied with their Britney experience. And despite all of the turmoil and negative press attention to her personal life, the fact is she is putting herself out there, touring, making more and more millions and maintaining an incredibly devoted, if not mildly psychotic, fan base.

She came, she performed and she’s still conquering. After all, she’s Britney, bitch.

Cirque Le Masque, a world-toured, non-animal circus gave an amazing performance on opening night at Emerson College’s Cutler Majestic Theatre, in Boston’s Theatre District. The 90 minute show ended with a standing ovation.

Carnivale tells a story about a girl, Moira, (performed by Cara Maher) who is tired of the discordant noise from her home in a big city. She leaves the city and jaunts to Rio de Janeiro, where she eventually joins the circus. Along the way, Moira makes friends with local carnival performers in Central and South America.

Through this exploration we get to see such stunning acts as dual trapeze and silk acts (by World Champion twins Serenity Smith Forchion and Elsie Smith), aerial acrobatics, dueling contortionists, a massive “German Wheel” (by former Cirque du Soleil star Andrei Roublev), all accompanied by the Cirque le Masque dancers.

Between aerial stunts and psychedelic costumes, this show left me enchanted. The “Silk Act” particularly left us on the edge of our seats. People cried out in disbelief when one of the acrobats leaped into the air from one of the silk ropes and gracefully caught herself, roughly ten feet from the ground.

This French-inspired show expresses a liveliness that will surprise you over and over again.

If you don’t like audience interaction this show will definitely change your mind. There are two side characters. One acts almost as a ring master and looks like something not from this planet — rounded belly and various patterns and colors all over his body. The other is an eccentric older man. In between acts, these charming but mischievous characters that will have you in stitches.

Cirque le Masque’s Carnivale is a stunning performance, filled with laughter, intrigue and amazement.

The choreography had traces of bachata and salsa footwork. The two male dancers performing one of the silk acts in the second half of the show were reminiscent of capoeira (Brazilian “kick boxing”), as their wardrobe consisted of loose, white pants and their spirited choreography involved fast flips and impressive leg extension.

I would have liked to see more of two things: more emphasis on the dancing and more of the actual dancing, especially at the end and especially from the main character.

Moira suddenly shows up as a show girl in Rio, but there’s little character development before that. The dancing could have been rehearsed more, as small things like piques, other footwork and body isolation were sometimes not in sync or as accentuated as they could have been. I assume that this is probably because more of the emphasis at rehearsal was put on the difficult stunts than the dancing.

The music could have had more Latino influence in its beat, since the story takes place in South America — but this is also a French-inspired show…

As much as everyone loves to hate her, her power of survival and tour de force performance skills are undeniable.‚ She’s back, and with a vengeance. Britney Spears’ much anticipated‚ 6th album,‚ Circus,‚ hits stores December 2 on the pop queen’s 27th birthday and delivers enough dance beats to fill even the rowdiest clubs and get the most reluctant critic dancing.‚ 

And what a media circus it has been for Britney, essentially since the day she stepped onto the scene back when she was just 16 years old in 1997. While her latest album “Blackout” fell short of expectations and took a backseat to her custody battles and driving violations, there were a few hits that helped her maintain afloat.‚ Circus,‚ however is sure to pack a punch that will throw the critics and surprise the masses.‚ 

“Phonography” at first hear has silly, innuendo-filled‚ lyrics, but the beat is so intoxicating it completely makes up for it and you end up loving the lyrics, giggling at Britney’s utter‚ honesty. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget she is a nearly 30-year-old mother of two, rather that teen girl growing up in the spotlight and being awkward and naive. The song hints at Ace of Base’s beats and melodies, and it actually works. With self-proclaimed unapologetic lyrics that border on the extremely inappropriate, this song is for adults only.‚ 

“Amnesia” has a bit of an 80s throwback vibe, and is wistful and fun.‚ Forget hinting‚ at Ace of Base’s heyday in the early 90s with electronic sounds and a sugary feel, this song emanates their sound and it actually lends a new dimension to Britney’s sound.‚ ”Kill the Lights” is a feisty lash out at the paparazzi. Thanks to a male announcer saying at the beginning of the song “here is a message from the world’s pop princess now pop queen …” the song showcases Britney’s arrogance, which actually might end up being mis-judged confidence.

There is nothing wrong with‚ confidence, even over-confidence,‚ especially when you have the dancing talent, wow-factor and resurrection chops to back it up. Granted, Britney never was the best singer, but that’s not what she is. She is not a singer, she is an entertainer; pure and simple. Yes she can carry a tune, and she projects fairly well, but the nitty-gritty is the girl can‚ perform and after all of the bad press and judgement passed on her these past few years, she has come back and is saying to the world “Want to‚ talk about me more? Talk about how great this album is!”

Other standouts on the CD include “If You Seek Amy,” “Lace and Leather,” and of course the first single “Womanizer” a radio favorite which receives frequent airplay in clubs and bars since its arrival a few months ago. This album is not just an effort by what can be mildly labeled a pop diva, but is a very sharp comment on her life in the limelight, and how she is knowingly an exhibitionist and in many ways, a masochist.

Overall the music on this new album is classic Britney, filled with evocative lyrics, enticing dance beats and thanks to the help of her production team, complex sounds that only add. While I’m positive not everyone out there is looking forward to this album to drop, Britney fans will be pleased with her ability to survive and to put out a CD that will make for a great show when she goes on tour, expected in early 2009. As many onlookers wait with bated breath, they may be turning blue at the potential success of‚ Circus.‚ ‚ 

She can thank all of those producers who helped make these songs three-dimensional and irresistible for any and all praise she may or may not receive. Those producers include‚ including Max Martin, The Outsyders, Danja, Bloodshy & Avant and The Underdogs who lend much needed artistic direction while maintaining Brit-Brit’s dance queen image. She can also thank‚ all of the personal trainers and what has to be a ridiculously patient entourage to help her with the everyday demands of being a pop star worth millions. Not to mention her quirky personality, outbursts and foibles that make her a media magnet, mostly for negative exposure.‚ 

Circus‚ will arrive in stores in the U.S. on the heels of the documentary‚ Britney: For the Record‚ airing Sunday Nov. 30‚ at 10 p.m. ‚ on MTV. The film follows the Spears‚ for three months, beginning Sept. 7, the day she appeared on the MTV Video Music Awards.‚ 

Whether you love her, hate her, are apathetic, or waiting on the edge of your seat for her to fail, the fact is Britney Spears is back, and perhaps better than ever.