Britney Spears does it again

Starting in December, Sin City will be the only place in North America where you can see Britney Spears perform over the next two years.

After months of hearsay, the pop princess confirmed her Las Vegas residency show, via a dramatic press conference in the desert. Titled “Britney: Piece of Me,” the hour-and-a-half performances will take place at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino beginning Dec. 27.

“I’m so excited to finally share this news with all my fans,” Spears said. “‘Piece of Me’ is a labor of love and I can’t wait to perform it.”

Spears’ arrival comes as the average age of the city’s tourist demographic is dropping, thanks in large part to the electronic dance music scene that has made the metropolis its primary home.

“There is a burgeoning nightclub scene attracting the 21-and-over customer,” said Kurt Melien, vice president of entertainment at Caesars, which owns Planet Hollywood. “These people are twenty- and thirty- somethings who are not interested in seeing traditional entertainment. That was a big opening for us in terms of why we are offering a show to that targeted demographic. We wanted to have a residency for the first true pop contemporary artist.”

Touted as a celebration of one of the most illustrious careers in music history, “Britney: Piece of Me” promises to be a spectacular all-ages 21-song extravaganza. Concertgoers will have the opportunity to hear reprised hits such as “Oops, I Did It Again,” as well as brand new material from, “Britney Jean,” Spears’ highly anticipated eighth studio album from RCA Records. “You’ll be moving through a storyline presented on stage through a video package that is inside the theater and video will play on the walls around you,” Melien explained. “It’s a lot to do in 100 minutes.”

Planet Hollywood is renovating an existing theater specifically for Spears’ contracted 50 shows a year, upgrading it into a 4,600-seat theater. The end result is a space designed to feel like a real club — complete with a live band, live singing and a dance floor. A number of bars will be placed strategically inside the theater so 21-plus patrons don’t have to miss a minute of the show.

According to Melien, it’s all part of a vision that came together this summer after weekly meetings between Spears and director Baz Halpin. “There are some surprises ahead, including elements of audience interaction,” Melien hinted.

Melien will, however, go into the particulars about the day when the reality of the residency crystallized for him. He was standing on the stage of the theater with Spears and her manager, Larry Rudolph. It was a Saturday afternoon in the spring.

“The first moment when Britney walked out and looked out toward the empty audience and Larry was describing what the theater renovation looked like, you could see her eyes brighten,” Melien recalled. “You could see it in her face and you could see she was clearly a performer. We knew right then that she was the right fit and that confirmed it.”

Tickets for “Britney: Piece of Me” are on sale now, with prices ranging from $59 to $179. For more information, visit www.britneypieceofme.com.

—Genevieve Wong, Brand Publishing Writer