The Week in Review

Britney Spears Takes Vegas: Britney Spears is the latest pop star to announce a long-run gig in Vegas. It's a two-year contract at Planet Hollywood, to be directed by Baz Halpin, who also designed her last tour or two. The plan flies in the face of conventional wisdom about Vegas, which is supposed to be over big star spectacles in favor or mega-nightclubs. But, as Kurt Melien, a vice president at Caesars Entertainment, tells Billboard, "We're looking to build a theatre and create an experience that appeals to a younger customer. There are a lot of theatres here today. The [Cirque du Soleil] theatres are all pretty similar, and the Colosseum at Caesars is a traditional, elegant theatre. What we don't have is theatre/nightclub. So we're renovating this theatre in a big way to create a dance club/nightclub experience. There's going to be table service with cocktail waitresses, and there's a dance floor you have access to at those tables. We've designed this theatre to create a different experience that attracts a younger customer." Rumors are flying that Spears will lip-synch the performance; Melien only says, "We haven't had that conversation." In any case, she will be exclusive to Planet Hollywood and Las Vegas for the length of the contract. For the full interview, go to: http://plasa.me/nmqld.

Spider-Man's Latest Litigation: The lawsuits never stop over at Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. In the latest chapter, Daniel Curry, who recently got his leg caught in a trap door of the accident-prone musical, "has filed court papers to ensure that the lift, which played a part in the accident, is not altered until it is examined." Curry, who, contra the show's producers, blames an equipment malfunction for the incident, also says in court papers that he "sustained fractured legs and a fractured foot, and has had surgeries and amputations as a result." More details can be found at: http://plasa.me/4e35h.

IATSE Settles Indiana Stage Collapse Penalty: Pollstar reports that "the stagehands union that was fined $11,500 after seven people died in the 2011 stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair has reached a settlement with the state that absolves it of the penalty." The deal mandates that the IA must implement safety training. One of the union members, Nathan Byrd, died in the accident. Previously, the OSHA investigation found three serious violations related to the event. For more: http://plasa.me/zx3rn.

Is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Broadway Bound?: In a remarkable feature story, the Sunday edition of the New York Times handicaps the chances of the West End musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory transferring to Broadway. What may have seemed like a cinch to happen is now up in the air following the show's mixed reviews -- most notably an unenthusiastic notice by Times reviewer Ben Brantley. (The article never mentions Brantley, which is odd because it is the reason the story is being run.) Much of the story focuses on the desire of the creative team to erase the memory of the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, with those catchy songs by Leslie Bricusse. In the event, they retained "Pure Imagination," one of Bricusse's bigger hits. Get the full story at http://plasa.me/gnl5e.

Here and there: Congratulations to the Broadway production of Chicago, which this week gave its 7,000th performance, making it the third longest-running show in Broadway history, after the still-running Phantom of the Opera and Cats. When the original production of Chicago opened in 1975, it did rather well but was totally eclipsed by A Chorus Line, which also opened the same season. Now, the revival of Chicago has eclipsed the original production of ACL, which ran 6,147 performances ... More congratulations to the Tony Awards, which last week won Creative Arts Emmy Awards in the categories of outstanding music direction, outstanding music and lyrics, and outstanding special class program ... and even more congratulations to the New York production of The Fantasticks, which celebrated its 20,000th performance. That's right; it opened in 1960 ... The Los Angeles concert market widens on January 15th, when Madison Square Garden Co. reopens The Forum at Inglewood with The Eagles. Variety reports that MSG Co. "has invested more than $100 million to give the structure -- originally built in 1967 and once the home of the L.A. Lakers and the L.A. Kings before they moved to the Staples Center -- a dramatic facelift" ... If you love the drawings of Al Hirschfeld - and who doesn't? - drop by New York Public Library's Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, starting October 17, for The Line King's Library: Al Hirschfeld at the New York Public Library, which features a treasure trove of rarely seen works. The exhibition runs through January 4. (For more information: http://plasa.me/jskln)