The Human Touch: With upgrades, Madame Tussauds is moving with the times

Monday, Nov. 3, 2003 | 8:30 a.m.

Britney Spears dipped backward and dangled her mane. Wearing knee-high boots and designer rags, she gripped a pole and was forever frozen in a dance step.

Across the room, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward looked entranced while Dr. Robert Schuller, minister and author, gave an approving grin. Meryl Streep smiled politely. Spears' "I'm A Slave 4 You" rumbled through the speakers.

What sounds like a season of "Surreal Life" is actually the new direction taken at Madame Tussauds Interactive Wax Attraction at The Venetian, a place where celebrities are never camera shy and often quite shorter than you'd expect them to be.

"We're going to try and and balance it out somewhat," spokeswoman Melissa Horacek said while looking at the diverse mix of celebrities throughout the room.

"Britney just came in. This is where Jennifer Lopez will be so it will be very contemporary."

Madame Tussauds is giving its image a little nip and tuck by adding interactive celebrity exhibits to its static creations. Britney comes with her own pole, heaving chest, stage and dancers.

Guests are invite to "shake it" with her, general manager Russell Barnes said. Britney's arrival follows that of Tiger Woods, who lines up a shot on an artificial turf putting green in "Puttin' the Rounds with Tiger," where visitors have a chance to sink the ball in the cup.

Tussauds' most recent and probably most-prized addition, Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal, blocks shot attempts made by guests in an exhibit called "One-on-One with Shaq." Stadium charge music plays with each score.

Scheduled to arrive in the coming months are Lopez, who blushes when you blow in her ear, and Elvis Presley, who speaks with visitors who touch his extended hand. "What people think a traditional wax museum is, we're nothing like it," Barnes said. "We put you in the middle of the experience. The guest is the star."

Arthur Flores, a 10-year-old local Lakers fan, scored at least a dozen baskets against the sweaty, massive O'Neal last week. Flores was speechless, but smiling.

After sinking a putt, Hugette Letourneau From Montreal, Canada, threw her arms up while friends snapped photos.

"I love Tiger Woods," Letourneau said. "He's my idol. The tops."

The lifelike Woods is accompanied by a young Arnold Palmer. For Woods and O'Neal, a Tussauds employee serves as a live radio commentator reporting on visiting players.

"This takes it one step further," Horacek said while looking on as a group of children played against Shaq. "We were finding people enjoyed them, but they wanted more. It was, 'Yeah, I can get my picture taken with Michael Jordan, but I want to play basketball.'

"We want people to come in and have this experience."

Regarding Britney, Horacek said, "It goes beyond hot. We've created one of her Las Vegas concerts so she is very sexy, a little risque."