Reunited Spice Girls enjoy roaring success

HOLLYWOOD — Inside the cozy Eastman Room bar off the Kodak Theatre lobby, four of the five Spice Girls have taken their seats for a group interview.

Victoria (Posh Spice) Beckham hurries over to the circle teetering in high heels and tries to squeeze onto a loveseat. But even superslim Posh can't fit. Her spot has been taken by 8-year-old Brooklyn Beckham, her son with soccer star husband David Beckham. He's snuggled up alongside Geri (Ginger Spice) Halliwell.

Wrapping an arm around Brooklyn, who stays silent upon his mother's request, Halliwell explains, "Once we're mothers, we're mothers to each of them."

Brooklyn and brothers Romeo, 5, and Cruz, almost 3, were recently treated to a screening of the girl group's 1997 feature film," Spice World." Beckham recalls, "I came in, and my middle child said, "Mummy, have you been working with the Spice Girls again and driving that bus?"'

"Aw, so cute," coos Emma (Baby Spice) Bunton, as the others chirp in with "ahhs" and giggles.

That tour bus has now been retired. "We've moved up in the world," says Melanie (Sporty Spice) Chisholm. "We don't do buses."

Indeed. Their arrival to the Kodak in a Rolls-Royce Phantom indicated that the girl group who has sold 55 million records now has unanimous posh status.

They are in high spirits after nailing their first reunion performance — two songs to be featured on the "Victoria's Secret Fashion Show" (9 p.m., Ch. 2, Tuesday). The special airs just two days after the Spice Girls kick off their reunion tour in Vancouver on Sunday, followed by San Jose (Tuesday), Los Angeles (Dec. 5 and 7), then on to Vegas, London, New York and around the globe through March.

The glamour pusses lip-synced their Victoria's Secret numbers ("Headlines" and "Stop") "due to time constraints for their first TV appearance," explains their publicist, Roger Widynowski, who is quick to clarify that "everything from here on out for the tour is all live."

The fortunate few ticket holders inside the Kodak (including Eva Longoria and Hayden Panettiere) didn't seem to care — as evidenced by their enthusiastic response.

"When that roar came, it was hard to hold yourself together," says Chisholm, 33.

"I was actually thinking, 'Thank (goodness). They're happy to see us all.' They loved it," adds Melanie (Scary Spice) Brown, 32, who is accustomed to receiving such praise after finishing as runner-up on "Dancing With the Stars." Bunton, 31, describes the debut as "a bit emotional."