On The Prismatic Tour, Katy Perry is fierce. From the moment she enters the stage as a warrior, it’s clear that the pop princess is growing up.
Borrowing choreography from Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet Tour, Katy jumps rope during Roar, just as Madonna did during Jump. Katy ups the ante by doing this in heels, whereas Madonna skipped in sneakers. It seems Katy is a big fan of Madonna, as she proudly incorporates a verse of Madonna’s Vogue into International Smile.
The most entertaining video interlude is all about Kittywood. Between shopping for diamonds at Cartier and getting dolled up at the Spaw, the video depicts cats getting ready to see Katy live. The video is cute, but Katy’s cabaret-style performance of Hot n Cold that follows disrupts the show’s bubbly vibe.
During another costume change, Katy’s backup singers engage the audience, which is interesting because they typically hide in the background. On The Prismatic Tour, however, the two women move to center stage when Katy sings acoustic versions of The One That Got Away, Thinking Of You and Unconditionally.
Though Katy’s inclusion of her backup singers is admirable, it’s odd that she doesn’t introduce or thank her band. This is generally a staple at every concert, yet it is noticeably missing from Katy’s show.
When the dancers rearrange letters to spell out terms like LOL and YOLO, this allows Katy to connect with her young fans while performing California Gurls. She even invites two fans on stage — one for pizza and one for an extraordinary birthday greeting.
The size of the Air Canada Centre allows for a more complex stage setup than Katy previously had at the Molson Amphitheatre. Her Cirque de Soleil style acrobatics are unexpected and her use of levels is admirable. Who thought we’d see Katy ‘walking on air’ while singing a song of the same name? Swinging around while holding balloons during Birthday also makes for a cheerful pre-encore finale.
Once again, Katy proves that she has a commanding stage presence. The powerful and girly persona she maintains throughout the show reminds the crowd why she is CoverGirl material. In addition to branded “Prism-Vision’ glasses distributed in the hall, a large inflatable CoverGirl lipstick hangs in the air towards the end. Tossing around a lipstick in the crowd at Molson Amphitheatre created a more playful and interactive atmosphere, but the inflatables in The Prismatic Tour make a bold statement too.
Evidently, Katy’s stellar production team is capable of organizing an elaborate spectacle. She literally ends the show with a bang while performing Firework and leaves fans curious about how she will express her artistic side again on her next tour.
Click here to see the setlist for Katy Perry’s Toronto stop on the Prismatic tour.