Expect to witness a grand spectacle at Monday’s show
From incorporating special smells on her first major tour to riding a massive chrome lion at her Super Bowl halftime show, Katy Perry puts on some of the grandest concert spectacles in the world.
She’s going all out for her “Witness” tour, which comes to the BMO Harris Bradley Center Monday.
“We’re at 23 trucks, which is kind of insane,” said Ashley Evans of Australian choreography team The Squared Division, who co-directed the “Witness” tour with his creative partner, Antony Ginandjar. “Katy just wants to give the fans the biggest, best show that she can.”
Check back in the Journal Sentinel and jsonline.com/music for our review and photos from Perry’s first Milwaukee concert in six years.
But if you’re going to the show, here are four things Evans said you should look out for. Naturally, spoilers abound.
1. SUPER-SIZED SET PIECES: Evans said the stage is oriented around “a huge LED screen in the shape of an eye. … The performers in front of it look like tiny ants.” So the show was designed with oversize set pieces, like a giant basketball court for “Swish Swish,” and a humongous hand that doubles as a stage. Evans’ favorite set piece is a pair of “large-scale dice that are gorgeous and multi-purpose. … The dots that represent the numbers we pushed out to make stairs and dancers are swinging off of them. It’s one of the more complex pieces to navigate.”
2. SHARP CHOREOGRAPHY: Speaking of dancers, “Witness” employs 10 of them, eight women and two men, including a former Cirque du Soleil performer. “The goal was to make sure everything was big, bold and architectural,” Evans said. His favorite part of the show from a dance perspective is a run through older hits like “Teenage Dream” and “Hot N Cold” matched with choreography that resembles “quirky robotic flare with an ‘80s feel.”
3. COSTUMES GALORE: Perry generally showcases five to six outfits on the tour, with another look or two she’ll occasionally pull out for a show, Evans said. There’s one act during which the dancers change aspects of their costumes three or four times. Evans’ personal preference: “this gold missile outfit designed by Zaldy … the first time I saw it on stage I thought, ‘This is the icing on the cake.’ “
4. LOOK OUT FOR LEFT SHARK: Everyone’s favorite dancing-fish meme — made famous for a slightly off dance routine during that Super Bowl show — makes a cameo appearance. “It was a fun moment of Katy’s career, so why not bring it back?” Evans said.