Las Vegas Concerts

Why We Love “Play” By Katy Perry – Best Vegas Residency of 2022

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An iconic entertainer on the newest, and largest, stage in Las Vegas – Our playtime with Katy Perry

Check out the Vegas Showbiz review of “Play” by Katy Perry on YouTube!

It came as no surprise to me when I heard that Katy Perry had added additional dates (for the 2nd time) to her Vegas residency Play. The show is spectacularly fun! I was lucky to see her on her 2nd weekend of the residency in January. I heard about the show when it was announced back in May 2021. Thanks to my Citibank Visa card I was eligible for pr

It came as no surprise to me when I heard that Katy Perry had added additional dates (for the 2nd time) to her Vegas residency Play. The show is spectacularly fun! I was lucky to see her on her 2nd weekend of the residency in January. I heard about the show when it was announced back in May 2021. Thanks to my Citibank Visa card, I was eligible for pre-sale tickets. I bought 3 tickets to give my 10-year-old and 8-year-old daughters as a Christmas gift. 

I’ve been listening to Katy Perry’s music since her album ‘One of The Boys’ became a huge success in 2008. But, since her spectacular Super Bowl 49 halftime performance in 2015, I’ve been looking for my opportunity to see her perform live. Since they were toddlers, my girls have been dancing along beside me to her tunes, and my 8-year old’s favorite song has always been “Roar.” They have never been to a concert before, so this would be extra special for us all.

Pre-show activities

We decided to make a night out of it and got dressed up and left the house early to get dinner and do some exploring around the Resorts World casino before the show. We parked at the venue and walked through the casino across Las Vegas Boulevard to eat at The Peppermill diner. Honestly, this is the perfect place to eat before a Katy Perry concert because it suits her signature style so well; significantly over the top and unusual. After many visits to The Peppermill over the past decade, it was fun sharing a new experience this evening with my daughters.

We got there earlier than necessary because the girls were too excited. Once they knew that the doors were open, they could not focus on doing anything else. There is no pre-show entertainment aside from the 60s-70s inspired playlist and a black and white rotating screen. It was mesmerizing for a little bit, but we were a little amped up and needed more, so we took a walk around the theater and stopped for some drinks and snacks. Afterward, it occurred to me that this ‘pre-show’ was almost an exercise in visual relaxation because what was about to come was over the top in every way. A “visual feast,” as Perry said.

Jessica, Ava, and Elise Pellegrini at the Katy Perry show in Las Vegas

Showtime baby!

The show starts with a cartoon on the big screen featuring Katy as a cute little Barbie Doll going through all kinds of kid-inflicted torture. At the same time, a “Perry Playland” jingle plays. Perry referenced ‘Honey I shrunk the Kids’ as inspiration, “This is a set-in-the-60s, ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’ movie on mushrooms”. I’ve heard others make reference to ‘Pee Wee’s Playhouse,’ but I was personally getting a ‘Toy Story’ vibe. The rest of the show follows cute dolly Katy as she sings her most-loved hits in the playroom, bathroom, garden, trashcan, and finishes with, fireworks! There is a short cartoon to watch with each scene change to prepare you for what’s to come.

Elise and Ava Pellegrini at the Katy Perry show in Las Vegas

Opening act – “Henry the Horror”

The opening act, called Henry the Horror, starts out with “ET,” “Chained to the Rhythm,” “Dark Horse,” and “Not the End of the World” in an oversized playroom. Toy Soldiers dance around Katy doll and other various toys in the playroom.

Act 2 – “Flushed”

The next act, titled “Flushed,” is sung in a bathroom with the help of Poo, Dancing Toothpaste, and of course, Rubber Ducky! The main songs featured in this act were “California Girls,” “Hot ‘N’ Cold,” and “Last Friday Night.”

The Garden Act

The garden act, entitled Eat Me, is a psychedelic trip, complete with mushrooms. Katy comes out riding on top of a pink and purple snail in the shiny red outfit she is wearing in all of the Play advertisements. First, she sings “Bon Appetit,” followed by “Daisies,” when she rises above everyone on a giant daisy. My favorite part of the show came next when she rocked out with female guitarist Devon Eisenbarger to “I Kissed a Girl”!

The Trashun Act

In the next act, Trashun, Perry gets trashy with a discarded mask, makes a few jokes about the state of the world, and even drinks beer straight from her bra! Then, she belts out “Part of Me’, “Wide Awake,” “Never Really Over,” “Swish Swish,” and sings her newest song, “When I’m Gone.”

Act 5 – “Perry Playland”

In Act 5, Perry Playland, Katy is stunning in a leggy, disco-inspired sparkly dress. She performed “Teenage Dream,” “Smile,” and “Roar.” This act was very reminiscent of the old Vegas Showgirl performances, which Katy’s aunt was a part of on the same grounds. Perry tells a touching story about the family connection in the previous act.

Encore

For the Encore, Perry starts with a cover of Whitney Houston’s famous ballad “Greatest Love Of All” and closes the show out with “Firework” dressed in a rainbow and surrounded by what felt like actual fireworks. It was a beautiful finish to the funniest concert I’ve ever attended.

Summary

Katy does everything you love to see at a concert (ok, everything I love). First of all, she sings all your favorite songs, encourages you to sing along, and even pulls someone from the crowd up on stage. Next, she makes jokes, gets just a little bit controversial, covers a classic song, then tells you that tonight is her favorite night so far. Finally, she shares a personal story, dances her butt off, and puts on an unbelievable show! From start to finish, the show just lays on the quirky. In true KatyCat fashion, everything about it is full of energy and color. It is so much more than just music. Perry puts on both a concert and a comedy; it’s like a two for one.

My girls were in awe the whole show. My oldest just kept looking at me with the biggest smile on her face; she told me she could not be happier at this moment. Then, randomly afterward, my 8-year-old screamed, “We’re living that Vegas life!” to which we both replied, “WHOOOO!”

We were the first few to arrive and part of the last groups to leave the venue. We did not want this night to end. We stopped in front of the Dawg House bar on the way out because someone was up on stage singing “Teenage Dream,” and we couldn’t resist one last chance to sing and dance along. In raspy voices, we talked about how exciting the show was all the way back to the car and jammed out to Katy’s music on the drive home. At the very end of the night, as I said good night to them both, it occurred to me that I should probably let them know, no one else puts on a show quite like Katy Perry! Their first concert has set the bar extremely high; we may need to play in Perry Playland again!

Jess Pellegrini is the rock of the Pellegrini family in Henderson, NV. She's an amazing wife, mother of 3, and teacher.

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