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Katy Perry performs onstage during Katy Perry: PLAY Las Vegas Residency at Resorts World Las Vegas on December 29, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for Katy Perry)
Monday, Oct. 30, 2023 | 2 a.m.
Katy Perry fans better be ready to go all out for Halloween if they’ve got tickets to the pop star’s “Play” residency show performance at Resorts World Theatre. A special holiday celebration Tuesday encourages audience members to dress up as their favorite version of Perry, possibly duplicating an outfit from one of her famous music videos or colorful concert tours, to compete in the “Best Katy” costume contest.
Contestants should arrive in costume at the theater starting at 4 p.m. on Halloween to get their picture taken and enter the contest, which will be happening until 6 p.m. Three winners will be announced and notified prior to the 8 p.m. performance, each winning a meet-and-greet with Perry after the show. And all guests at the Resorts World show that evening will receive the gift of a red mushroom temporary tattoo designed by Liz Kim, a Los Angeles artist who recently traveled to Las Vegas to tattoo the cast and crew of “Play.” Any remaining tickets to the Halloween performance are available at axs.com.
Of course, creative costuming endeavors are a natural fit at “Play,” which has been hailed for the vibrant, colorful and avant-garde outfits worn by Perry as well as the dancers and musicians that dominate the stage. There’s a segment of the show that ostensibly takes place inside of a trash can — it’s all part of the campy “Perry Playland” story that finds our star going on a massive adventure as a living doll — and evolves into a full-on fashion show with dancers strutting a catwalk adorned in glamorous garbage. You have to see it live to truly appreciate the skill and artistry of the designers.
And you have to act fast if you’re going to see it; “Play” will close out its two-year run this week with final performances set for Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. That’s why Perry brought Kim out to the Strip for the commemorative tattoos this month. “Larger than life” has been the most-used phrase to describe Perry’s Vegas show, which spotlights that whimsical storyline, gigantic animatronic props and special effects as much as it does her extensive collection of pop hits and powerful voice.
“I will look back at this show as one of my favorite shows I ever put together, but I could only put this show together in Vegas,” she told Las Vegas Weekly earlier this year. “There’s no way I could take these oversized props all over the world. … Actually, I’ll probably go out on a world tour and have the sads, because I’ll have to have a more realistic approach when creating another show.”
After the legendary Celine Dion had to postpone her planned residency at Resorts World, Perry helped fill the void at the opening resort in 2021 and its sparkling new 5,000-seat theater. Country stars Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan also launched residency shows there in its first few months, and while Underwood has added dates through August, Bryan will be following in Perry’s footsteps and wrapping up his Las Vegas Strip run in January.
But given Perry’s widespread appeal and multiple generations of fans — many of whom dress like her for the concert even when there isn’t a costume contest —it wouldn’t be surprising to see her return to the Strip for another series of “Play” performances, or perhaps a new show.
“I can see myself being in Vegas for periods of time for the rest of my life, especially since I live so close in California,” she said. “I can see myself having many different moments in the future.”
