The concept was based around a journey through Lady Gaga's home city of New York and incorporated several iconic New York symbols, including an impressive model of a New York subway carriage with automatic doors constructed from a combination of aluminium and perspex, and a rolling staircase which mimicked a New York fire escape, with the addition of 4 ft long syringes which made up the handrail.
A backdrop of a solid fascia representing the New York City skyline, measuring over 30 ft high, complemented the already impressive set. A number of neon signs were incorporated into the cityscape, giving the set a genuine NYC feel. The 33-truck production also spent time in the LS-Live studios (the largest purpose-built production rehearsal facility in the UK) for full production rehearsals, and used barriers from LS-Live stage and set stock to accompany the production on tour.
To date the show has been received to widespread critical acclaim for its originality, Gaga's sense of style and fashion, and not least the sheer theatricality of the show with its huge and spectacular sets. The UK leg of the tour kicked off at Manchester's MEN Arena on Thursday 18 February 2010 and runs until 4 June 2010.
(Jim Evans)
