After a pre-show that found opera arias soundtracking texted-in testimonials from fans about their love for Mother Monster, Gaga hit the stage for the same awe-inspiring sequencing of songs that opened Coachella: “Bloody Mary” atop a gigantic red dress hoop that opened to reveal caged dancers; an unhinged “Abracadabra”; a jolt of “Judas”; and the sexy kitschy of “Scheiße.” Throughout it all, Gaga demonstrates how her legit acting chops enhance a pop performance, with her body language effortlessly transitioning from imperious formality to controlled chaos to slinky vamping.

Although she stepped away from it for a minute in the late 2010s, Gaga is blessedly back to bringing the arthouse theatricality to pop culture. “Welcome to Mayhem,” she intoned in a German-accented voice early in the show. “Welcome to the opera house. This is my house.” Craning her head, Gaga sized up a dancer next to her wearing an outfit that called to mind a Gaga of yesteryear: “What are you doing in my house?!” Amid a thrilling “Poker Face” performance that mined the vibes of the Queen of Hearts’ chess game, Gaga faux executed the dancer (“off with her head!”). After the song, you could actually hear her breathing — a nice reminder that when Gaga sings on stage, she genuinely sings live.

For Mayhem standout “Perfect Celebrity,” Gaga brought back the inventive, creepy staging from Coachella. Situated in a giant sandbox full of skeletons, Gaga, in a wispy white dress, opens the song with her arm draped casually around the human remains. One song later (“Disease”), the skeletons around her have come to life, emerging from the desert sands as bone-encased backup dancers. Hey, it worked the first time: as long as the cats haven’t found that supersized litter box, why change anything?

While much of the Mayhem Ball is boosted by her crackling live band and energetic coterie of dancers, “Paparazzi” demonstrates how well Gaga can turn the simplest of stage movements into an engrossing visual story. Inching her way down the runway on platinum clutches (the same silvery look she rocked in the iconic video), Gaga croons and belts the ode to toxic media-celebrity symbiosis while a gauzy white train billows behind her (it’s all very evocative of Cyd Charisse in the famous Singin’ In the Rain fantasy sequence), eventually exploding into a rainbow glow. As the crowd-pleasing classic comes to a close, Gaga strikes a muscular pose, looking every bit the pop music Valkyrie as she descends into the stage.

Equal parts Alice Cooper and Hammer Horror, “Killah” sees Gaga wearing regal Gothic opulence while letting loose in front of a ridiculously large spinning skull. That song is one of the album’s most durable highlights, and the Mayhem Ball staging gives Gaga the chance to get funky and freaky, spinning down the runway before unleashing a hellish, prolonged scream into the rafters. When the banshee wail was over, Gaga let her stage character crack – for a moment, you could see how much fun she was having, and it was a beautiful thing to behold.

Of the numerous Mayhem Ball songs Coachella viewers didn’t experience, it’s hard to pick a favorite. But, to name a few: “Applause” was greeted with a thunderous peal of exactly that (fans were clearly thrilled to hear ARTPOP represented), and “Summerboy,” which saw Gaga jamming on guitar while surrounded by a sweaty, tangled mess of gyrating bodies, was an unexpected treat. But “Million Reasons” might have been the most revelatory, with Gaga turning the rather stately ballad into a confrontational showdown between herself and an avatar of her past self.

For the encore, Gaga stripped it down, wiping away the makeup, hanging up the high-fashion costumes and returning to the stage in nothing but shades, a black beanie and a Cramps t-shirt to sing “How Bad Do You Want Me.” It was clearly a victory lap for Mother Monster, who dropped the dramatic pretenses and simply allowed herself to exist as a human on a stage, running around with casual glee and beaming massive smiles to the folks in the back rows. “Before I came on stage tonight, I couldn’t even believe you were here for me,” Gaga admitted earlier that evening of some pre-show nerves. By the encore, those doubts were clearly banished, with Gaga rightfully relishing the joy she brought to her throngs of devotees.