Mere hours after the Boston Marathon, a sold-out audience at MGM Music Hall awaited Raye’s newest live set: This Tour May Contain Hope, aptly named in celebration of her sophomore album This Music May Contain Hope. The album, which offers a cinematic listening experience, delivered this and more. The elaborate, ever-changing stage setup, multiple costume changes, ensemble, and full band made the entire show feel like an immersive Broadway musical.

Massive theater-esque red curtains hid the contents of the stage as Raye emerged from the aisles, acting out the lyrics to “Intro: Girl Under the Gray Cloud.” The story was just beginning, and Raye set the scene. This dramatic performance included thunder sound effects, a cardboard cloud hanging from the ceiling, and ensemble members throwing confetti on her. Afterward, the curtains opened, revealing a full band, with which Raye performed her hit “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” As the song ended, a fan threw a wedding ring-shaped balloon onto the stage, which Raye graciously accepted and hung around the mic stand. Of this performance, Raye told the crowd, “I’ve officially entered my dramatic era.” Sure enough, as she performed the next few songs, a fan blew behind her, rippling her red silk dress and tossing around her perfectly curled bob.

Toward the middle of the set, Raye entered the jazz portion of the show. The set transformed into a restaurant called “Raye’s Jazz Club,” in which she performed a cover of “Fly Me To The Moon.”

Eventually, it came time in the show for Raye to speak to the audience about her song “Ice Cream Man,” which she explained addresses experiences with sexual harassment in the music industry. The crowd supported her throughout the vocally and emotionally taxing performance with ferocious applause and cheering when she needed to take breaks to wipe away her tears. After going straight from “Ice Cream Man” into “I Know You’re Hurting” (two intensely raw performances), Raye had the audience chant “It’s gonna be alright” several times to reassure the crowd that, after great pain, there is clarity.

Later, Raye transitioned into the “Symphony” portion of the set, performing “Oscar Winning Tears” and “Click Clack Symphony.” Next came the final portion of the show, the “Rave” set, which included “Secrets,” “BED,” “You Don’t Know Me,” “Black Mascara,” and “Prada,” allowing fans to get up out of their seats and dance. After revealing that there would, in fact, be an encore – she couldn’t not tell the crowd, she admitted – Raye brought her sisters (and opening acts) Amma and Absolutely back on stage to perform “Joy.” She told the crowd, “Fight for joy in every corner of your life,” and started a triumphant chant: “I declare there will be joy!” As she returned to the stage for her encore, the crowd exploded at the first note of her viral song “Escapism,” which closed out the showstopping set.