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Forbes
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
3 Immersive Dramatic Experiences Not To Miss-2 In New York, 1 In Paris
In one section of the journey in Viola's Room, the group of six encounter a banquet. Marc J. Franklin Watching a theatrical production is not enough anymore. Audiences are increasingly becoming part of the show. When preview performances begin tomorrow for Masquerade, the new immersive production of Phantom of the Opera , aspects different from the Gaston Leroux novel based- Andrew Lloyd Webber musical will be visible immediately. For one, it will be a far better dressed crowd than usual since attendees are instructed to dress 'extravagantly' in black, white or silver formal or cocktail attire (but no high heels) and wear a masquerade mask (the staff will have handouts, though, if ticketholders arrive without one). And instead of the setting of a Broadway theater, this show takes place in a reconfigured five story building on West 57th Street that formerly housed the art supply store Lee's Art Shop. In that, it echoes the McKittrick Hotel, the six-story building in far west Chelsea that was the home of the immersive production that really set fire to this trend: Sleep No More , a limited run that ultimately ran for 14 years, closing this January. Costumes by Emilio Sosa and masks by Nicola Formichetti from MASQUERADE. César Buitrago for MASQUERADE This setting is constructed to resemble the Paris Opera House complete with the famous chandelier composed of 30,000 crystals provided by Preciosa, the production's 'Official Crystal Partner' as well as the catacombs below (the reason for no high heels; too dangerous to walk.) Within it, audience members are meant to pursue the Opera Ghost through the various floors, learning about his influence over Christine and hearing the original musical's songs sometimes inches from the cast member performing them. Some cast members know that score extremely well: they were principals in the original musical. Ticketholders to Masquerade are required to bring a mask or are provided one if they forget. But it will likely not be as elaborate as this cast member's mask designed by Nicola Formichetti. César Buitrago for MASQUERADE Interest in the show is so high that the preview period sold out within hours but the run has been extended with tickets now on sale for performances September 9 through October 19. The evening performances are adults only but there are a few special Saturday and Sunday matinees for 16 year olds and above. The bedroom of the main character in Viola's Room. Marc J. Franklin Over at The Shed in Hudson Yards, Punchdrunk, the company that created Sleep No More is at it again with Viola's Room, a particular favorite of Felix Barrett, the company's artistic director. Based on The Moon Slave , a turn of the 20th century Gothic story by author Barry Pain, it's a more linear production than Sleep No More : you're moving forward although in relative darkness guided by low level light cues through a labyrinth of passageways, sometimes with squishy walls closing in on you. You can't wear high heels here either; in fact you can't wear shoes at all, a directive which becomes clearer in the second half of the journey as your feet encounter uneven, sometimes gritty surfaces and sand as part of the story. Your guide for all this is the hypnotic voice of actress Helena Bonham Carter on noise canceling headphones, revealing a tale of an orphaned princess betrothed to a prince she doesn't want to marry and her amblings from the palace into a garden maze to dance under the spell of the moon. But you also start in the room of a young girl growing up in the 90's (cue Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden and a poster of Tori Amos among other memorabilia), a room that you return to as part of the meandering path but there are always changes in it when you do. The story is operating on two levels with so many sensory infusions (visuals, sounds, scents) that you don't always know in whose story you're moving. You're often also too busy trying to find the next doorway or wall opening to really try to figure it out at the same time. All in all, it's a dreamlike journey-you just go with it- and one with so many stimulations that it should be experienced twice at least to take it all in. The running time is about 50 minutes and the production also runs until October 19. Famous Paris landmarks provide the setting for an upcoming three day immersive experience created by the upscale travel company Ariodante. Leonard Cotte Solving A Mystery In The Landmarks of Paris Coming this fall in Paris, in the way that the Olympics Opening Ceremony used the city as a setting, the luxe travel company Ariodante plans to use it to stage a three day experience called The Queen's Lost Diamonds . Here, the participants are even more involved in the production because there's a mystery around a royal scandal and the guests are the ones solving it, traversing the city, venturing into parts of landmarks usually not open to the public and questioning historical figures played by actors. There are also promised challenges for aspiring daredevils. Tickets aren't being placed on public sale and very few other details are being released in advance. Would-be participants need to apply and prices start at $627,000; the exact price will be determined by the path the participant takes—each will be individually tailored. No exact dates have been announced yet but the time frame is expected to be October-November. 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Vogue
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
‘Phantom,' Transformed: A First Look at the Costumes of New York's Immersive ‘Masquerade'
Details about Masquerade, an immersive new revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera in New York, are still scarce; so far, the production has obscured the cast and crew's specific roles under the guise of following strict instructions from the Opera Ghost. But here's what we do know: Named after one of the 1986 musical's songs and major setpieces, Masquerade will begin previews later this month at a renovated art-supply store near Central Park South. Excepting a few matinee performances, it will be a 21-plus affair, modeled after the recently shuttered Sleep No More. Another hint that this go-around with Phantom—which arrives two years after the iconic Broadway production ended its 35-year-long run—will be more grown-up? The recent announcement that Nicola Formichetti, Vogue Hommes Japan's former fashion director and a frequent collaborator of Lady Gaga's, serves as the show's Director of Masks. In an interview earlier this month, Formichetti told Vogue that he was brought into the fold of Masquerade by director Diane Paulus, who paired him with her longtime costumier, the Tony-nominated Project Runway favorite Emilio Sosa. Though this is Formichetti's first proper theater job, his appointment will make good sense to anyone who remembers Gaga's VMAs debut in 2009. Performing 'Paparazzi,' the then-23-year-old donned a custom Keko Hainswheeler mask and bled out onstage in an extremely theatrical homage to the musical. (Formichetti served as the performance's fashion director.) 'Gaga and I never put Phantom on the mood board, but it's just engraved in our DNA, this chic attire and mask,' Formichetti recalled. (He showed Paulus a video of the number upon first meeting.) 'I've always had a fascination with masks, and maybe it came from loving Phantom in high school, I don't know. To me, masks are very similar to the art of makeup or the art of drag: It's not about hiding who you are, but transforming yourself into something else, into whoever you want to be. Maybe that's showing, actually, the true self.' His list of inspirations for the nearly 50 designs used in the production range from the piece's early 20th-century Parisian setting to the modern underground club scene. Formichetti said that car parts and broken glasses, Dalí and Duchamp, '90s Alexander McQueen and Galliano, and Amanda Lepore's punk-glamour attitude also found their way in: The show's aesthetic is, in his words, a 'kind of surrealism-meets-S&M dungeons' situation.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Remembering Pope Francis: Abilene reflects on his legacy
ABILENE, Texas () – Catholics around the world are mourning the death of Pope Francis, who passed away Monday morning at the age of 88. Here in the Key City, locals are also reflecting on his legacy and sharing how he touched their lives. The Latest: Pope Francis dies at age 88 after a stroke Father Emilio Sosa of St. Vincent Catholic Church in Abilene shared his thoughts on this historical moment. 'He made holy noise. I think as a good leader, you are fighting for a good cause. You have to make a noise. And for a pope, or a man, or any human being who is 88 years old, any illness can be very, very grave,' We also spoke with a devout Catholic here in Abilene, who reflected on the timing of the pope's passing. 'So on this morning, when I woke up and heard the news that he had passed, I thought, well, that's beautiful that he passed on Easter time, and he is now in his heavenly reward,' she expressed. Pope Francis led the church with humility and simplicity The Vatican has begun funeral preparations. The next step will be the papal conclave, where the College of Cardinals will gather to elect the next pope. In a break from tradition, Pope Francis will not be buried in Saint Peter's Basilica. Instead, he will be laid to rest at Saint Mary Major, a fifth-century basilica in Rome dedicated to the Virgin Mary — one he held close to his heart. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
