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Time Out
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
I took a ferry to New York's newest immersive show—it's a fun night out among comrades
Dressed head to toe in black—from jet black lipstick and a long, witchy wig to a edgy leather harness—I joined dozens of others like me en masse to board a ferry to Governors Island on Saturday night. It looked like we were part of some Millennial goth-cult, which is the required dress code of The Death of Rasputin, the new immersive production by Artemis is Burning—a female-led creative team—at LMCC's Arts Center. I've found that in the wake of Sleep No More 's closure, we're all looking for something to fill the void it left, a show that we feel a real part of, one that we can physically touch and turn over in our hands and express joy, excitement, concern and fear to the actors in front of us. Enter The Death of Rasputin. Was it a success? It certainly tries and for that, it's worth a fun night out. Once scanned in and bag checked, I made my way into a bohemian bar, Katya's, with jewel-toned hanging lanterns and anti-establishment posters plastered on its brick walls, where all my fellow darklings ordered drink specials like a delightful clarified white Russian and snacked on just-OK pierogis. The setting here is 1916 Petrograd (Russia) before the revolution and just as the mysterious mystic Rasputin is gaining (too much) influence with the Romanovs, especially the tsarina—a concept by Ashley Brett Chipman (Servant). The pre-show excitement was electric. My cult-mates and I enjoyed people-watching and checking out the dimly-lit room's little details by set designer Lili Teplan (Love, Brooklyn) and light designer Devin Cameron (The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart). Just before the show began, we were given some rules: no phones, no camera and no talking. We were about to experience. As described in a press release, it's not a mere play—' it is a descent into decadence, a fever-dream of power, prophecy, and betrayal.' 'This debaucherous satire unfolds as a lavish, unholy revel, conjuring the espionage and mysticism that danced at the edges of the Romanov dynasty in its twilight hour. Here, every character claws for dominion, every ambition is laced with poison, and every grasp for power pulls them closer to the abyss. With history and legend entwined, and the specter of Rasputin looming large, this production dares to reclaim the grand spectacle of immersive performance, shattering the mold long held by the few. The revolution is here. The prophecy is written. Will you heed the call?' Featuring an original cast member, directors and a producer from Sleep No More —Zina Zinchenko, Ashley Brett Chipman, Hope Youngblood and Kelly Bartnik, respectively — The Death of Rasputin aims to recreate the breathless excitement of the immersive show that had us returning again and again to the McKittrick Hotel for 13 years. With choreography by James Finnemore (TERRA), costume design by Eulyn Colette Hufkie (The Walking Dead) and sound design by Stephen Dobbie (The Burnt City), we were yanked into this new world like joining the whirling dance performed in the opening scene. We were actively part of it at times and largely fly-on-the-wall observers to this explosive moment in history—made more dramatic, romantic, sensual and mysterious for the production than it actually was in reality. Like Punchdrunk's Sleep No More, Emursive's Life & Trust (RIP) and 2023's The Great Gatsby (did you forget about this one?), we were free to choose our own adventure and follow whomever we wanted to—or choose what cult we were in—the cult of Rasputin, the cult of revolution that takes place in the bar or in the cult of opulence and follow the Romanovs. We got to roam around the two-story space and explore the rooms, which include the bar, a full cabin in the woods, a military tent, a study, the royal couple's boudoir, a garden, the Winter Palace's ballroom and a couple of hidden passages. It's smaller in scale, making for an easier time getting around and following fewer cast members. It could benefit for a smaller ticket cap, however, because it suffers from what a lot of immersive performances do: a swarm of audience members who block the view at times. I wasn't immediately aware of my freedom, so I stuck around in the bar for the first 10 or 15 minutes and enjoyed chanting about the right to food and healthcare with my comrades a little too much. I mostly followed Lohktina (Manatsu Tanaka) as she dealt with the fallout from choosing a life of magic and 'communing' with Rasputin (Jake Ryan Lozano) but had fun watching the priest Iliodor (Tim Creavin) lose his shit when he finds out the tsarina is also getting down and dirty with Rasputin—honestly, who wasn't? As a lover of history, I was surprised by this version of Rasputin, who in the performance is a raving and whirling madman, careening from room to room and womanizing with wild abandon. The character was missing the mesmerizing (read: sexy) quality that would explain why everyone was so entranced. Notably, The Death of Rasputin is different from shows like Sleep No More in one major way: it had dialogue. I did wonder if the broken silence signaled some to audience members that it was OK to speak—because some of them did and had no qualms about it. And unlike many other immersive productions, humor found its way into the script and in off-hand comments and in the delivery by the cast, which lightened the tension at times, which I enjoyed but impacted the tone. It turns out my Millennial goth-cult was actually a pretty fun hang and one that I'd recommend to those looking to live through a historic event that had nothing to do with us for once. Performances of The Death of Rasputin are on Thursdays through Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2:15pm through May 31. Tickets are $148 and include ferry transportation to and from Governors Island, and a limited number of $44 student tickets are available.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Priyanka Jonas, Hunter Schafer Join Olivier Rousteing for Johnnie Walker Vault Launch Dinner
On Saturday night, the McKittrick Hotel — the longtime home of immersive 'Macbeth' production 'Sleep No More' — opened its doors for a new Scottish arrival. This time, the story looked a little different: more whisky, less murder. And a lot more Balmain. Olivier Rousteing, in New York for the Met Gala, and Johnnie Walker Vault teamed up to host a launch dinner for their new collaboration, four 'couture' bottles of whisky inspired by Rousteing's connection to the four seasons. More from WWD Here's a First Look at The Mark Hotel's Met Gala Baseball Cap That's Exclusively Gifted to Celebrity Guests Leon Bridges, Julez Smith and More Attend 'Grace Wales Bonner: Togetherness' at the Guggenheim Sarah Jessica Parker, Walton Goggins, Julia Fox and More Celebrate the Cult100 With Valentino at the Guggenheim VIP guests arrived at the venue through a blue-lit hallway, perfume-scented and filled with a trance-y audio track voiced by master blender Dr. Emma Walker and Rousteing, which set the mood for the 'sensorial dinner' ahead. 'The aromas and textures move like a cold spring day. You've got a sparkle in the air.' The Scottish voice then shifted to a French accent. 'When the art of couture meets the art of blending.' 'Hi fabulous goddess,' said Rousteing, emerging from the hallway and greeting Priyanka Jonas on the blue-carpeted step-and-repeat. 'You know I'm with one of the most beautiful women in the world?' he called out to the small group surrounding the pair. Afterward, they made their way hand-in-hand past the photo booth and descended into the dark dinner space, where an inverted pyramid, housing a swirling hologram, extended from the center of a large square table. 'I'll see you tomorrow afternoon,' Rousteing told Jonas. Final Met Gala fittings awaited. ' It's gonna be a really busy day [tomorrow], and I think it's even more complex than last year,' said a jubilant Rousteing before dinner. He and several other guests wore a small gold 'couture flask,' hanging from a long chain shoulder strap. 'Tonight we're celebrating Johnnie Walker; in two days we're gonna celebrate the Balmain dresses and suits. So I feel proud. I feel proud of what I'm achieving. After 14 years of career as a creative director, I feel like I just wanna explore,' he added. 'This incredible collaboration makes me more creative and more curious about everything.' 'He's just so incredibly talented,' said Jonas, who launched her own collaboration with Johnnie Walker last fall. 'Walking together at the Met, and [Rousteing] dressing me, is just really exciting. I think he's one of the most accomplished designers we have right now.' Other dinner guests included Hunter Schafer, wearing a tiny pair of wings, and Lupita Nyong'o — 'Olivier's Angels' — as well as Jeremy O. Harris, Rege-Jean Page, Stormzy, Nicky Hilton-Rothschild and Henry Goulding. 'It's Met Gala weekend. Everybody's in town,' said Goulding, dressed in a tux. ' It's always a fun circus, but it's quite stressful. There's a lot happening,' he added. 'There's so many people in town — I'm not looking forward to the traffic — but [looking forward to] seeing everybody and catching up.' Guests sat for dinner by chef Yann Nury, as the central hologram unveiled the collaboration's spring bottle. Jon Bon Jovi's 'Livin' on a Prayer' queued up as servers placed the first course, setting the scene for the first whisky pairing. Eighties pop hits accompanied each course — from Rick Astley to Kim Wilde and Rick Springfield. 'By the way, the music is my playlist, I'm so sorry,' Rousteing revealed to the room, as 'Whip It' played during the meal's dessert course of whisky-flavored ice cream. 'Tonight we are celebrating more than incredible blends — we are celebrating love, happiness, strength, and togetherness,' added the designer, closing out the evening. After dinner, seats were whisked away and the bottle hologram transitioned to a rotating silver Johnnie Walker mascot. The room's dark hue switched to blue, and a curtain opened to reveal the afterparty's Johnnie Walker Blue bar. New guests arrived, some VIPs lingered for a nightcap, and others made their exit. Tomorrow, and tomorrow: the Met Gala finish line is in sight. Launch Gallery: Lupita Nyong'o, Hunter Schafer, and More at the Olivier Rousteing x Johnnie Walker Dinner Best of WWD A Look Back at SAG Awards Best Dressed Red Carpet Stars SAG Awards Wildest Looks of All Time on the Red Carpet, Photos From the Archive: A Look Back at Marc Jacobs Annual Holiday Party [PHOTOS]
