SPEAKEASY DOLLHOUSE: ZIEGFELD MIDNIGHT FROLIC
EXTENDS THROUGH
SUMMER
"An evening of dark
revelry” - The New York Times
"Like being inside a Baz
Luhrmann movie" - TheaterMania
"A glorious romp" - NY
Daily News
"Thrilling and
unique" - TheaterMania
"A spangly, slithering web
of dreams" - Talkin' Broadway
"Dizzyingly elaborate" - Talkin'
Broadway
"A creatively altered
universe" - Viewing NY
"The
darker side of the American Dream" - Where NY
(July 1, 2015
– New York, NY) SPEAKEASY DOLLHOUSE: ZIEGFELD MIDNIGHT FROLIC, the third
interactive show in the Speakeasy
Dollhouse series from author, artist and playwright Cynthia von Buhler opened April 18, 2015 and has been extended
through the summer.
The show is held at the historic Liberty Theater in Times Square (accessible
only through a secret portal located at the back of the Liberty Diner at 234
West 42nd Street). Guests are given a faux United States
passport, a suggested role to play and a password which grants them entry into
a reimagining of Ziegfeld's 1920’s extravaganza The Midnight Frolic, replete with
showgirls, burlesque, aerialists and – of course – plenty of spirits. At the
center of the story is the mysterious 1920 poisoning death of silent film star
and Ziegfeld Girl, Olive Thomas, and the subsequent destruction of her husband,
movie star, Jack Pickford. Inspired by Theodore Dreiser’s novel Sister
Carrie, ZIEGFELD MIGNIGHT FROLIC
explores a starlet's transition from hopeful anonymity to disenchanted fame.
Audiences are free to follow the story by watching
an elaborate stage show at Ziegfeld’s Rooftop Theater and or by using their
passport to travel to “Paris.” In Paris they choose their corruption at Montmartre’s
Cabaret du Néant where a garish garcon regales them with tales of guillotines
and deadly bacteria. Or, they travel around the corner to sleuth the luxury
suite at Hotel Ritz Paris where Pickford allegedly tried to save the Follies’
star, after she drank poison.
In addition to Thomas, Pickford and Ziegfeld, 1920s stars such as
Fanny Brice, Josephine Baker, Eddie Cantor, Billie Burke, Marilyn Miller and
the Ziegfeld Girls are represented in the cast. Guests are entertained with
dance, jazz, silent films and magic – and as with all
Speakeasy Dollhouse experiences,
guests are expected to ignore the advice their parents gave them as children:
they should be nosy and talk to strangers.
ZIEGFELD MIDNIGHT FROLIC’s music director, bandleader and horn player is Alphonso Horne, a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center All-Stars,
the band that played nightly for the Broadway musical After Midnight. Bass is played by Jennifer Vincent, drums by Moses
Patrou and keys by Chris Pattishall.
Cynthia
von Buhler is the writer, director
and set designer of ZIEGFELD MIDNIGHT FROLIC. Von Buhler's first play in the Speakeasy Dollhouse series, The Bloody Beginning, ran continuously
in New York City from 2011 - 2105. Chris Fink
served as associate director and FX’s The
Americans star Alison Wright served
as Directorial Consultant. Delysia La
Chatte is the choreographer for the dance and burlesque. Carmela Lane created the costumes. Puppetry
was created and is performed by Erin Orr.
Billy Butler, wrote original songs
for the show, and Czech photographer and filmmaker Bibiana created silent films for the play that feature the cast and
the show’s sets at Liberty Theater.
Bespoke cocktails were created by Bootleg Greg for ZIEGFELD MIDNIGHT FROLIC,
mixologist at the Dean James Max farm-to-table restaurant Parallel Post in
Connecticut, and are mixed and served by the Liberty Theater staff.
Liberty Theater will be offering a $65 per person prix fixe
dinner option for guests during the show. Dinner will be traditional 1920's
American cuisine (with pescetarian, vegan and gluten-free options) and will
include a choice of an appetizer, a salad, an entree, a dessert and one drink
(wine, beer, premium cocktail, or one of our specialty cocktails.) The prix
fixe menu is posted on our website. Dinner is reserved by emailing
reservations@libertytheaterny.com
The SPEAKEASY DOLLHOUSE series is produced by
Smoosh & Smoosh Inc., which creates unique experiences by applying
audience immersion to theater, fine art, music, events, and
business. The company was founded in 2014 by husband and wife
duo Russell Farhang and Cynthia von Buhler. Associate Producer PJ Mead
joined the company in 2013.
SPEAKEASY DOLLHOUSE: ZIEGFELD MIDNIGHT FROLIC will be presented every Friday and Saturday evening,
from April 18 – August 29, at the Liberty Theater. To enter the Liberty
Theater, guests must enter through the Liberty Diner (234 West 42nd
Street), where they will be escorted through a curtained doorway into the world
of ZIEGFELD
MIDNIGHT FROLIC. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are priced as
follows:
Dewdropper (General Admission) Dewdroppers wander and explore -- they
don't need a seat. They receive a role, a passport and an unforgettable
experience. $75
Bee's Knees (VIP) Showgirls escort VIPs to a ''champagne orgy'' at “Paris.'' They
receive a luxurious stage side reserved seat, a celebrity role, a passport and
an unforgettable experience. If they choose the dinner option they enjoy their
dinner at a premium table. $150
Speakeasy
Dollhouse often posts promo codes on their ticketing site offering lower
prices. In addition, returning guests are encouraged to bring their first
passport back in when they return to the show. Those with the most stamps receive
special perks.
Tickets are available by phone at 1-866-811-4111 or
online at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/943609.
PRESS CONTACT: pj@speakeasydollhouse.com or text 646-221-5239
PRESS CONTACT: pj@speakeasydollhouse.com or text 646-221-5239
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