THE ILLUMINATI BALL, AN IMMERSIVE EXCURSION, TAKES THEATER TO NEW LEVEL, TRANSPORTING THEATERGOERS TO SECRET WATERFRONT ESTATE FOR SURREALIST SOIREE & PLAY
"Creative genius." - Forbes
"The
kind of night that taps into the artistic foundation of what New York
used to be: lavish, worth loving and completely ludicrous." - Inside Hook
"Seducing you away from your sense of reality into a more subconscious, dreamlike state of mind, where anything is possible." - Gothamist
“Lavish, eccentric, mysterious, and exclusive.” - Untapped Cities
"Von Buhler strikes a good balance between entertaining her guests and telling a story." - Paper Magazine
"Very entertaining new immersive theatrical experience from multi-talented writer and director Cynthia Von Buhler." - Time Out
"Illuminates the Obscure in the Lavish, Erotic, Yet Playful Illuminati Ball." - Broadway World
Read about our hostess, Cynthia von Buhler, and The Illuminati Ball, in
For information, interviews, photos contact:
What: The Illuminati Ball: An Immersive Excursion
by Cynthia von Buhler
Where: A
secret location one hour outside of Manhattan
When:Selected Saturday evenings
April 1 - August 2017; 6:00pm
– midnight
Tickets: $450
per person (includes dinner, cocktails, luxury round-trip transportation and a gift)
THE ILLUMINATI BALL, AN IMMERSIVE EXCURSION, TAKES THEATER TO NEW
LEVEL, TRANSPORTING THEATERGOERS TO SECRET WATERFRONT ESTATE FOR SURREALIST SOIREE
& PLAY
Latest
interactive play from Cynthia von Buhler is inspired by
infamous 1972 Surrealist Ball hosted by the de
Rothschilds
New York, NY (March 1, 2017) – Last year, from March through October, adventurous
theatergoers were whisked from Manhattan to a secluded lakefront estate
outside of the city for The Illuminati Ball, a lavish dinner, exotic cocktails, and an extraordinary
theatrical excursion inspired by the infamous Surrealist Ball hosted by the
Baron and Baroness de Rothschild in 1972. The 2017 season will begin on April 1, 2017 and will run through the summer.
The Illuminati Ball, the latest production from playwright and director Cynthia von Buhler,
creator of such acclaimed immersive theater experiences as Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic at The
Liberty Theater (2015), Speakeasy Dollhouse: The Brothers Booth at The Players Club (2014), and Speakeasy Dollhouse: The Bloody
Beginning, the hit show which has run continuously in New York City since 2011.
Von Buhler
said the inspiration for The Illuminati
Ball was sparked by leaked photos from the de Rothschild’s legendary 1972
fete, which drew elaborately masked guests like Salvador Dali and Audrey
Hepburn to the powerful couple’s massive mansion in France. She describes the
play as “a surreal, bourgeois dinner party filled with power struggles,
morality tests, and anthropomorphic escapades.” Coining the term “immersive
excursion,” von Buhler explains it as “travel for the curious who enjoy
actively engaging in a performance, rather than passively watching it.”
In addition
to delighting in mouthwatering delicacies and libations as the story unfolds,
guests will be dazzled with a fire performance, opera, aerial silk acts, and
esoteric ritual ceremonies. On select dates, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, one of
hip-hop's most original acts, will make guest appearances to perform a song he wrote for The Illuminati Ball which combines elements of rap and opera sung by Katie Kat.
“Illuminati
and secret societies have been a recurrent subject in my lyrics throughout my
career," said Prodigy. "I find The Illuminati Ball to be a very intriguing play and I am
extremely honored that Cynthia invited me to be a part of the production.” - Prodigy of Mobb Deep
In keeping
with the exclusivity of the de Rothschild’s affair, the list for each
performance is limited to thirty guests (resulting in a 2:1 actor to guest
ratio), who must first complete an application and be approved prior to
purchasing tickets. Upon approval, they will be asked to choose an animal
kinship of pig, monkey, cow, chicken, or mouse, which will shape their
experience throughout the evening.
Guests are
whisked away in a luxury limousine bus and transported to the secret estate,
which is located on a secluded peninsula just one hour from Manhattan. En
route, champagne will be served while guests are briefed and entertained. Candidates will be returned to the city via the limousine
before midnight.
The play is
written and directed by Cynthia von
Buhler. She is also the set designer. PJ
Mead is the Associate Director. The cast are Vincent Cinque (Pig King), Travis
Moore (Chumazee), Delysia LaChatte
(Circe), Prodigy (himself), Justin Moore
(Moloch), Kat Mon Dieu (Demeter), Luka Fric (Vacanti), Eden Atencio (Kamadhenu), Katie Kat (Parthenope), Pearls Daily (Hostess), Nelson Lugo (Magician), Koppyr Snyder (Cat)
and Persephone, a miniature
pot-bellied pig, as herself. Aerial is performed by Rachel Boyadjis and Sara
Zepezauer. Fire performance is by Lady
Blaze. Kat Mon Dieu is the costume designer.