Beware of the vampires. On April 30, Bustle threw a spooky soiree at New York’s McKittrick Hotel to celebrate the Season 2 premiere of AMC’s hit series Interview With the Vampire. The show’s actors and creators mingled with guests, who had no clue what spine-tingling surprises were in store.
Upon arrival, attendees — including stars Jacob Anderson and Eric Bogosian — were beckoned downstairs into a vampiric lair for a special screening of the Season 2 premiere, which follows the vampires Louis (Anderson) and Claudia (Delainey Hayles) from Anne Rice’s iconic 1976 novel. Twilight fans would have felt right at home, with fir trees outlining the space, a piano player welcoming us with a haunting soundtrack, and a chilling air that made you feel like a vampire.
When the episode concluded to rapturous applause (spoiler alert: it’s not for the faint-hearted), our master of ceremonies welcomed us to the night’s main event: Théâtre des Vampires, a mysterious, immersive experience that promised to entertain and perhaps frighten just a bit.
Upstairs, guests were led to a reception area filled with delectable bites, romantic photo booths, and a few clues about what was around the corner, including an open coffin, dusty phone booths, and roses galore. I was given a red band and invited to follow ushers into the dark, eerie hallways of the McKittrick, where a doomed love story played out before our eyes.
Our master of ceremonies ran into a damsel in distress and appeared to start rescuing her. Instead, he took her and his entranced audience into the back room, where she tried to save her life by sacrificing one of us. Naturally, this didn’t go well, and a complete blackout ensured her fate.
This was just one of the pop-up performances that unsuspecting guests were lured to throughout the night, before arriving at a hidden speakeasy-esque lounge for a bewitching afterparty.
Craft cocktails were flowing, like the aptly-named Crimson Eclipse with beet-infused gin and apple brandy and a Pompous Parisian with tequila and POM Wonderful pomegranate juice, as guests enjoyed the sounds of a 1920s-esque band playing jazzed-up renditions of classic hits.
If the rest of Season 2 is as enchanting and spooky as this soiree, viewers are in for a treat.
