Haunted Speakeasy (at Sea!)
A great party, but not exactly immersive
Niki Luparelli ’s Haunted Speakeasy is a fixture of New England’s Halloween scene. Sure, it’s a costume party. But there’s always a smattering of narrative, a few creepy characters, and enough killer 1920s-themed entertainment to push the party just over the line into (imagine my doing jazz hands for full effect here) immersive theatre.
It’s high time New England joined London, Los Angeles, and New York as part of the immersive pantheon.
And okay, New England isn’t exactly what most people think of as an immersive hotspot. But as No Proscenium’s New England Correspondent, it’s my journalistic duty to uncover every single one of our region’s beautiful immersive opportunities. We were the American birthplace of Sleep No More, damn it. It’s high time New England joined London, Los Angeles, and New York as part of the immersive pantheon.
Or it would have been, had the Haunted Speakeasy (at Sea!) been anything more than a perfectly lovely booze cruise.
This one, though, is on me. I’ve been trying to sell my editors on the merits of writing up experiences that hover along the outer edges of immersive theatre — living history parks, LARPs… the sort of things that might get more people interested in this incredible genre. So, when I heard that Haunted Speakeasy was kicking off its 2021 season on “an eerie moonlight cruise along haunted Boston Harbor in a replica 1800’s riverboat,” I really wanted this event to fit that bill.
My odds of hitting the reviewer’s jackpot here were 50/50. Luparelli is known for hosting themed parties with local artists. There’s usually entertainment and rarely a traditional stage. I attended one a few years ago where the venue was a spooky old mansion. Masked actors wandered the halls, gently guiding guests towards the dance floor or a haunted tour of the grounds. Luparelli and her band, The Gravediggers, kept the hits coming while kitted out burlesque dancers took to the floor.
It was a good time. A great time, even, and I was excited to see how the show had evolved since 2018. The blurb seemed promising: “enter a time long before, when liquid spirits were drunk in secret and hallowed spirits haunt the decks.” The rest of this year’s speakeasies are happening in Salem’s Old Town Hall, but I wanted to step into October with a boatload of ghouls and gals — especially after being warned to “beware the surprises that await” on board. Yes, please.
The burlesque and drag acts were beautifully authentic, as always — a fantastically recreated Josephine Baker number was a particular standout — and the riverboat was straight out of a New Orleans fantasy.
Unfortunately, what followed wasn’t much of a surprise. A bunch of (vaccinated) strangers dressed in our Gatsby finest set sail to enjoy a cash bar, a live band, and a night on the water. A handful of guests added spooky touches to their outfits, but a few undead flappers and that lone costumed performer I saw wandering below deck were the evening’s only nods towards “haunted.” The burlesque and drag acts were beautifully authentic, as always — a fantastically recreated Josephine Baker number was a particular standout — and the riverboat was straight out of a New Orleans fantasy. But there wasn’t much else going on ambiance- or narrative-wise.
One staff member told me that she was excited for the Salem event, which would be more heavily produced, featuring characters and interactive elements. An upcoming schedule notes that Salem attendees will “be touring Miss Havisham’s Parlour on the main floor of Town Hall for an immersive experience based on the novel by Charles Dickens,” and that “immersion theater by History Alive” will let people “drink with the ghosts of Old Town Hall.”
I had been hoping for more BOOs. The BOOze cruise (don’t blame me, it was in the marketing materials), alas, was just an opening salvo to the season.
Honestly, that’s the event I wish I was reviewing right now. I had been hoping for more BOOs. The BOOze cruise (don’t blame me, it was in the marketing materials), alas, was just an opening salvo to the season; perfect for partiers who wanted to experience something a little left of center, but not anything that was going to usher newcomers into the immersive universe. Keep it in mind for next year, if you’re itching to dress up and enjoy some live music under the stars. Otherwise, set your sites on one of the franchise’s landlubber-friendly events.
Haunted Speakeasy (at Sea!) — Niki Luparelli
$75 — $150; Boston/Salem; through October 31
