The Unmarked Door’s Crimson Cabaret is Marvelous

Willkommen

Dressed in my very best ‘60s-inspired cocktail dress, I check in at the front desk. I am given an ID card with my new name, pose for a photo, and am handed my mission for the evening. During my stay at this West Berlin nightclub, I am to meet with my contact, say a specific phrase, and receive further instructions. I walk through the curtains and am transported to 1963. Here, in Crimson Cabaret, my name is Natalia, and I am a spy for the KGB. 

Crimson Cabaret is the newest production from The Unmarked Door (The Witnessing) and composer Rolfe Kent (Dexter, Sideways), along with associate producers Moonshine Experiential. This ambitious and stunning two-hour experience combines a traditional cabaret with burlesque and musical numbers, live music, sandbox-style immersive theater, escape room-like puzzles, and a bar with themed cocktails. With something for everyone, Crimson Cabaret is a well-executed and very entertaining evening out. 

The Cabaret

The main hub of the night is the cabaret proper – with a stage, live band, dance floor, seating, and a bar for those needing some liquid courage before embarking on their given secret missions. If guests want to sit in the audience and watch the cabaret for the entire evening – as well as characters and participants whispering secrets and moving quickly to their next target – they will not be disappointed. Hosted by the energetic and magnetic MC (Ryan Leslie Fisher), the cabaret on stage has song-and-dance numbers choreographed by Rai Quartley, several saucy burlesque numbers performed by sultry Sarah O’Dwyer, a clown routine and mute antics by expressive Catie Faye Smith, stunning aerial Lyra work by Emily Yetter, several lovely ballads by visiting singer Anya (Michelle Vezilj), and even a fun tap dancing routine by Crimson Cabaret’s manager (Tezz Yancey). Each of the aforementioned performers also take part in the immersive entertainment out on the floor and backstage. 

The ambiance of the cabaret is beautiful and truly sets itself apart from other immersive productions. The bar has two specialty cocktails created by John McCormick (The Speakeasy Society’s Wizard of Oz), as well as a variety of liquors and mixers for guests to choose from. A dance floor in front of the stage can be utilized by partying guests as well as performers, who are beautifully dressed in Tajka Wierzbick’s lovely period-appropriate costumes. The Happiness Band provides the catchy songs by Rolfe Kent (some might get stuck in your head longer than expected). Booze, sexy performers, exciting music, mysterious clientele – anything a participant might want in an evening at a cabaret, The Unmarked Door has it covered.

The Clandestine

For participants with an itch to get in on the dramatic action, there is a deeply rich immersive narrative to get involved in as much or as little as desired. The onboarding process of giving audience members a new identity along with their top secret mission aids in guests finding their footing within this new world. Giving them a jumping off point with a new name, nationality, and career, Crimson Cabaret encourages guests to play their own role in this ongoing mystery by talking to other guests and performers, following clues, and perhaps switching allegiances between the KGB and CIA (or vice versa). As a mostly sandbox-style experience, guests can also pop in and out of their interactions if they want to grab a cocktail or take a break to watch a particularly eye-catching cabaret number. But guests will likely be hard-pressed to stay out of the action when a shocking death upends the evening.

As is often the case with sandbox-style immersives, guests will likely not interact with all of the characters, or follow all of the threads, present in this lavish narrative filled with espionage. During my trip to the cabaret, there are characters I wasn’t even aware existed until the end of the night, making Crimson Cabaret endlessly repeatable. Out of those performers I did interact with, Rene Lovit as Varinka stole the evening. Her flirty Russian countess is a ball of energy; she makes guests laugh and hang onto every snippet of gossip that drips from her lips. Alan Grinberg’s stuffy and cranky Boris is an intimidating Russian I would not want to double-cross, but Grinberg shows his range when doting after singer Anya. Terence Leclere offers up some comedy as drunken Frenchman Lukas; Jason Paul Field is appropriately shady as suave Desmond; and Dasha Kittredge (Under the Big Top: Atlas) intrigues as Jones. The cast – endlessly improvising and corralling guests back into the major plot points – seems to work together effortlessly in this ever-changing production. 

Another impressive aspect of the immersive narrative is Madeleine Maloy’s intricate sets, and Amanda Fletcher and Maloy’s props. Guests embarking on their missions might find secret rooms, trap doors, and clues scattered amongst incredibly detailed props and sets reflecting the year 1963. Some participants will be sent on small puzzle-solving quests as well – perfect for escape room enthusiasts – but the majority of the time will be spent collecting information or possibly recruiting other operatives. While there are guidelines for audience members in terms of where and when they can free-roam, they are ultimately able to explore the intricate space and encouraged to do so. I missed some truly awesome set design work while I toiled away with my assigned tasks. 

The one issue I noticed during my time in Crimson Cabaret was a sort of bottleneck of plots leading up into the climax. Several different groups of characters and guests – presumably with varying motives – all ended up in a big group in a hallway. Here, I missed out on some important information while craning my neck to see into the center of the crowd. As this led into the climax and big reveal, I ended up losing the WHY of it all, despite the engaging performances of the actors involved. I’m sure each night will be different depending on the audience’s interactivity, so this bottlenecking might never be an issue again. And everything leading up to that point – and even the events afterward – was all so impressive that the WHY didn’t end up mattering much in the grand scheme of things.

Final Thoughts

The beauty of Crimson Cabaret is that all facets of the event work excellently in tandem so no guest is ever bored or looking for something to do. With specialty cocktails; engaging burlesque, singing and aerial work on stage; clandestine spy missions; and mysterious and nuanced characters within the club, Crimson Cabaret is a thoroughly enjoyable evening and a must-see for 2019!

Crimson Cabaret runs now through December 29th; find more information and purchase tickets HERE. For more information on The Unmarked Door, see their website, Instagram and Facebook page.