It’s midnight on the Saturday before Halloween. I’m sitting in a lounge car booth with my two friends who spent their 20s as employees of The McKitrrick Hotel. They’re swapping ghost stories from their time in the building and sharing memories from the long days and nights.
photos /Thomas An
“Attending a McKittrick Party when I worked there made me feel like a micro celebrity.” says my friend Rebecca, a former reservations coordinator. “The most fun was getting to run around with your friends inside knowing you’d all be there the next day violently hungover. For all I complained, being there without them this weekend made me miss the freak show.”
photos /Thomas An
Tell No One, a four night Halloween blowout brought to us by the team behind CX, who founded the series You Are So Lucky event series, are the first tenants to occupy the historic Chelsea space since the closing of Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More and the end of the McKittrick Hotel’s programming. The space is also the former home of 90s club Twilo.
“We’re deeply honored to build on the legacy of this historic building, while bringing it to new life with an immersive design team inspired by The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch” says organizer William Etundi Jr. The experience features the experiential designs by Manena Frazie with performances curated by Mean Red Productions.
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With big, glamorous shoes to fill, long-time fans of the space and new guests alike showed up eager to experience the multi-floor party that kicked off this new chapter. The opening weekend featured sets from the likes of Westend, 2Melo, Waï (BABËL) and more.
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The immersive design included a living garden lush with coxcomb flowers, an eye-catching minotaur and forest fawns and nymphs and the familiar whimsy and labyrinth-like environment. Pop up performances travelled throughout the building from beginning to end, with a larger presence from the upcoming immersive show, The Death of Rasputin. A premium ticket granted access to the former Gallow Green rooftop for spa-level massages and risque circus acts.
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Lillian Vargyas, a frequent guest of The McKittrick, continued her tradition of making custom masks for the opening night, standing out amongst the masquerade.
“The fox represents camouflage and shape shifting, it felt very fitting for the history of the space.”
“The raven represents the hidden worlds beyond the veil, felt like a good choice for the Halloween season and to honor the ghosts of the building.”
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The sultry performances and seduction increased as the nights progressed. The chains, leather and bondage set the stage for those committed to getting lost in late night fantasies. The excitement is set to continue into Halloween weekend, with Friday’s party already sold out. Sets from Anderson .Paak as DJ Pee Wee and dj mOma of Everyday People are set to serve as the grand finale. The spirit of this space’s past lives are certainly alive for Tell No One and are sure to put you in the Halloween spirit.
Ticket for the final night can be purchased at https://tell-no-one.co/
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