Steampunk Haunted House: Through the Looking Glass
466 Grand Street (at Pitt Street)
New York, NY
I love Alice in Wonderland about as much as I love Halloween, so I was ecstatic to take in this year's Wonderland-inspired Steampunk Haunted House. The journey begins in groups of six, which are then reduced to groups of two as you wander through halls and corridors containing different pieces of the Wonderland puzzle. The familiar characters are there, dressed in Karen Young's beautifully detailed costumes. The environmental design by Christopher Cummings, with Zach Morris, is inventive and does well to set the scene of what lurks beyond the looking glass. If you are an Alice in Wonderland fan or looking to celebrate Halloween without the traditional witches, ghosts, and gore, you cannot miss this.
Is it Scary?
According to their website: "Back by popular demand for a third season, the visually stunning, lushly designed Steampunk Haunted House returns in October 2011 and takes audiences into the darker, more terrifying aspects of Lewis Carroll's classic stories. In this immersive experience, audience members are admitted in small groups, suddenly separated, and thrust into a beautiful and terrifying dreamscape of neo-Victorian elegance and phantasmagoric clockwork horrors. The experience sprawls throughout the three floors of Abrons’ majestic century-old playhouse, its innumerable twisting hallways, looming balconies, and labyrinthine cellars."
The Raven & Black Cat says: Steampunk Haunted House: Through the Looking Glass is a beautiful and mysterious maze through Wonderland. While you may be startled or confused at times, this creepy performance art piece does not contain traditional haunted house scares.
What I Loved
Elizabeth Carena steals the show with her electrifying portrayal of the Mad Hatter. She was compelling to watch and very effectively delivered a dose of that well known Wonderland madness. Other highlights are a choreographed mirroring sequence by two of the young Alices and a hallway with a delightful looking glass trick.
What Could Be Better
There are several young Alice's in the beginning that read portions of the story and set the scene for the journey you are about to take. Unfortunately, their diction and enunciation is very poor and makes it impossible to understand what they're saying. Also, given the name of the haunted house, it seemed like a missed opportunity not to come up with a creepy Steampunk take on the large black headsets worn by many inside the house.
Final Thoughts
Steampunk Haunted House once again provides the Halloween season with beautifully creepy performance art for those looking for an alternative to traditional Haunted house fare.
Streampunk Haunted House Runs
October 22-31st
Discount Tickets
Full Price Ticket Prices
Oct 23,26,27 : $20
Oct 22,28,29,30,31: $25
Oct 26 Halloween Party: $50
- $10 Student Tickets Available - Student tickets will only be sold at the door as walk-up sales.
Age requirements
No children under 8 admitted.
Additional Info
Production Photographs by Adam Jason Photography.
Very cool event!, I hope somebody do something similar this year here in UK!Postscript: Very good pics, I've got envy!Richmond Glaziers
ReplyDelete