Stunning acrobatics, a feast fit for a king and an air of mystery surround the hype around New York City’s interactive dinner theater Queen of the Night. Well worth the hefty price tag akin to some of the hottest Broadway shows, Queen of the Night serves up hours of drinks, fun, mystery, intrigue…and even a little seduction.
Your evening begins by descending down an old winding staircase, where you will receive scintillating cocktails with cheeky names like The Willing Gentleman and the Queen’s Bush. For about an hour you are able to walk around and explore the scenes and interact with the performers — make sure to keep an open mind and you will have an exciting and unique experience. The next couple of hours will enchant you as you sit and watch stunning feats of strength and acrobatics that do not fail to entertain. Commonly compared to Sleep No More and Cirque du Soleil, this experience is actually uniquely its own.
Even the dinner is presented as part of the show itself, and with Chef Greg Lingaya of Le Cirque at the helm, the food is nothing to scoff at. The newly revamped menu was inspired by the original Queen of the Night food concepts by Chef Jason Kallert and Jennifer Rubell, but the new menu is more seasonal and decadent, with items including whole roasted chicken served over black truffle popovers, roasted leg of lamb, salmon wellington, vegetable primavera risotto, yellow and green squash au gratin and haricot verts with pickled shallots. Served family-style, each table is adorned with a lavish buffet of different entrees, encouraging guests to get up, mingle and barter with the other tables and guests for other food items.
The whole evening is designed to push people mildly outside of their comfort zone and interact with not only the performers, but with other guests. Carafes of wine also adorn the tables during dinner, while dessert is served in an entirely different fashion. Near the end of the spectacular evening of performances, you will have your chance to score some creamy chocolate dessert, spoon-fed to you by the performers themselves. There’s no room for the shy and bashful here.
The only complaint of the evening is that we wish it never ended. And as each experience is unique, we could definitely be persuaded to come back for round two!
Twisted Talk: Have you been to Queen of the Night? What did you think of it? What’s your favorite immersive dinner theater experience? Discuss below!
