“It’s only going to be the party of the century, a once in a lifetime experience, no big deal.” So began the invitation to, what was supposed to be, a 40-person candlelit dinner party in a tomb for the dead, but turned into an over 100 person concert and ball with a wait list of over 300 people.
Through extensive research, a Crypt on the Upper West Side that hosts classical music concerts was unearthed.
Leveraging a Rolodex filled with Juilliard Graduates, Founders, a conservatory trained quintet interested in re-imagining the concert experience, signed on to perform.
Through market research it was discovered that few Halloween events begin until at least the third week in October. With this in mind, the Crypt Ball was scheduled for the second weekend in October and positioned as “The Opening of the Halloween Season,” reminiscent of Mrs. Astor’s ball, which traditionally “Opened” the Society Season.
Whispers of a unique underground party surfaced at the beginning of September, leveraging email lists of consumers who had taken part in adventurous nightlife soirées previously. Physical invitations, developed in the style of Mrs. Vanderbilt’s renowned Gilded Age ball, were sent to a select group of influencers with the message “pass it on!” Which they did!
Upon release, tickets sold out so rapidly, we were forced to more than double the capacity for the event.
As the moon cast its eerie glow upon the ancient crypt, guests entered from the graveyard and descended into the depths of darkness, clutching invitations to the enigmatic Crypt Ball.
One hundred souls mingled amidst the flickering candlelight, surrounded by costumed performers who unfurled tales of residents resting among them in the damp stone walls.
Immersed in the sepulchral ambiance, guests learned ballroom dances, as mournful strains of a haunting melody played by a spectral quintet reverberated through the chambers.
In the depths of the crypt, where secrets lay buried and echoes of the past whispered through the ages, the Crypt Ball unfolded in a tapestry of Gothic elegance and otherworldly enchantment, setting the stage for an underground soirée series that ran until the 2020 pandemic.