“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 was discovered could be rented for functions
Leveraging a Rolodex filled with Juilliard Graduates, Founders, a conservatory trained quintet combining classical, folk and original compositions 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 lists of audiences who had taken part of unprecedented soirées for adventurous nightlife enthusiasts in off the grid locations such as deserted train stations, historic swimming pools and a rooftop water tower, physical invitations, developed in the style of Mrs. Vanderbilt’s renowned Gilded Age ball, were sent to a select audience of 20 with a message to “pass it on” by September 12th, when tickets would go on sale.
As the moon cast its eerie glow upon the ancient crypt, guests entered from the grave yard 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.
Amidst the sepulchral ambiance, guests learned the steps of a dances and ball etiquette long lost to time, as mournful strains of a haunting melody played by a spectral quintet echoed 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.
