And like a bat out of hell, DELUSION has come to change that.
I attended last year's show and I was completely floored by the experience. A fresh, invigorating, punch to the gut spin on haunts, DELUSION offers something altogether simple and complicated; What if you were part of a horror story? No just as a spectator, but a participant in the insanity? This is a notion that is fully realized in this interactive haunted play. And it's has no where to go but up. While I was only able to go once last year, the experience was so gripping, I was toiling over it for the days to follow. From the writing, to the performances, to the stunts, to the generally F**ked up and scary atmosphere, this attraction is the next step in horror innovation. This is a link for the review I wrote on Yelp. http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=ffXCued5Ey-mFLpjaZfh_A
After writing that, I immediately decided to make plans for the next show. And since the show is based in Los Angeles and I'm in Detroit, planning was a must. So I waited for the announcements, all the while entertaining myself by making a couple Vine videos about the experience. And then the facebook page started dropping hints and messages. Aw hell yes.
A big hand to the team behind generating the buzz for the show. Though to be honest, I was gonna be an easy sell. Seeing as I was hooked from the get go, they could have just said, "Again?" and I would have this:
And so, the time came for tickets to be purchased. The mailing list member notification was sent and I became as excited as a little girl. (proceeds to grab front of shirt) The day for Pre-sales arrived and I quickly snatched up Halloween night tickets. Significantly better price than the small fortune I had to pay last year. Still ultimately worth it, but hey, that's extra money I can use to put towards the next one! With tickets acquired and flights set, the waiting game commenced.
Fast forward to last week. I arrived in Los Angeles already abuzz about the show. Twitter was busy with the great reviews and celebrity shout outs. Just knowing I was maybe going to be in the same place where Nathan Fillion or Alan Tudyk might have peed their pants? I mean, WOW! Can you imagine!? My joy and anticipation had reached critical mass. Halloween could not happen soon enough. Freaking finally, the day came.
I pulled up to the Manor of Elena Fitzgerald, the character of much repute in the shows description. Upon parking, I arrived at the check in desk and got my wrist band. The word "Ember" was written across it. Excellent. I was then directed towards The Lounge, a quant little hangout area where one could enjoy refreshments, a chain link swing, a comfy couch, or a guillotine. I was also told to listen around The Lounge. Clues and other secrets lay inside a copper tube that looks like if Tim Burton designed the Victrola sound cone. I sat in a chair beside the apparatus and began to hear the hurried, scared, and hushed voice of a woman. Was it Elena? I pondered her musings and rants on shadows and darkness for only a moment when a man started to round up my group. "Ember?" he called. Showtime. Motha. F**king. Showtime. We were led to a metal gate and given an introduction by The Lockmaster. After opening the gate, we were rushed to the back of the house where a single blue light lit a small area at the base of the house. The Lockmaster asks us to silence our noise boxes and refrain from touching and talking unless told to do so. He then asks whom is the bravest. I raise my hand. He then hands me a satchel with a canteen and a medicine bottle inside. He then asks which of us is the least brave. A young woman succumbs to peer pressure and raises her hand. The Lockmaster then leads this poor soul to a stack of boxes, which are then removed to reveal a trap door of sorts. We are all then urged to go through the door, practically having to crawl through this door into an antechamber of sorts (Giving a very Haunted Mansion vibe....but with more sinister characters and scantily clad mystery women). Once inside, The Lockmaster bids us farewell with a smirk and a Happy Halloween. The door shuts and the descent into madness begins.
One of the great beauties of this show is that it creates a living, breathing world. Not just walls covered in fake webs and scary paintings of goblins and ghouls. The room is aged, as if no one has been there for some time. It smells old, undisturbed. You feel like you've entered the ethereal, a place where the rules have changed. The director Jon Braver has once again crafted a truly awesome, terrifying, inspiring, and core shaking tale of terror. In his haunted house, it's not jump scares and goofy music. It's a world of horror and uncertainty. Each character you interact with has their own demons to wrestle with as you become unlikely companions. The mixture of stunts, frights, and story combine for a truly next level experience. The first character, Ruth, regales you with stories of her own struggle inside of the house and how characters from Elena's books have entered our world. What follows is roughly an hour of truly F**ked up-ness that any horror fan will enjoy immensely. The story unfolds expertly and tightly, rarely letting up. The other characters you encounter will mess with you in ways you'll expect and in ways you really won't. (For those of you who are chosen by Glen in the Pink room, you'll know what I mean.) This year's show blew me away and is more improved, meaner, and leaner than last year. The abandoned mansion location lends itself tremendously to the story, always keeping you guessing on where you are. The lighting and sound effects are superb, from the skipping of an old record player, to the rattling of copper pipes in an altogether dank and mystical basement. And then there's the music! Scored by last years composer, Siddhartha Barnhoorn, the music is once again haunting, wrenching, and eerie. And then there are the actors. I'M NOT WORTHY. Each character was divine, brought to life beautifully by these thespians. I felt for each of them, at least, the ones you were supposed to feel for. (Squinty eyes at you, Glenda.) Every aspect was executed with precision, making for an experience that will be forever etched on my brain and soul. Though to be fair, nothing will really trump last year since it was my first DELUSION. You always remember your first, as the saying goes.
I would love to tell you more, but HOLY HELL there's so much that needs to be experienced first hand by you. Maybe when they finish their run I'll spill more but until then, do whatever you can, while you can, to try and see this show. As I said before, this is the next step. We're seeing the evolution first hand, and the future of this attraction is very bright....or is it grim? Regardless, I look forward to many more nightmares and chills from Braver & Co. I'm hooked for this life....and the next.
No comments:
Post a Comment