Author: Newsroom
WHAT:
TNT launched The Alienist: Angel of Darkness, the much-anticipated new season of the hit, Emmy® Award-winning series The Alienist, with an exclusive virtual live screening of the premiere episode followed by an exclusive interactive and immersive theatrical after-party theatrical after-party on Thursday, July 16th, produced by the award-winning, creative studio and theater company, Little Cinema. Little Cinema has evolved the virtual event experience on their dedicated platform by creating a narrative-driven, 60 minute, three-act, interactive theatrical murder mystery experience set in the world of The Alienist in Gilded-Age New York. On the site, guests have access to a variety of clues and character profiles that drive them from room to room, encouraging interaction with actors and asking questions in real time to help them crack the case of ‘Who Killed Alejandro Valdez?’ The clues on the site are updated at the beginning of each act further driving the storyline. At the end of act three, guests can vote on who they think the real killer is—if they guess correctly, the wrongfully accused innocent man is released; but if they are incorrect, he meets his untimely fate. In addition to elevating the online experience, Little Cinema has upped the ante on engagement boxes by creating a truly unique unboxing experience with a dollhouse-like effect that allowed guests to peer inside a miniature newsroom.
The Alienist: Angel of Darkness Executive Producers Rosalie Swedlin & Stuart Carolan delivered the opening remarks, and guests experienced a socially interactive screening of the first episode. Following the screening, series stars Daniel Brühl, Luke Evans, and Dakota Fanning invited all attendees to join the cast and executive producers in the immersive afterparty.
In this novel whodunnit, guests adopted the detective role of an investigative journalist from The New York Times, traveling through the show’s myriad 20th century landmarks, and navigating the perils of yellow journalism, hostilities of the Spanish-American war and the hard-fought battles of women’s rights – all themes of the new season.
The evening’s drama was informed by historical happenings in 1897 Manhattan with interactive live performers fully immersed in 1890’s character and in settings relevant to the series, including The Opera, Delmonico’s, Montrose Oyster Saloon, The Tombs, The Suffragette HQ, and The Magician’s Theater. The event was narrated by one of the Angel of Darkness’ main characters, Cyrus Montrose (Robert Wisdom), with lively entertainment as the backdrop to each room. Featured acts included live performances from ‘Red Farrell & Alexandria’ (Eli + Daphne Rose) of the Hudson Dusters gang who offered clues for the right price and ‘Theodor Wentworth’s’ (Jonathan Goodwin) breathtaking live escape from a sealed water tank. At Delmonico’s, guests learned from the exquisitely attired Barman, (and all-too-central-to-the-mystery) ‘Bobby Blue’ (Nick Atkinson), how to mix several custom The Alienist cocktails from Death & Co.; Memento Mori photographer ‘Mr. Never + Forget’ (Marc Schrei + Zepe Zauer) tantalized guests with a seemingly private performance piece fusing opera with the art of Shibari rope tying; ‘Charlotte + Martha’ (Mia Ellis + Jisel Soleil Ayon) scripted guests’ names on a giant chalkboard in real time, adding them to the women’s suffrage movement; ‘The Wentworth’s’ (Nina Silver, Olivia Echegaray, Seamus Guy) chatted guests up with the latest gossip and clues at The Opera. And if the right clue was found, guests were able to enter The Tombs, where ‘Mateo Sanz’ (Miguel Anaya) – the wrongfully accused – was being held.
Consultant Darin Pfeiffer curated the VIP guest list to attend the virtual event in lieu of a traditional red carpet. Support from celebrities and influencers on social media has been a cornerstone of the virtual event model, with Pfeiffer Consulting’s long-standing industry contacts leading the charge, including confirmed names such as Angela Bassett, Wayne Brady, Rumer Willis, Daveed Diggs, Ashley Graham, George Takei, Penn Jillette, Zack Snyder and more.
Prior to the event, VIP guests received a custom curated mystery boxed set of physical clues, enshrouded in Gilded-Age glamour and hidden in lockets, matchboxes and a Victorian leather-bound journal to help them navigate and solve the dastardly crime in the virtual space. Guests were encouraged to access custom cocktail recipes created by Death & Co. featuring Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond Bourbon in an exclusive partnership with The Alienist, at #TheAlienist on Instagram. During both events, Delmonico’s barman ‘Bobby Blue’ will flex his mixology prowess with these drinks.
Little Cinema’s theatrical production will continue for a second run when consumers are invited to solve the mystery of “Who Killed Alejandro Valdez?” in a virtual pre-party leading into TNT’s two-hour premiere on July 19, while supplies last.
In support of both the July 16 and July 19 premiere events and to give back to the city that inspired the series, TNT will make a donation to the NYC Health + Hospitals Covid-19 fund and the Tenement Museum in Manhattan.
An unflinching, gripping, turn-of-the-century murder mystery that traverses both New York’s wealthy elite and the struggling underbelly of the city’s “Gilded Age,” in The Alienist: Angel of Darkness, Sara (Fanning) has opened her own private detective agency and is leading the charge on a brand-new case. She reunites with Dr. Kreizler (Brühl), the formidable alienist, and John Moore (Evans), now a New York Times reporter, to find Ana Linares, the kidnapped infant daughter of the Spanish Consular. Their investigation leads them down a sinister path of murder and deceit, heading towards a dangerous and elusive killer.
WHEN:
Virtual Consumer Pre-Party: “Who Killed Alejandro Valdez?”
Sunday, July 19 at 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET at the custom-built microsite leading into the two-hour season premiere on TNT. Eventbrite Link Here.