The Crimson Curtain is a vintage-style cinema that solely features spooky films and happens to be haunted by a playful ghost of the building’s past life. Formerly a prohibition speakeasy where performers would gather to share their artistry, the building features opulent rooms filled with velvet cushioned couches, chandeliers, and an elevated stage with a crimson-colored curtain. Purchased by the owners after being abandoned for decades, The Crimson Curtain now hosts scary movie nights for Cinephiles and offers swanky cocktails and elevated, small bites. Unbeknownst to the owners and first Movie-goers, the building’s rooms are haunted by a burlesque performer that was killed in the 1926 police raid that shut the speakeasy down for serving alcohol. To meet the ever-increasing demands of Cinephiles wanting more immersive theatre experiences, the Crimson Curtain has kept its doors open and welcomes Movie-goers to investigate the building's past, and to enjoy their own, real-life haunting inspired by some of their favorite films.
Backstory
In 1923, Hair of the Dog opened its concealed doors to the underbelly of New York City. The speakeasy, only discoverable through word of mouth, served illegal alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of the era who opposed the increasing threat and banishment of alcohol from society. Additionally, the speakeasy was home to a vast array of performers who took the stage under the shadow of a crimson curtain. Jazz musicians, poets, and burlesque stars found solace in Hair of the Dog, as it was one of the few places these artists could express themselves freely.
One burlesque star, Phoebe Fatale, rose to fame amongst the flappers and mobsters of the prohibition era. Her playful, risqué performances held the audience captive for hours and increased the revenue of Hair of the Dog exponentially, so much so that “Fridays with Fatale” became a weekly occurrence. Phoebe’s face covered the speakeasy in lit up frames, drinks were named after her, and a storage closet was renovated to be her personal, green room. In Phoebe’s eyes, life couldn’t get better
But life changed for Hair of the Dog and Phoebe Fatale on Friday, August 13, 1926, when the NYC police were tipped off about a speakeasy running behind a local restaurant. In the middle of Phoebe’s act, the police barreled through the guarded doors of the bar and seized all owners and bartenders. Occupants fled left and right, and some managed to escape the grips of the city’s most powerful police force. Some weren’t as lucky. Phoebe Fatale was shot dead by a sheriff after refusing to leave the stage and putting up one hell of a fight.
Hair of the Dog was boarded up just weeks after the raid and was left untouched for decades until Lars and Brandy Poe bought it in 2025 with the hope of transforming it into a vintage style cinema. Named The Crimson Curtain after the red, velvet curtain that hung down from the stage, and the red, feathered boa they found laid on the stage floor, the cinema touts lavish cocktails and elevated small bites, all served amongst opulent rooms filled with plush furniture, ornate chandeliers, filigree wallpaper, and dim lighting.
Within the first few weeks of ownership, the owners became well-aware that the spirit of Phoebe Fatale still haunted the building. No matter how many times they threw out the red-feathered boa, it always showed back up inside the theater, often in the most unreachable of places. They could hear heels clicking on the wooden floor of the stage despite nobody walking there, and the already dim lighting would flicker every now and again followed by wistful laughter. The Poes hoped inviting more Guests into the cinema would scare the ghost away, but upon the first screening, Movie-goers shared that thumping, whispers, and gusts of wind could be felt as they watched the scary movie being played. To the Poes’ surprise, the Guests seemed to enjoy this heightened cinematic experience and were intrigued by the playfulness of Phoebe’s haunting.
The Crimson Curtain became a staple for Cinephiles of the horror genre, and its doors are open to those wanting to enhance their scary movie viewing experience and immerse themselves within their own, real life haunting.
Immortal Ivories is a supernatural, dueling piano bar featuring nightly performances from Owner, Count Crescendo, and his various monstrous enemies. When Lupin Moonstone, a nomadic werewolf, enters the bar, a duel of haunting melodies ensues titled, Full Moon Foes and Woes. Through sing-along choruses, impassioned ballads, and scripted dialogue, audiences engage in whimsical lore, heated rivalries, and ultimately choose who gains the glory from winning the melodious battle. Accompanied by projection mapping, atmospheric fog, and lighting machines, LED reactive pianos, and sound effects, Full Moon Foes and Woes transforms into an immersive, theatrical experience.
One fateful evening, Immortal Ivories welcomes a familiar challenger: Lupin Moonstone, a nomadic werewolf forever tied to Count Crescendo by the invisible string of the full moon. What starts out as a routine jam session between long-time frenemies soon turns into a twisted tale of friendship, competition, and betrayal by garlic bread. In Full Moon Foes and Woes, the two frenemies clash with glowing, LED-reactive pianos, trading ballads, comedic jabs, and sing-along choruses that help unravel the deep-rooted lore between two of the most iconic monsters known to man.
When the show begins, Count Crescendo appears alone on the stage, sharing how he has a peculiar feeling a familiar face may show up at the piano bar that evening. In just moments, Moonstone enters the bar and walks on stage to greet Crescendo. After a heated back-and-forth that foreshadows the history of the relationship as it unfolds throughout the show, the piano duel begins.
The ballads from Moonstone and Crescendo take us back to their childhood as playground rivals, to their early teenage years pining over the same doe-eyed zombie, and into early adulthood, where treachery strikes under the full moon at the Full Moon Monster Championship. The Audience learns through song that Lupin sabotaged Crescendo’s chances at winning the championship by tricking him into eating garlic bread, which almost left him dead…. again.
Filled with humor, audience participation, scripted dialogue, and technology such as projection mapping, fog machines, and more, Full Moon Foes and Woes takes audiences on a journey through the fictional yet relatable past of history’s most iconic monsters. With passionate ballads and plenty of humor, Full Moon Foes and Woes curates a nostalgic story that reminds audiences to practice forgiveness, love their enemies, and ultimately find light in even the darkest corners of life.