Seductive vampires, dramatic intrigue and a sexy bar. Sounds like something out of an episode of True Blood, but it’s actually a new Los Angeles-based experience determined to immerse guests into an otherworldly vampire music show.
Hollywood & Vamp is having a limited run at The Bourbon Room on Hollywood Boulevard, with just two dates left during the Halloween season. We chatted with Allison Fox, co-founder of 88 Twenty, which created the experience, about what visitors can expect from this immersive vampire music drama.
HalloweenEveryNight: What inspired this kind of immersive experience and why vampires?
Allison Fox: Immersive experiences are such a unique way to connect to an audience in a different way and really take them into a completely new world. The story we are telling is a blend of true Hollywood and rock-n-roll history infused with our vampires that have been here for nearly a century. Being immortal allows us to retell those stories. Plus, vampires are sexy and so is The Bourbon Room, it seemed like the perfect marriage.
HEN: Is every guest’s experience unique based on how they choose to interact with the actors?
AF: Absolutely. All of the actors will reveal different parts of the overall story. From the time you enter, you are set on different paths and you can choose to pursue different characters and they will seek you out. There’s tons of backstory and history that our characters have if you choose to pursue it. It’s like choosing your own adventure.
HEN: How is music integrated with the show?
AF: To us, rock-n-roll and vampires go hand-in-hand. We have a “live” vampire band performing classic rock songs they wrote with the rockstars we know as the authors. The music aids in telling the story of Queen Theda and her staff at Hollywood and Vamp.
HEN: A bar with vampires elicits a very True Blood vibe … is this what you are going for?
AF: There are nods to lots of our favorite vampire properties and True Blood is certainly one of them. Hollywood & Vamp is the sister bar to Fangtasia in many ways and we hope fans of many vampire shows and movies get a taste of being inside the stories they love.
HEN: How long has this show been in the works?
AF: We’ve been talking about how fun a vampire bar and tying into Hollywood history would be for a few years now, this particular production was a really quick process. We started pre-production in late August!
HEN: Has it been impacted by the pandemic?
AF: We play into the vaccine narrative a bit by saying that you are safe with the vampires because they don’t enjoy the taste of vaccinated blood.
The Gory Details
Hollywood & Vamp
Two shows remaining: Oct. 26 & 27, 2021
More info: hollywoodandvamp.com
