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Inside NYC’s New Art Deco-Inspired Midnight Theatre

Large round windows are a main feature of the blue and gold bar at Midnight Theatre
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Midnight Theatre, New York City’s newest theater space, might look vintage, but it is anything but. While the design of the space harkens back to the Art Deco period, with gold accents, geometric patterns, and an overall glamorous vibe, the new tech specs, interactive features, and dining experiences are what set this theater apart from the rest. The new venue opened this Fall and will feature a variety of acts, from magicians, comedy, and jazz bands to cabaret, podcast tapings, karaoke, and more.

The entrance to Midnight Theatre features an art deco marquee
Brett Beyer Photography, Courtesy of Midnight Theatre

On December 21st, you can be among the first to experience this innovative new space by attending a performance of the Mingus Big Band, Midnight Theatre’s resident performance group. There are a limited amount of free tickets available for Untapped New York Insiders. Not an Insider yet? Sign up today and get your first month free with code JOINUS!

A man in sunglasses place the bass on the left and on the right a man plays the saxophone.

The Mingus Big Band Performance

Midnight Theatre is an intimate 160-seat theater that is enhanced by a series of technological features which make every performance an immersive experience. Ringing the performance space is a permanently installed 270-degree immersive projection system that can digitally change the decor of the room. The look and feel of the space can shift depending on what the performance calls for. Audience members will be transported to wherever the performers decide.

The performance space at Midnight Theatre
Jason Greenspan, Courtesy of Midnight Theatre

The digital features of the theater not only help set the mood for each performance, but they respond to it in real time.  Animated environments projected onto the theater’s screens react to music. The acoustics of the space are also customizable so that every jazz riff, joke, and belted-out tune can sound just right.

While your sense of sound, touch, and sight are occupied by the immersive performances, your senses of smell and taste are catered to by renowned Brooklyn restaurateur Josh Cohen. Inside Midnight Theatre Cohen has opened Hidden Leaf, a full-scale gourmet restaurant featuring mouthwatering dishes crafted by Chef Chai Trivedi of Buddakan, Pranna, Tamarind, and Eventi Hotel. On the menu, you’ll find Pan-Asian dishes like lobster chow fun and steamed black sea bass with vadouvan curry. The theater’s street-level aperitivo bar features 1970s Italian disco and inventive cocktails.

Screens inside NYC's Midnight Theatre project a city skyline next to rows of audience chairs
Jason Greenspan, Courtesy of Midnight Theatre

Midnight Theatre’s jazz residency is currently filled by the Mingus Big Band. This 14-piece, Grammy Award-winning jazz band celebrates the music of legendary composer and virtuoso bassist Charles Mingus. Now in his centennial year, Mingus was honored by the group with their latest album release, The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions, which came out in October. The group performs new arrangements of Mingus compositions that “encourage deep explorations and ideations of his music, as well as individual artistic expression in a dynamic ensemble.”

The Mingus Big Band performs at Midnight Theatre
Image by The Door, Courtesy of Midnight Theatre

You can experience all that Midnight Theatre has to offer at an upcoming Mingus Big Band show on December 21st. A limited number of free tickets are available Untapped New York Insiders. Not an Insider yet? Sign up today and get your first month free with code JOINUS! Check out more photos of the space below:

A man in sunglasses place the bass on the left and on the right a man plays the saxophone.

The Mingus Big Band Performance

Next, check out 6 Iconic Jazz Clubs in New York City

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