The opening night party for Warner Brothers Theatre Ventures’ first Broadway musical, Lestat, was the culmination of a synergistic week for Time Warner as Elton John’s circle of life was on display in the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. The week began with the opening of “Sir Elton John: Elements of an Icon,” an exhibit showcasing memorabilia from the career of the new show’s composer on several levels of the five-story shopping and dining complex that bears the company’s name.
Included in the exhibit were many of the eye-catching costumes from John’s past performances. A tenant of the center, Morgenthal-Fredericks Eyewear, got in on the act by displaying some of Elton John’s more eclectic glasses alongside its own John-inspired line of eyewear.
On the ground level, the opening night party’s producers at the Daily Blossom created a vampire-gothic feel for the event, inspired by the Anne Rice novels that sparked the musical. Susan Hilferty’s costumes from the show’s San Francisco premiere were placed near the red carpet arrivals area, just inside the Columbus Circle entrance. Below massive Lestat banners hanging from the ceiling of the atrium were purple velvet-covered buffet tables where black-tied waiters served the guests. Similarly clothed café tables were scattered about the floor.
On the second level, John’s colorful costumes were the inspiration, with multicolored chairs and tables lining the floor amidst the costumes themselves. Translucent tables illuminated from within with matching lights added to the colorful and electric vibe. Lithographs on loan from art partner Millennia Fine Art Collection provided a record of John wearing many of the get-ups in concert. Several intimate spaces were created with screens covered with nostalgic posters from John’s career. On the third level, white banquettes and circular sofas accented with colorful flowers and more illuminated tables contrasted with the event-specific red lighting in the Time Warner Center’s Samsung store, which was used as a V.I.P. area for the party.
—Jeff Long
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Included in the exhibit were many of the eye-catching costumes from John’s past performances. A tenant of the center, Morgenthal-Fredericks Eyewear, got in on the act by displaying some of Elton John’s more eclectic glasses alongside its own John-inspired line of eyewear.
On the ground level, the opening night party’s producers at the Daily Blossom created a vampire-gothic feel for the event, inspired by the Anne Rice novels that sparked the musical. Susan Hilferty’s costumes from the show’s San Francisco premiere were placed near the red carpet arrivals area, just inside the Columbus Circle entrance. Below massive Lestat banners hanging from the ceiling of the atrium were purple velvet-covered buffet tables where black-tied waiters served the guests. Similarly clothed café tables were scattered about the floor.
On the second level, John’s colorful costumes were the inspiration, with multicolored chairs and tables lining the floor amidst the costumes themselves. Translucent tables illuminated from within with matching lights added to the colorful and electric vibe. Lithographs on loan from art partner Millennia Fine Art Collection provided a record of John wearing many of the get-ups in concert. Several intimate spaces were created with screens covered with nostalgic posters from John’s career. On the third level, white banquettes and circular sofas accented with colorful flowers and more illuminated tables contrasted with the event-specific red lighting in the Time Warner Center’s Samsung store, which was used as a V.I.P. area for the party.
—Jeff Long
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Massive Lestat banners hung from the ceiling in the Time Warner Center for the show’s opening night party.
The party also included an exhibit of costumes from the San Francisco premiere of the show.
An exhibit of Elton John’s colorful memorabilia inspired an area with multicolored chairs and tables.
White circular sofas dotted a more mod area set up for the party.
White banquettes and translucent tables illuminated from within added to the colorful and electric vibe.
![“One of the harder installs was at Drees Pavilion [in Covington, Kentucky]. It was only a day apart from another filming. We re-carpeted the entire space and set everything up in 12 hours,” Bruner said.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2020/08/IMG_6734.5f34173fa6723.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
