On Sunday, November 9th, this journalist had the chance to experience “Pop Up Dinner Theater” by Suite 524, which was performed at Barlume in New York City.
“Pop Up Dinner Theater” is directed by playwright and director Michael Domitrovich. It is a combination of dramatic performance and food, which features four courses and four short plays that are ideal for a cozy venue of this caliber. Barlume Downstairs has a warm, retro speakeasy vibe to it.
Suite 524 is a New York–based nonprofit theater studio, which is devoted to preserving the power of live performance in the age of AI (artificial intelligence). The show was presented by LDV Hospitality and Barlume.
Mateo d’Amato, who is a co-founder of Suite 524, served as the emcee of the evening. He certainly had the crowd with him every step of the way.
Joining d’Amato in this show were such actors as Eduardo Machado, Amelia Gwaltney, Ellis Charles Hoffmeister, Sarah Jordan Hupper, Michaela Lind, Brian Reese, Chris Gray, Paulina Singer, Sharon Ullrick, Nikki Valdez, and Drew Valins.
Each person was gifted and talented in their own right, and they all brought something distinct and refreshing to the table.
The show opened with the play “The Cowboy” by Michael Sharp, which featured an ensemble of actors that were witty and fun, and it immediately broke into “Peekos at Barlume,” where a sublime Sharon Ullrick stole the show as the mother (who comes to a startling realization).
Equally funny was the youthful “Fine Dining” by Eduardo Machado and it closed with “See the Forest” by Domitrovich, whose subject matter is timely and relevant especially in this digital age.
This experience was so immersive and clever to the point where the audience felt like they were a part of each of the four plays that were performed, and at the same time, it felt like they were transported to a different time zone.
Hallmark actor Ezra Moreland (the inaugural winner of the reality competition “Finding Mr. Christmas), who attended this event, remarked, “This show was a unique New York theatrical experience. It was intimate, creative, engaging, and I had a blast!”
To learn more about “Pop Up Dinner Theater,” click here.
The Verdict
Overall, Suite 524’s “Pop Up Dinner Theater” was thoroughly entertaining. It managed to reinvigorate the forms of pop-up restaurants and dinner theater, thus providing a sense of satisfaction, entertainment and catharsis.
With Mateo d’Amato as the emcee, it felt like watching a play version of “Cabaret” all over again, and he was our Eddie Redmayne.
Most importantly, it underscores the power, escape and transformation of what happens when people get together in the same space to eat quality food and watch new plays because live theatre should be a shared experience.
Hopefully, “Pop Up Dinner Theater” sets a precedent and stage shows adapt this model and format for their future productions.
“Pop Up Dinner Theater” at Barlume garners two giant thumbs up. Well done.
