If you haven’t caught past seasons of AMC’s “Interview with the Vampire” — where have you been? You’ve been missing not only a fresh take on a beloved vampire classic, but one of the most poignant and incredibly well acted queer stories currently on air. While you catch up and get ready to witness Louis and Lestat in all their unreliably narrated vampiric glory, let’s go over the absolute musical insanity that was The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE now that everyone gets a chance to see what we witnessed in person at the Beacon Theatre a few months ago.
Photo Credit: Ashlyn Anarchy
Those of us that were lucky enough to attend got to the theatre a few hours early to take pictures and pick up our tickets. As soon as we walked up, the energy of the fans, known as The Beautiful Unwell, that were attending was truly electric. Everyone was dressed up in their finest vampire chic attire (myself included) and ready to see the live performance of a lifetime. Upon entering the Beacon Theatre there was a merch booth with items set up and Fender Stratocaster guitars used in the show called LeStrats on display that were covered in blood, really driving home that we were about to see a vampire rock concert. There were multiple bars open with themed drinks that I immediately ordered because hello, it’s still a concert and I will be having at least a drink. And when I tell you that this was truly one of the best drinks I’ve ever had in my life (I still think about it to this day), I’m not exaggerating. It was called ‘The Dark Gift’; it consisted of fig vodka, pomegranate juice, and triple sec that once handed to us looked like we were indulging in a lush cup of O negative — very immersive. We made our way to our seats after our quick stop at the bar and found some gifts waiting for us: each seat in the Beacon was draped with a tote that said The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only filled with an exclusive 7” green vinyl of the songs from the season, a copy of Rolling Stone with Lestat on the cover, a custom Fender guitar pick with the Vampire Lestat logo and a card with a unique link valid for 24 hours to buy an event T-shirt for a discounted price. After finding our seats and chatting with the people around us, the cast came out and sat in the audience for the first look at Episode One of the new season of “The Vampire Lestat”! We watched, we laughed, and we loved, the tone of the season finally giving us a glimpse into Lestat’s view of everything that happened in previous “Interview with the Vampire” seasons while navigating being a touring rockstar and his mommy issues. This season explores the story we know from previous seasons, but adds Lestat’s unserious tone while still being entirely genuine and touching where needed.
After the premiere of the episode the event everyone was waiting for began — the live show. Sam Reid isn’t just playing the vampire Lestat, he is possessed by Lestat himself. It is a true masterclass on fully embodying a character — you never question once that you’re seeing an actor playing a role. As far as I’m concerned, that IS the Brat Prince Lestat in the flesh. From the second that Sam strutted on stage, he never waivers in his physicality and is absolutely spectacular. Prior to this season of “The Vampire Lestat,” I had no idea he even sang and now I get songs like “Brutal Love” or “Butterscotch Bitch” stuck in my head weekly. I regularly see a lot of live music and was absolutely blown away by just how GOOD he was. His vocals were a powerhouse; not a single note was missed and he had everyone in that audience hooting and hollering from his flamboyant moves and costume changes. The role of Lestat truly feels like it was destined for him since he captures the essence and spirit of the character on the page better than any other adaptation. You’ll definitely want to witness one of the most iconic vampires of all time coming to life in real time, catch the live show now!
“Interview With the Vampire,” “The Vampire Lestat,” and The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE are all now streaming on AMC+.
–Ashlyn Anarchy
