#mckittrickmasquerade

[readwithjoy]

Before it all fades...

...I thought I’d give just a few thoughts on Mayfair 2017.

First of all, it was quite a fun party. I had a great time, and overall--it was a success. The performances referenced “The Wicker Man” (original version) which caused both excitement and a bit of consternation when this was revealed.  There were a few of my group who said they would have had a completely different costume if they had known in advance. 

There were some beautifully creepy moments and the costumes were excellent as always. Toward the end of the party, they burned Parker Murphy at the stake. That image is going to stay with me for awhile. 

There were memorable performances, which I hope never changes at the McKittrick parties!

Ben McHugh’s Malcolm was searching for his brother (Parker Murphy...which makes him Donalbain?) I’m not sure if he was afraid of the Moth Lady or worshiping the Moth Lady (or both), but it was cool. I clearly need to watch The Wicker Man because I did not have a strong grasp of the narrative thread...but it was still an excellent time.

And here are few shots of what I ended up making for this party.  I’ve missed having a regular costume to work on, so it was a fun couple of weeks playing around with butterflies. 

As for the logistics--I thought the drink tickets worked out quite well.  There were several places to buy the tickets, including a few people wandering around the ballroom floor.  There didn’t seem to be long wait times for either tickets or actual drinks. 

The one negative note for me was the severe lack of small and intimate performances scattered around the hotel.  I miss these SO much!  There used to be surprises hidden in corners and friends would run up and say, “Ava is in the crypt! Find Mallory upstairs! Ginger is in the Lobby painting faces, someone is telling stories in Lost Luggage, go get married in Duncan’s tent, there’s a quest! etc. etc. etc.”  I hope that for the next big party the designers decide to return to those delightful smaller moments. 

tl;dr -- It was a lot of fun, and I’m glad I went. As always, I’m looking forward to the next time I can put together a crazy outfit and spend all night playing at the McKittrick...

[readwithjoy]

Update for the curious

Because I posted on the irritation caused by the Mayfair ticket situation, I thought I’d give an update.  Yes, they have offered a solution that is reasonable and makes sense, although not every ticket holder has been contacted about it as of writing this. 

I want to emphasize that everyone I know who is frustrated is not upset about the actual change in the tickets. The solution is fine and will work.  What is causing the general negative feelings for several of the long-term fans (and I mean people who have been around since the early days) is that this felt like just another link in the chain that includes too many instances to mention of disrespect.  Several have been mentioned already, so I won’t go into them, but there is a general understanding that the recurring fans are not valued by the production company, even though some of us have spent many thousands of dollars at the McKittrick over the years.  (When I say “production company” I mean Emursive and those who report to them. not the creative staff and cast or the stewards and bar staff who are generally absolutely delightful and a major reason we return.) 

One of the most serious issues is the lack of communication. Many of the problems (including the most recent one) could have been avoided with a simple email saying, “This is what we are doing and why.”  When something is clearly described and paid for and then it is changed without explanation, people get very justifiably annoyed. After the debacle of last year’s Mayfair dinner switch where the later dinner guests paid for a dinner in the Heath and ended up on Gallow Green lining up for food in pouring rain--there just isn’t a lot of trust left for some.  (The heavy rain started between the dinners, so those of who were at the earlier one were just in a drizzle.) 

If changes in the structure of the party are necessary to sell tickets, which is the case in this instance, that’s all well and good.  I just hope that from now on, the people in charge of logistics will remember that they have patrons who are loyal (although some are starting to lose that loyalty) and that communication PRIOR to major changes would be wise.  

[bbrarebooks]

Sometimes we know not whether we stand at the beginning or the end of a season within our own life. Yet we know that the wintry ground will thaw and spring’s roots will rise again. What man forgets, nature remembers. #nye2019 #kingsmasquerade #mckittrickmasquerade @themckittrick @sleepnomorenyc (at The McKittrick Hotel) https://www.instagram.com/p/BscNvWvgOKL/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=44tkh1548oaf

[nodoubtaholic]

😄👻💐🎀 #mayfair #mckittrickmasquerade (at The McKittrick Hotel)

[gayrott]

And then we had a mask change (obviously) - #McKittrickMasquerade #GreggyAndGarrey (at The McKittrick Hotel)

[gayrott]

Happy Valentines Day, lover 😍 - #McKittrickMasquerade #GreggyAndGarrey (at The McKittrick Hotel)