7pm - 10pm
Friday, May 27, 2011
Brought to you by Coney Island U.S.A.
One Night Only! Coney Island will relive the awful splendor of the greatest and most horrific disaster to hit New York City in the pre-9-11 era. The great Dreamland fire of 1911 is the unsung and unremembered event that ended a way of life. See the vast panorama of Dreamland at your feet! Hear the thrilling story of the fire! Experience the dawning of a new era!
Please join the Great Coney Island Spectacularium in celebrating the... centennial of The Great Dreamland Fire of 1911 with the unveiling of a 360 degree immersive cosmorama telling the story of the great fire in pictures, sound, and light. Based on Coney Island’s greatest immersive disaster spectacles, the cosmorama is the product of months of labor, thousands of dollars, and the expertise of artists and designers from New York’s most important institutions.
A triumph of immersive art and theater, the Cosmorama was created in part with the help of artists and artisans from the Metropolitan Opera, and uses real boards from the original Coney Island boardwalk in its construction. The centennial celebration will include:
* Complimentary Gin Bar (!!!) courtesy of Hendrick’s Gin and Atlas Obscura
* Our incomparable host, Lord Whimsy, author of The Affected Provincial’s Companion, Volume 1
* Special guest appearance by Ryan Matthew, Evan Michelson and Mike Zohn of TV’s “Oddities”
* A Rare Appearance of the long submerged bell of the Dreamland Pier, 100 years after its climactic plunge into the depths of the cold Atlantic
* Puppet Vaudeville from Jonny Clockworks and “The Cosmic Bicycle” of “The ClockWorks Puppet Theatre”
* Vintage Coney Island Films from the collection of artist Zoe Beloff
* Giveaways of anatomical puzzle and other sundries complements of Kikkerland Design
* Custom Cocktails and Early 20th Century disaster tunes complements of The Foppinton Brothers
* The Accordion stylings of Matt Dallow
* “Reconstruction,” a performance featuring contortionist Jonathan Nosan and with musical accompaniment by Gordon Beeferman, Composer/Pianist
* Sword Swallowing, burlesque and Coney Island entertainment
* 19th Century waxworks, freak animals, and a real shrunken head
* Unlimited access all night long to the newly unveiled Cosmorama of the Great Dreamland Fire
* And, of course, More!
We hope very VERY much to see you there!
Presented by The Coney Island Museum, The Morbid Anatomy Library, and Atlas Obscura.
Admission: $25. Tickets at the door, or purchase in advance here:
http://shop.coneyisland.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=140
