Thirteen years ago, Alan Cumming gave a “Sleep No More” attendee quite a shock.
The actor was a surprise performer in the experimental production, which debuted in a Chelsea warehouse in early 2011 and will conclude its run on May 27, after several extensions.
Wearing a vintage nurse’s outfit, he summoned one attendee into a private room, laid him down on a couch and petted his arm. Then, quite suddenly, Cumming coughed up a metal nail and tossed the attendee out of the room.
“Westworld” actress Evan Rachel Wood guest starring in the show. Stevan Keane“I haven’t been able to sleep since,” the theatergoer told Page Six.
Anything and everything can happen on any given night at the immersive performance, which is loosely based on “Macbeth” and was created by producer Emursive and the theater company Punchdrunk
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All audience members have to wear masks as they wander about a dark, 100,000-square-foot, Hitchcock-inspired, six-story set — plus an additional secret seventh level that only a select few are taken to — called the McKittrick Hotel.
In various rooms and nooks, theatergoers might brush shoulders with masked stars and heads of state, stumble upon a naked male witch wearing a horse head, catch other audience members in sexual acts or realize that the performer whispering in their ear isn’t a downtown theater kid but rather an Emmy-winning actor.
“If you look at the list of artists that have performed here, it’s a ridiculous list. It’s kind of insane,” producer Jonathan Hochwald told The Post.
A few months into the run, Pink jumped on stage at the show’s bar to perform.
Model Dita Von Teese was one of the first celebs to appear in “Sleep No More.” Courtesy of the McKittrick HotelIn late 2011, Dita Von Teese joined the cast for the New Year’s Eve show, after flying in from Los Angeles to see the show seven times.
An “obsessed” Evan Rachel Wood followed with various surprise appearances, as did Neil Patrick Harris who has called himself “the biggest ‘Sleep No More’ fan in New York City. Maybe on planet Earth. And possibly the entirety of the universe.”
In 2015, “Breaking Bad” star Aaron Paul sported heavy eyeliner to play “Boy Witch” in the opening act of the show’s Halloween party.
“Breaking Bad” actor Aaron Paul in “Sleep No More.” Loren WohlBroadway greats Sara Bareilles and Leslie Odom Jr. have also performed.
But, the biggest star wattage is often in the audience.
One night in 2016, Adele and Benjamin Netanyahu both attended the same performance of the show, incognito.
Neil Patrick Harris performs at “Sleep No More.” Stevan KeaneNetanyahu supposedly ran about “with a frantic energy … diverting his security detail as he got caught up in the show,” according to an insider. It was a welcome change for the Israeli Prime Minister, who, the night before had been both booed and applauded at a production of “Hamilton.”
Bibi went on to become a super fan, attending the show several times, including multiple times in one week.
Over the years, hundreds of A-listers — including Jennifer Lawrence, Beyoncé, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Usher, Justin Timberlake and the Olsen twins — have enjoyed the show and the rare anonymity it offers.
“Hamilton” performer Leslie Odom Jr. in “Sleep No More.” Stevan Keane“One of the most shocking times was when I took off [a woman’s] mask and it was Katy Perry!” “Sleep No More” actress Isadora Wolfe told Post theater critic Johnny Oleksinski.
Some boldfacers had notable mishaps: In 2011, Kelly Osbourne tripped and got a black eye wandering about the McKittrick Hotel.
In the wake of a celebrity attending, their fans would often follow, causing the crowd to constantly shift, Hochwald said.
“Zombies” actor Milo Manheim in “Sleep No More.” Stevan Keane Panic! At the Disco’s Brendon Urie in “Sleep No More.” Stevan Keane Before “Sleep No More” came to 530 W. 27th Street, it was home to the last gasp of NYC’s megaclub scene, including the Sound Factory and Twilo, which was once featured in “Sex and the City,” and closed in 2001 shortly after a patron was fatally pushed down an elevator shaft. Google Maps“You could actually watch the ripples happening on a global basis,” added Hochwald, who estimated he’s seen the show about 500 times, and noted, “It’s always different.”
The production is known for its erotic air, and it’s widely rumored that some audience members regularly did unsavory things in covert areas.
In her polyamory memoir “More,” released earlier this year, Park Slope mom Molly Roden Winter recalled a lover taking her to the show, which she likened more to “Eyes Wide Shut” than “Macbeth,” and having her pleasure him on her knees in a corner.
Guests famously must wear white masks for the duration of the show. Courtesy of the McKittrick Hotel The show will soon conclude its 13-year New York run. Courtesy of the McKittrick Hotel Lucky attendees are periodically granted one-on-one experiences with the actors. Courtesy of the McKittrick Hotel“We [were] so close to the other audience members that I [could] hear their whispers, see their shoes,” Winter writes.
The sexual energy wasn’t always positive. In 2018, Buzzfeed reported that there had been numerous reports of performers being groped or enduring other sexual misconduct from audience members.
As for why it’s closing, despite its sustained popularity, Hochwald cited rising costs —tickets, once $95, now start at $160.50 — and a desire to end on a high note.
“It just felt like the right time to go out on top,” he said. “It really wasn’t built to be an institution that would live forever. It’s a piece of ephemeral art at the end of the day.”
