“Saint James” is an immersive music and theater experience hosted in a multi-room speakeasy bar.
This entrancing and mysterious experience is centered around the classic jazz piece “The Saint James Infirmary Blues” which was made famous by Cab Calloway. The song is dark and haunting which has inspired the immersive ghost story presented by “Saint James.”
This thrilling experience would begin for patrons at the entrance to the bar. In the first room, a modern cafe, patrons would follow hints to find the entrance to Old Joe’s Ballroom, a space that in our modern world has long been boarded up. However, patrons of “Saint James” are given the unique experience to walk into the jazz age of prohibition era New Orleans. In Old Joe’s Ballroom (mentioned in the original song), patrons would meet a cast of original characters and follow their paths as the arrival of a dark and mysterious patron threatens the gilded facade that Joe has striven for so long to uphold.
With exclusive one-on-one experiences, jaw-dropping scenery, and breakout scenes that separate the audience, this experience is sure to have patrons returning to learn more about each of the engaging characters in the ballroom. The bar will also feature a live jazz band with performances throughout both to aid the story and serve as entertainment for guests who prefer to sit and enjoy without engaging the actors.
While this performance is conceptualized with a space of its own, the concept, design and story work are malleable to other spaces making this experience realistic and achievable.
The cast of characters includes 4 female identifying people, 5 male identifying people, and a 4 piece jazz band. The floor plan included lays out a generous, idealistic space which allows for the 4 rooms required for the experience.
“Saint James” is a passion project of love for jazz and immersive experiences. The production has been deeply researched and revised over the past 2 years. It contains elements of thrill, mystery, joy, and tragedy with characters who are as relevant now in the 2020s as they are in their setting of the 1920s.
