We love immersive experience, when the story telling jumps off the screen and into your face.  Also dressing up like your favorite characters lets you shed the pretense and burden of being yourself for a while!  As far as immersive pop culture events, there is no better team of performers and producers than the folks at BBQ films.  So when we got an email about a free Twin Peaks tribute we had a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange.

The Email read:

To celebrate the highly anticipated premiere of David Lynch’s groundbreaking series, Flavorpill has teamed up with the immersive wizards of BBQ Films to create a Twin Peaks world both wonderful and strange ahead of the premiere of Twin Peaks Sunday, May 21, on Showtime.Enjoy a damn good cup of coffee at the Double R Diner, explore the mysterious Twin Peaks Lodge, and interact with a variety of quirky — dare we say suspicious — characters from this quaint northwestern town, brought to life by the beauties of The Pink Room Burlesque. Come in costume to enter our Miss Twin Peaks Pageant; the prizes could be a new shirt at the men’s store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good hot black coffee. You’ll just have to compete to see!It is happening again. And you are invited.

Juliette came dressed as the wise Margaret a.k.a. the Log Lady, Cooper was Dr. Jacoby.  We had the pleasure of attending with our good friend and costume maven Stef Kruzick. She came dressed as the incomparable Audrey Horne. Va-va-voom!

We ran into our good buddy Cesar Kuriyama who was enjoying a damn fine cup of coffee at the Double RR Diner.

The night got stranger and stranger as burlesque dancers titillated the audience in the Black Lodge and karaoke singers bared their souls with favorites from the Lynchian musical library. We were quite impressed with Nadine Hurley’s rendition of “At Last”. She may be missing an eye, but she had a full set of pipes!

This venue at so many mirrors! Cooper couldn’t help but be “self-reflective”.

Costume Contest!

Suddenly we were all transported to the Black Lodge for the Miss Twin Peaks (costume) contest.  Everyone looked amazing, it was hard for the judges to pick the top three.  Audrey, The Log Lady and Dr. Jacoby were all honored as finalists.  Much to her surprise Juliette got runner up!

It was a helluva night!  Can’t wait for the premiere on Showtime this Sunday.

Update: Here was Gothamist’s take on the night.

We were quoted on Salon! An excerpt:

A New York filmmaker named Cooper Miller, who was attending the event dressed as Dr. Lawrence Jacoby, explained the appeal of the evening to me like this: “People in New York especially love to take on other identities. Sometimes the modern existence is so dependent on your identity. Everyone has to portray themselves a certain way. I feel like these are moments where you really get to let loose and get weird and have fun and be someone else other than yourself. These are the moments that make the New York scene kind of distinctive.”

His wife* accomplished partner and Director of Content at Carrot – a VICE Company, Juliette Richey, who was dressed as the log lady, added: “And ‘Twin Peaks’ is a particularly great show for that. Every character on that show is like the weirdest character ever — whether you’re a detective or a log lady who lives in this town.”

*our correction