Don’t be shy, we’ve all done some variation on it: ear hustled on the breakup that’s happening two tables away while we’re just enjoying an after work drink. For some of us eavesdropping is damn near a profession, for the rest its just part of being human.
At Secrets, the NYC experience set in a cocktail bar, listening in on what you’re not supposed to hear is all part of the fun. As the team describes it
Secrets unfolds in a cocktail bar where guests might not immediately know who’s part of the show. From bartenders to servers to fellow patrons, Secrets blurs the line between stage and reality. In a bar, interaction is inevitable — here, gossip is the script.
After a spring test run Secrets is up and running, having fine tuned the experience (as you’ll see below), the show is back for a month-plus residency in Manhattan's West Village.
We checked in with Producer/Co-Director Vadim Ordovsky-Tanaevsky, about the production which runs now through December 28th with tickets running at $75.
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No Proscenium: Tell us a little bit about your experience! What’s it about? What makes it immersive?
Vadim Ordovsky-Tanaevsky: Secrets is a new theatrical experience set in an underground cocktail bar. Equal parts drama, comedy, and gossip guests are invited to eavesdrop on characters’ conversations as storylines unfold all around them. Blending the intimacy of a New York cocktail bar with the electricity of live theatre, Secrets immerses you in a world of gossip, laughter, and scandal. One moment you’re laughing at a sharp exchange; the next, you’re holding your breath as truths begin to unravel before your eyes.
Inspired by overhearing an explosive bar breakup, Secrets explores the hidden stories that surround us — the conversations we catch, the moments we imagine, and the fine line between reality and fantasy. From the moment guests step off the street and descend into the bar, the night comes alive. Stories intertwine, characters reveal themselves, and secrets are uncovered.
Lean in — eavesdropping mandatory.
NP: What was the inspiration for your upcoming experience?
VO-T: Have you ever sat at a bar playing that cheeky bar game – trying to guess what people around the room are talking about? We were doing exactly that when, out of nowhere, a conversation at a nearby table erupted — raw, emotional; it was impossible to ignore. That moment sparked the idea: what if we could step inside those conversations? What if we could be the fly on the wall to the stories unfolding? Secrets was born from that — a chance to explore the hidden moments, desires, tensions, anecdotes swirling all around us.
NP: What do you think fans of immersive will find most interesting about this latest experience?
VO-T: Secrets blurs the line between audience and story. It’s immersive, but not avant-garde or intimidating — familiar, yet full of surprises. We’re taking the structure of traditional, linear storytelling and setting it loose inside a living, breathing bar. Every night unfolds differently, shaped by the audience themselves, and no two evenings are ever the same.
NP: Once you started designing and testing what did you discover about this experience that was unexpected?
VO-T: During our trial run last spring, we were thrilled by how eagerly audiences embraced the concept — but also humbled by the intricacies of an immersive experience. The things we thought would land sometimes didn’t, and the things we doubted became audience favorites. We also learned just how delicate it is to stage a play inside a real, working bar. Every detail matters — from how guests order drinks without breaking the rhythm of a scene, to why we only serve stirred cocktails (no shaking allowed!). They’re the kinds of things most people would never think about, but would instantly notice if we didn’t.
NP: What can fans who are coming to this, or thinking about coming to this, do to get into the mood of the experience?
VO-T: Get ready for an fun night, served up with a twist. Every glance, every whisper could change the night, so keep your eyes and ears open. Oh, and of course… eavesdropping mandatory.
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