The stairwell opened onto a catwalk spanning the rear of the stage.
Below, the performance space sprawled out before us, like something from a fever dream.
An enormous chandelier hung center stage, its crystals catching the light and throwing rainbow fractals across the floor.
But these weren't normal crystals—they pulsed with embedded LED technology, shifting from white to crimson to deep purple as I watched.
The backdrop depicted a decaying opera house in stunning detail. Torn velvet curtains. Crumbling gilt. Broken mirrors reflecting nothing. The painted architecture seemed to extend endlessly, creating impossible depth.
Fog machines hissed from both wings, sending low clouds across the stage floor that glowed faintly blue when the lights hit them right.
But the centerpiece—
