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For one weekend only, you can step inside The Goosebury Theater and conduct your own "Only Murders in the Building"-style investigation—totally for free. Hulu's hosting a free murder mystery experience for fans of the show on Saturday, September 23 and Sunday, September 24.
Though advance tickets are fully booked, you can show up at the theater in Washington Heights and wait in line for your chance at true main character energy. We got a sneak peek at the experience today and can promise it's sure to delight fans of the show with its intricate details, cool costumes, hilarious moments and stunning location. Here are five things not to miss.
1. The spectacular setting
The bells and whistles of this immersive experience are the main draw, of course, but the theater itself is an architectural masterpiece. The event takes place inside the actual venue where the show was recorded—United Palace (4140 Broadway in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood). The theater dates back to 1930 and was described by The New York Times as "Byzantine-Romanesque-Indo-Hindu-Sino-Moorish-Persian-Eclectic-Rococo-Deco," the theater says. It's filled with swoon-worthy ceilings, ornate carvings and dramatic lighting.
This pop-up expertly uses the entire space, from the lobby to the stage to the dressing rooms, offering fans the chance to peek into practically every nook and cranny of the space. Plus, it's pretty cool to think you're walking around the same stage as Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez and co!
2. Cool costumes
Since this season of the show features a musical, you'll get to see costumes from both the stage and the screen. For example, Ben Glenroy's bloody trench coat sits on a table with an evidence marker. Other costumes from the "Death Razzle Dazzle" cast hang on mannequins alongside gorgeous sketches of the outfits.
3. Expert use of props
If K.T., the surly stage manager from "Only Murders in the Building" were in charge of this pop-up, we have a feeling she'd be proud of the expert use of props. Some of the stand-out props include the creepy triplets in their bassinets, a memorial shrine for Ben Glenroy and a giant golden CoBro cobra.
Speaking of Ben Glenroy, his dressing room left us in awe. No detail was left unconsidered. A bottle of Gut Milk sat on his make-up table, a poster for "Girl Cop" hung on the wall and the flowers in the room were dead, of course, since nobody had been in the theater after his death. The crew even referenced Paul Rudd's acting in other TV shows. A poster for a made-up movie called "Hannigan's Wedding Night" called back to his role as Mike Hannigan in "Friends."
4. Funny, surprising moments
Considering how funny the show is, it just wouldn't be true to form if the pop-up didn't include some humor—and it definitely delivered.
As fans meander through the theater, they'll turn a corner and suddenly find themselves in The White Room, a.k.a. Charles-Haden Savage's nightmare. It's even complete with an actor dressed in all white (who introduced himself as "Blanco") and videos of fish swimming around the room.
In other areas, theater posters for Oliver Putnam's many failed shows decorate the walls. There's just nothing like "Newark! Newark!"
5. Interactive experiences
Offering a truly immersive experience, guests can sign their name on a signature wall, get a make-up touch-up with Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez products, have a photo taken on the lighthouse steps and even pin their whodunnit theory on Mabel Mora's murder board. Upon entering, everyone's given a flashlight to use during the investigation. Be sure to shine it around the rooms to look for secret messages.
Finally, once the investigation's done for the day, visitors can return their flashlight and get some super cool prizes in return, but we won't spoil the secret on those.
More details
Just in case you haven't watched the TV show yet (why not?!), here's the premise: Broadway's star actor Ben Glenroy (played by Paul Rudd) has been murdered, and the cast and crew of the theatrical performance "Death Rattle Dazzle" are prime suspects. Three friends and neighbors—played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez—investigate the murder, creating a podcast and engaging in hilarious hijinks along the way.
The activation runs on Saturday, September 23 (11am-7pm); and Sunday, September 24 (11am-7pm) at United Palace Theatre (4140 Broadway in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood).