Luxury Parties Reach New Heights with Broadway-Style Entertainment

As a poet, I find myself drawn to the extravagant world of high-society parties, where the wealthy elite spare no expense in creating unforgettable experiences. In the city that never sleeps, New York, the rich are taking their soirees to new heights – literally. Imagine walking into a party where violinists are suspended from the ceiling, playing rock songs amidst a whirlwind of color and sound. This is the reality for some of the city’s most affluent residents, who are pushing the boundaries of entertainment with events that rival Broadway productions.

At the helm of this opulent world is Darren Olarsch, founder of On The Move Entertainment, an event production company based in NoMad. With a roster of talent that rivals productions from Broadway to Vegas, Olarsch’s team is redefining the art of party planning. Their office, Olarsch quips, is “literally a cabaret.” Recently, Olarsch worked with a high-net-worth client who requested aerial musicians perform above the stage at Midtown event space The Shed. To bring this vision to life, Olarsch and his team had to install aerial straps on the stage ceiling and get a fleet of violinists certified in aerial lift training. The result was a breathtaking performance of hits like “Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay and “Fly Like An Eagle” by Steve Miller, with the violinists soaring above the audience.

But that’s not all – Olarsch’s team also worked with a client who wanted a life-size glass jewelry box with a classically trained ballerina twirling inside, placed in the center of the Russian Tea Room. The idea was to create an unforgettable visual spectacle, and Olarsch’s team delivered. “What better eye candy than having a living Russian Jewelry Box pop up in the Russian Tea Room?” he asked. For another client, Olarsch optimized the acoustics in the historic opera boxes at The Plaza Hotel, allowing three tenors to recreate Andrea Bocelli’s rendition of John Legend’s “All of Me.” The performance was nothing short of magical, with the tenors’ voices echoing through the opulent space.

Christina Mannino and Michael Santora’s wedding earlier this year was a testament to the power of immersive entertainment. With a theme of Italian Renaissance meets New York Glamour, the couple created a full “entertainment segment” at Cipriani Wall Street, complete with a “Black Sawn”-inspired ballet and opera performances. The following night, they held an Arabian Nights themed spectacle at West Village Egyptian restaurant Casa La Femme, with a belly dancing performance and costumes for guests to wear. As Mannino, a fashion designer, explained, “The entertainment wasn’t background; I wanted [guests] to live inside it.”

Olarsch’s team has also produced nine independent theatrical acts for a Fortune 500 company client, seamlessly spanning a single dinner seating. This required securing 128 artists – current and former Broadway professionals – to perform and commissioning custom costumes for them to wear. The choreography was incredibly complex, but Olarsch’s team pulled it off with ease. In May, Olarsch flew 60 entertainers to perform near Cairo, Egypt, for the four-day wedding of Bilt Rewards CEO Ankur Jain to former WWE wrestler and creator of Knockout fitness class Erika Hammond. The reception was held at the base of the Great Pyramids of Giza, and Olarsch’s team had to curate the music and styling to complement the Egyptian culture.

As I reflect on these extravagant parties, I’m struck by the creativity and attention to detail that goes into creating such unforgettable experiences. It’s a world where the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur, and the wealthy elite spare no expense in creating memories that will last a lifetime. And so, the curtain falls on another chapter of high-society revelry, leaving us to wonder what’s next in the world of luxury entertainment.

Sources: Celebrity Storm and The New York Post
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed