The Murder of Venus Xtravaganza 1988

December 1988, Venus Xtravaganza, a transgender woman working as a prostitute, was found strangled to death and stuffed under a bed in a dive hotel in Manhattan. Though Xtravaganza would achieve posthumous fame featured in the cult classic documentary “Paris is Burning,” her murder remains unsolved…until now. On the 25th-year anniversary of Xtravaganza’s death, Live In Theater reopens the case by premiering The Murder of Venus Xtravaganza 1988, an immersive theatrical experience that takes audiences back two decades to explore her life and senseless death, and redefine what we know about history, gay subcultures, and drag balls.

Set in a ball hall in 1988, and the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, this audience-rousing experience is a blend of drag ball memorial service, and murder mystery. Guests will feast on a delicious assortment of hearty empanadas and libations (included in the price of admission) to toast the life of Venus Xtravaganza, a woman who lived as she saw fit. Throughout the evening, they’ll piece together clues that could solve a fictionalized revisit to this late 1980’s New York City tragedy. Live IN Theater-come live your history!