NYWIFT Blog

By Tammy Reese

NYWIFT members Tammy Reese and LaKisa Renee were invited by AMC Global Media and AMC+ to attend an unforgettable evening at the legendary Beacon Theatre in New York City for The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only — LIVE. The event marked a bold, immersive celebration of AMC’s newest installment in Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe, blending premiere screening and live concert performance into one cinematic experience.

NYWIFT Members Tammy Reese (left) and LaKisa Renee at the premiere

From the moment guests arrived, the atmosphere signaled that this was no ordinary red carpet evening. The Beacon Theatre had been fully transformed into a gothic, atmospheric world inspired by The Vampire Lestat, complete with moody visual installations, curated memorabilia, and exclusive guest packages. Attendees received collectible Vampire Lestat gift bags featuring Sam Reid’s striking Rolling Stone cover imagery alongside special music releases tied to the series, including “Long Face” and “Your Biggest Fan.”

Fashion became part of the storytelling. The majority of guests arrived dressed in goth and rock-and-roll chic ensembles, turning the theater into a living extension of Lestat’s world — where elegance, rebellion, and darkness merged seamlessly into the crowd itself.

The evening began with a special screening of the series premiere episode, which immediately captivated the audience. From its opening moments, the episode delivered a gripping, atmospheric introduction to the next chapter of Anne Rice’s universe. The pacing, visual language, and performances worked in harmony to draw viewers deeper into Lestat’s seductive and dangerous world, holding the room in complete attention from beginning to end.

What followed was a rare theatrical transformation.

Sam Reid took the stage as Lestat, not simply portraying the character but fully embodying him. His performance blurred the boundaries between actor and immortal icon, channeling Lestat’s essence through precise physicality, stylized mannerisms, and a commanding vocal presence that echoed both theatricality and rock star intensity. Every gesture carried intention; every note felt like an extension of the character’s mythology.

Backed by series composer Daniel Hart, Reid delivered a high-voltage live set featuring “Long Face,” “Big Bad Wolf,” “Your Biggest Fan,” “The Loneliness,” “Brutal Love,” and “Butterscotch Bitch.” The performance escalated in energy with each song, transforming the Beacon Theatre into a pulsating, electric concert space where fiction and reality collapsed into one experience. The audience responded with sustained awe, fully immersed in the spectacle unfolding before them.

The event was further elevated by the presence of series talent including Jacob Anderson, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian, Delainey Hayles, Jennifer Ehle, and Noah Reid, alongside creator and showrunner Rolin Jones, executive producers Mark Johnson and Hannah Moscovitch, and composer Daniel Hart.

L-R: Eric Bogosian, Jennifer Ehle, Sam Reid, Jacob Anderson, Delainey Hayles and Assad Zaman attend The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only – LIVE at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on June 2 ahead of the premiere of “The Vampire Lestat” on Sunday, June 7 on AMC and AMC+.
Credit: Nina Westervelt/AMC Global Media

Fans traveled from across the globe to witness the experience firsthand — some hoping for a glimpse of the cast, others fully immersed in the celebration of a franchise that continues to redefine modern gothic storytelling. The energy inside the Beacon was charged, communal, and deeply reverent of both the source material and its evolving adaptation.

A character to watch this season is Gabriella (Lestat’s Immortal Mother), portrayed by Jennifer Ehle, whose presence signals intriguing narrative shifts and emotional complexity ahead.

Ultimately, the evening stood as more than a premiere or a performance. It was a convergence of fandom, artistry, and immersive storytelling — an event that transformed the Beacon Theatre into a space where myth was not only depicted, but lived.

As the night concluded, one truth lingered clearly: Sam Reid’s portrayal of Lestat is not merely a performance, but a defining artistic interpretation — one poised for lasting cultural and critical recognition.

ABOUT THE VAMPIRE LESTAT:

View Trailer HERE

Listen to Singles “Butterscotch Bitch” HERE, “All Fall Down” HERE, “Long Face” HERE

Listen to cover of Billy Idol’s “Dancing with Myself” HERE

In the new rock and roll centric season, the Vampire Lestat (Sam Reid) goes on an electric multi-city tour while being haunted by “muses” from his wild and rebellious past. As his band’s popularity and star power rises, so does Lestat’s influence over vampires and humans alike, leaving others to contend with Lestat’s power in the face of the Great Conversion, an unnatural surge in the vampire population.

In addition to Reid, The Vampire Lestat stars Jacob Anderson, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian, Delainey Hayles and Jennifer Ehle and is executive produced by award-winning producer Mark Johnson, creator, writer and showrunner Rolin Jones, Hannah Moscovitch, Craig Zisk, along with Christopher Rice and the late Anne Rice.

AMC Global Media and Lakeshore Records recently released infectious tracks “Long Face,” “All Fall Down,” “Butterscotch Bitch” and a cover of Billy Idol’s “Dancing with Myself” on the Vampire Lestat artist profile pages at major digital music services, including Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. The song’s original music and lyrics, by series’ composer Daniel Hart and performed by Reid, will be featured throughout the series with additional new tracks to drop in the coming months.

Learn more by visiting https://www.amcplus.com/