A plain doorway at 218 West 57th Street in Manhattan is hiding one of the city's most talked-about nights out. Behind it, the former Lee's Art Shop has been rebuilt as a 19th-century Parisian opera house for Masquerade, an immersive reworking of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera.

The original Broadway production bowed out in 2023 as the longest-running show in Broadway history, with nearly 14,000 performances. Masquerade picks up the baton with a very different formula: instead of sitting in an auditorium, guests walk through the story. Directed by Tony winner Diane Paulus and produced by the team behind Sleep No More, the show unfolds across six floors of rooms, corridors and hidden corners — including an artists' dressing room, a boudoir and a spooky graveyard — all dressed with period costumes, chandeliers, mist and candlelight. There's even original art by Marina Abramović, Bob Dylan and Kenny Scharf worked into the set.

Groups of roughly 60 enter at staggered intervals for an intimate two-hour experience. You follow the Phantom and his protégée Christine through the building as performers sing, dance and weave illusions around you — and don't be surprised if one of them takes your hand or brushes your shoulder along the way. Lloyd Webber's famous score anchors the production, with new music written specifically for the show layered on top.

The evening starts with rules that add to the theatre. Dress code is black, white or silver cocktail or formal wear, masks are required (a free one is provided if you forget), and comfortable shoes are strongly advised since you'll be climbing floors in pursuit of the plot. A glass of fizz on arrival sets the tone.

Once the story ends, the night doesn't have to. The subterranean Lake Bar, tucked in the depths of the faux opera house, opens to the public Tuesday to Sunday from 9.30pm with cocktails, music and dancing, plus themed late-night events such as DJ sets and Broadway-inspired dance parties. The venue also stages private events, with partial or full show buyouts on offer for parties and corporate nights.

This is aimed squarely at travellers who want more than a seat in a theatre. If you enjoy Sleep No More-style immersive work, or you've already ticked off a conventional Broadway musical and want something you'll be talking about long after the flight home, Masquerade is an easy sell — part theatre, part party, all atmosphere.