Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy, haunting Delaware, is nearly sold out. How to get tickets

The word on the street is that the Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy will stop in Wilmington for three days in April, and it already has a low-ticket warning. 

This interactive pop-up event comes to The Queen on April 12 to 14.  

The Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy takes place in a gothic setting with a theme that pays tribute to the Master of Macabre. Guests will encounter a Poe historian, or "Poestorian," who will retell and reimagine four of the beloved writer's most famous stories at this speakeasy. 

The lead mixologist will transform each of those four macabre tales into a cocktail experience at this pop-up.

The event offers multiple time slots with each lasting 90 minutes. 

The Poe Speakeasy was created under Midnight Creative Events, based in Orlando, Florida, and specializes in theme shows combined with cocktail experiences. This show launched in 2023 in Texas and has been touring nonstop.  

Julia Tirinnanzi, curator of the Poe speakeasy, said they use the Poestorian to help balance the eerie and macabre atmosphere of Poe's works with the fun and social environment of a speakeasy. The Poestorian serves as an emcee and guide upon whom guests can rely. 

"They mix history with humor to provide a bit of comedic relief as you journey into Poe’s beautifully twisted and dark mind," said Tirinnanzi, a lifelong Poe fan. "There are also several intermissions where guests get to unwind a bit during the cocktail service and have some fun socializing with other attendees."  

Edgar Allan Poe fans will visit his shrine 

The Poe Speakeasy has more to offer patrons than a vibey room with Poe-inspired decor. Midnight Creative Events pays homage to the chilling storyteller in many ways. Some nods are subtle, while others are more obvious. 

For example, Tirinnanzi says, you'll initially walk past a dimly lit shrine to Poe that “always stays illuminated and is pouring over with incense as you enter the venue.”  

Guests will have an opportunity to grab a quill and leave behind a note on a piece of parchment for the Master of Macabre.  

Less obvious gestures include stage props referencing The Poe Toaster and the experience itself, the curator said.  

4 chilling Edgar Allan Poe drinks

Four chilling cocktails are featured in this speakeasy:  

• Cocktail of Red Death is made with 100-proof vodka, cherry herring, Benedictine liquor, lime juice, pineapple juice and bitters. The name pays homage to Poe's tale "The Masque of the Red Death," which follows a prince who is trying to avoid a deadly plague.  

• Nevermore is a black and gold cocktail powered by orange peach blossom vodka, lime juice and secret spices. The name is a nod to Poe's acclaimed poem "The Raven," which features a lonely person who is visited by an ominous black bird that repeats the word "nevermore." 

• Edgar's Twisted Brandy Milk Punch combines Kentucky Bourbon with French Brandy and is mixed with milk syrup, vanilla cream, plus half and half topped with star anise.   

• Pale Blue Eye is a light blue cocktail that offers blueberry vodka, fresh lemon juice, rose syrup and topped with La Croix. If the drink's name sounds familiar, it might be because Netflix is streaming the 2022 drama "Pale Blue Eye" starring Christian Bale, Harry Melling and Gillian Anderson. The film is about a retired detective who recruits a West Point cadet named Edgar Allan Poe to help him solve a gruesome murder.  

Who is Edgar Allan Poe? 

Poe was a master of macabre fiction famous for his ominous and spooky tales that continue to hook readers today.  

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He was born in 1809 to parents who were actors. His dad was from Baltimore. Poe married his cousin Virginia Clemm when she was 13, according to Britannica.com.  

The writer had a knack for injecting themes of terror and sadness into his stories. He penned chilling works like "The Raven," "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Pit and the Pendulum." His tale “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1841) pioneered the modern detective genre. Poe died in Baltimore in 1849 at age 40.  

Wilmington is perfect for Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy 

The curator for the Poe Speakeasy specifically wanted to bring this experience to Delaware. But not just anywhere.  

The Queen — which was initially built as a hotel in the late 1700s before being transformed into a theater in the early 1900s — had the right ingredients.  

"We love to place the show at buildings created during Poe’s lifespan," Tirinnanzi said. "The Queen certainly checks that box. She’s designed for entertainment!" 

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How to get tickets to Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy

This interactive show will be held at The Queen (500 N. Market St., Wilmington) and time slots are available at 10 p.m. on Friday, April 12; Noon, 2 and 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 13; and Noon, 2, 4, 6 and 8 p.m., Sunday, April 14. Tickets are $55. Visit edgarallanpoebar.com.

If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.