Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys
A new costume ball is coming to Boston, inviting participants to “don your best fantastical and historical outfits and to step out of your everyday lives into a world of your creation.”
The Revelry Ball, slated for March 8 at Royale Boston, will feature music, dancers, clowns, circus arts, and burlesque performers. Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys, known to local steampunk fans for their performances at the Watch City Steampunk Festival, will be the headliners.
The ball is the brainchild of Thomas Drury-Wang, who said he was inspired by events such as The Edwardian Ball in San Francisco and two in Los Angeles, The Paravelle Ball and Labyrinth Masquerade.
“I have produced a few events in the past, mostly work for non-profit fundraisers, so I asked my husband and a couple friends if they’d be interested in throwing a massive costume ball with me,” he said via email. “I had seen these balls being produced around the country and wished that we had one here in Boston.”
This will be a 21+ event, and attendees should prepare to dress up.
“The general vibes here are ‘historical and fantastical ball attire,’” the website states. “Think 1750’s Rococo to 1900’s Edwardian, but feel free to mix in some spectacle, some fantasy, and some attitude.”
This “absolutely” includes steampunk, Drury-Wang said. “We purposely left the ‘theme’ and ‘era’ loose for this event, at least for the first year, because we didn’t want to lock anyone out.”
His personal inspirations include the Moulin Rouge and vaudeville eras, he added. “This is meant to be a ‘creative anachronism’ ball, so modern twists on these turn-of-the-century themes are fantastic.”
Tickets cost $80 for general admission and $110 for a VIP package that includes early entry, a complimentary drink ticket, and access to a VIP lounge. (The latter is in a mezzanine and is accessible only by stairs.)
The Royale Boston is located at 279 Tremont St., about two blocks south of Boston Common.
Assisting Local Artists
After announcing plans to launch the event, Drury-Wang and his associates decided to produce it through a new non-profit called The Audeville Society. This came after consultation with accountants, who first recommended that they organize as an LLC.
“I asked how much more difficult it would be to set up a 501(c)(3),” he recalled. “They said ‘not much,’ so that’s what we did.”
The goal, he said, is to support performing artists and producers in New England.
“Because my husband and I are huge supporters of local artists, we thought that would be the perfect cause to raise money for,” he said. “The ball would also be a great way to feature some of these artists.”
Why call it The Audeville Socety? The idea was “to invoke the image of vaudeville, of small budget theater, of making people laugh, of collections of artists coming together to make something magical,” he said. “The name is also a pun of the word ‘odd’ to further emphasize the laughter and comedy of it all.”
The society website notes that its non-profit status is still tentative as it works with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to gain 501(c)(3) certification.
Learn more on The Revelry Ball website.
Correction: This story originally referred to Walter Sickert’s band as the “Army of Lost Toys.” It has been corrected.
