This Ultra-Immersive Only Murders in the Building Pop-Up Allowed Fans to Help Solve the Show's Latest Mystery

The actual film set of the Hulu series' third season served as the backdrop for a free pop-up in NYC that invited guests to pick up a flashlight and help answer the question: Who killed Ben Glenroy?

Shannon Thaler

October 3, 2023

Event producers tapped Google to install screens throughout the space where fans could rewatch iconic scenes from Only Murders in the Building that had been brought to life at the IRL Goosebury Theater.Photo: Courtesy of PR DeptNEW YORK—Only Murders in the Building’s third season on Hulu has kept viewers guessing about who killed Paul Rudd’s character, Ben Glenroy, since it premiered on the streaming service on Aug. 8. Ahead of its Oct. 3 season finale (now available), New Yorkers were invited to join the series’ indefatigable investigators, Mabel (Selena Gomez), Charles (Steve Martin), and Oliver (Martin Short), inside United Palace Theater—the real-life location of the show’s iconic Goosebury Theater—to find out who’s behind the mysterious slaying of the Death Rattle actor.

Clues were plentiful at this free three-day pop-up, which welcomed over 4,000 guests to the 90-year-old Washington Heights venue, which is more like an ornate auditorium of the vaudeville era. From Glenroy’s dressing room (which was stocked with Gomez’s Rare Beauty products, of course) to his bloody trench coat and other expertly placed props, check out how every nook and cranny of this elaborate theater screamed Only Murders in the Building—and the team that made it all possible…

VENDORS
Brand Ambassadors: Activation Pro
Costumes & Props: Only Murders in the Building’s production team
Creative & Production: Campfire
Press: PR Dept
Ticketing: Fever

New York City’s iconic 3,400-seat United Palace Theater was the setting of much of Only Murders in the Building’s latest season—and played host to the pop-up that took place there Sept. 23-24. Guests were immersed in the Hulu series as soon as they rolled up to the venue, which boasted a facade advertising the Death Rattle Dazzle musical.

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For those who haven’t watched the series yet, here’s this season's premise: Actor Ben Glenroy was murdered before starring in the highly anticipated Death Rattle Broadway play. Naturally, the cast and crew of the show are the prime suspects and are being investigated by Glenroy’s three friends and neighbors. The Bloody Mabel Podcast was created to help probe the show’s director, producers, and ensemble members.

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Guests who dared to attend this pop-up joined Mabel Mora, Charles-Haden Savage, and Oliver Putnam—played by Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short, respectively—to investigate Glenroy’s murder. Of course, the three co-stars watched on as thousands of guests with their flashlights made their way through the theater.

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The pop-up recreated a scene from Death Rattle Dazzle (after Glenroy's death, the show was turned into a musical) where Loretta Durkin, played by Meryl Streep, performed a piano-driven ballad titled “Look for the Light” in front of a Nova Scotia-style lighthouse. Guests were invited to live out their Broadway dreams on the fully realized, lighthouse-centered set, and were encouraged to stop on the staircase and pose for a keepsake photo.

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During episode eight of the show’s latest season, viewers got a taste of the would’ve-been Death Rattle song “Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?” when Steve Martin’s character showed off his musical chops and performed the dramatic tune. Naturally, the song was represented in the IRL murder mystery-inspired event with—just as the song goes—”three little babies in their bassinets.”

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Glenroy’s makeup station featured an array of Rare Beauty products, a line by Selena Gomez, who plays Mabel Mora in the series. A makeup artist was on hand to give attendees a touch-up before heading to an onstage photo op. The backstage area also featured dressing rooms and the hallowed theater’s infamous signature wall, which eventgoers could sign.

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Before Glenroy assumed the role of comic book character CoBro, he appeared in a ‘90s sitcom called Girl Cop, which was reportedly his big break. Of course, the breakout role had to be honored at the pop-up.

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The lineup of Death Rattle Dazzle’s intricate costumes was on display in a room that was equally ornate. Each dressed-up mannequin stood beside a sketch of the outfit.

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Guests were welcomed into the Goosebury Theater as if a Broadway show and a murder mystery collided—by being handed a playbill and a flashlight. On the mezzanine level, eventgoers-turned-detectives could find a costume gallery and other items cataloged as “evidence.”

Photo: Courtesy of PR Dept