Not all actors can become wholly possessed by their characters. It’s a rare mix of person and persona that can merge together so seamlessly that, at any given time, an actor can reach out for their character and bring them from their world into ours, divorced from the elaborate scripts, careful directing, and gorgeous backdrops of the TV world. Harder still is it to overlay a fiction onto the canvas of the real world and merge the two puzzle pieces together, pulling from both sides of the equation to create an incredible hybrid work of art. But when all of these variables come together, it is nothing short of magic. And that is the only way to describe The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE: nothing short of magic. But, of course, it’s no mystical ritual or sleight of hand that brings this magic to life; it’s the devoted effort and intense hard work of Sam Reid (give him an Emmy!) and the incredible collaboration of the many talented people who work on The Vampire Lestat. Enjoy our full review of The Vampire Lestat‘s concert special below.
It’s not quite performing a play. It’s not quite giving a concert. It’s not quite acting for TV. The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE delivers to us a unique work of art, the first of its kind, I might say. For one brief, shining moment, through the efforts of many, The Vampire Lestat rose from his expensive coffin to sing in our world. As I said in my retrospective of the concert itself, it’s the kind of gift devoted fans don’t even dare to dream of receiving in their fandoms. A wonder of an evening that somehow transports the very real audience, an actual NYC theater, and a gleaming stage into the story they love so much, and lets the story rapturously arrive into reality in the form of a note-perfect rock show.
But, of course, even when one can fill a nearly 3,000-seat theater in New York City to the brim, as only The Vampire Lestat can, it’s not going to be enough space for ALL the fans out there. And that’s where The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE, now streaming on AMC, comes in. The Vampire Lestat belongs to every one of his fans, and they all want to be transported by his and Sam Reid’s dazzling work. The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE takes every single member of the Beautifully Unwell back to that awe-inspiring evening and offers them the best seat in the house.
Whether you attended the concert or not, The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE is more than worth a watch. In it, we get to relive the full experience of the performance and Sam Reid’s six electrifying performances of The Vampire Lestat’s original songs in all their glory. “Long Face,” “Big Bad Wolf,” “Your Biggest Fan,” “The Loneliness,” “Brutal Love,” and “Butterscotch Bitch.” fill our screens in high-definition and with perfect sound. And that allows us to slow down and savor this incredible evening. Of course, attending The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE on the evening of its filming was a revelation. But the concert special allows us to slip into that night in all its nuances in a way we couldn’t in real time at the live show. And given the wondrous performance Sam Reid delivered on that NYC stage, those are nuances we won’t want to miss.
Every moment of The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE brings to life a rock star. Every moment of The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE brings to life Lestat. And this concert special lets you study every one of those point-perfect notes; from the many in-character dance moves and other flourishes of a seasoned singer’s stage presence that Reid developed, to elaborate costume changes that suit different moods, to all the hallmarks of Lestat that came to life in real-time (perfectly applied wolf scars, vampire nails, and preternatural contacts), to the sheer emotion and story Sam Reid brings to every line, hair swish, and mic toss, and we could go on. But suffice to say, it’s an incredibly tall order for an actor, who probably didn’t imagine rock star on his resume, to deliver both these elements at once, and a real treat to get to watch him do it so effortlessly.
We especially love getting the chance to revisit Sam Reid as Lestat’s audience banter during “Big Bad Wolf.” It really is as if a bonus scene from this season of The Vampire Lestat fills our screens. But this time, it’s not Lestat addressing a fictional crowd, but Lestat cracking through the screens to speak directly to each of us watching. “Did you ever love someone who didn’t love you back? I think you know who I’m talking about. Did you ever try to let someone back in after they come to you with what feels like a softness in their eyes and a grief in their heart? The slings and arrows of your outrageous misfortune all laid solely at my beautiful feet, and then you find out about a book.” The Vampire Lestat spills his heart to us from the stage. And he wants you to know he was Lelio! (Arrrrmand.) It’s mind-blowing in the best way.
Then, of course, there’s the sheer beauty of what The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE captures in its 27 minutes. By that, of course, we mean the incredible beauty of the songs—especially “The Loneliness” and “Brutal Love,” which give us absolute chills. But we also mean the beautiful glow of community that this concert created and continues to generate as it reaches more and more fans of AMC’s Immortal Universe. The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE opens to the roar of the crowd, and brilliantly highlights the warmth that existed in the room that night as thousands of fans got the once-in-a-lifetime chance to chant “Lestat! Lestat! Lestat!” Throughout the songs, the camera pans around the space, catching the adoring faces of fans as they dance and sing along, connecting with the music that resonates in their hearts, the character they love so much, and the fellow fans around them. The concert is as much an homage to the fans of the series as it is to Lestat, and that makes it truly the loveliest tribute we can imagine. We are obsessed with the credits sequence that spotlights the experiences of different audience members at the concert.
The community also extends onto the stage in a wonderful way that fans don’t fully experience while watching the show itself. As we experience Sam Reid singing live as Lestat, it’s clear what a trust and partnership he has with The Vampire Lestat composer Daniel Hart. The pair performs together seamlessly to deliver an incredible show in The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE, supporting and enhancing one another’s work. Hart and Reid have clearly collaborated on Lestat’s sound and stage persona for a long time now, given music’s importance in The Vampire Lestat, but it’s the first time we see that collaboration in action rather than just its finished product. Witnessing this dynamic really offers a new level of appreciation for the talent and teamwork within the entire team behind The Vampire Lestat. And how wonderful to watch Daniel Hart playing his creations on stage, receiving well-earned applause for the music he wrote.
Of course, it goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway, that The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE gives us the gift of yet another version of The Vampire Lestat songs we love so much… This time with direct visuals of them coming from Sam Reid’s lips without any interruptions. And that is absolutely worth celebrating.
Ultimately, The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only is a tremendous musical special that delivers a thrilling rock-and-roll concert onto our screens, one that has us swooning, dancing, and singing along. But it’s so much more than that; it’s an unprecedented kind of show that combines elements from so many different VARIETIES of performances: concerts, plays, immersive theater, and television acting, to name a few. Beyond that, it breaks barriers between realities. And how cool is that? Only something that can be achieved by The Vampire Lestat, if you ask me. And now… It’s time for the world tour.
The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only LIVE is streaming now on AMC+.