Aiden Sinclair Conjures the Christmas Spirit In Reworked Theatrical Séance at The Queen Mary

Master Magician and Apparitionist Aiden Sinclair took up residency at The Queen Mary in Long Beach back in September with “Illusions of the Passed; Legends of the Queen Mary, A Theatrical Séance!” When the show premiered I was invited to experience the 90-minute performance, which I reviewed at the time. Earlier this week I was invited back to The Queen Mary to experience a holiday version of Sinclair’s reworked performance, “Ghosts of Christmas Passed,” which will take place on select dates through the holiday season.

The Revenant Lounge has already seen some changes since the show premiered back in September. First and foremost the entry hallway now prominently features photos of all of the people who have died aboard The Queen Mary along with details on their cause of death and when they were traveling on the ship. The lounge also features new haunted artifacts from Sinclair’s collection as well as original artwork by Sinclair himselfThe Revenant Lounge bar continues to serve some amazing themed cocktails before the show and I went back for the Smoke and Mirrors: a mixture of smoked maple bourbon, sweet vermouth, black walnut bitters, and hickory smoke. The entire creation of this drink looks like a science experiment and this time I was able to capture the entire creation process on video!

The holiday show carries similar themes to Sinclair’s traditional theatrical séance, with death and ghosts at the heart of the performance, themes that even Sinclair jokes are a bit bizarre for a Christmas show. But as Sinclair points out during his performance and as we even discussed recently here on All Hallows Geek, ghosts used to be a big part of Christmas traditions. 

“Ghosts of Christmas Passed,” like Sinclair’s traditional show, isn’t about tricking you or sleight of hand, it’s about the experience and what you take away from it. Or perhaps, as you learn from Sinclair’s performances, the energy you leave behind. While 
“Illusions of the Passed; Legends of the Queen Mary, A Theatrical Séance!” focuses heavily on stories related to The Queen Mary, the Christmas show deviates a bit from this format and instead shifts to the stories behind some of the haunted artifacts from Sinclair’s cabinet of curiosities, specifically items that were once given as gifts. Gifts with incredible, sometimes tragic stories, all of which help provide a means to Sinclair’s unique form of magic.

By the end of Sinclair’s performance, you may or may not believe he or your fellow audience members summoned ghosts to carry out the magic that you’ll witness, but I can almost guarantee that through his skillful storytelling, Sinclair will summon a feeling. A feeling of Christmas spirit driven by the reminder that one of the most important gifts we have this season is the gift of life and time with those around us who we cherish.

For show dates tickets and more information on Aiden Sinclair and “Ghosts of Christmas Passed” visit The Queen Mary’s website or illusionsofthepassed.com