Rockefeller's Fills With 1926 Jazz for Houdini Centenary Event

Houston’s immersive entertainment sector is capitalizing on a historical milestone with a high-profile, one-night event that leverages a prime real estate venue and a dedicated fan base.

Strange Bird Immersive will host Death Defying at Rockefeller’s on Saturday, October 31. The event is sold out and coincides with the 100th anniversary of Harry Houdini’s death on Halloween in 1926. The company is leaving its usual location at the Houston Design Center to transform the Washington Avenue venue into a Jazz Age nightclub.

The company has operated from the Houston Design Center for a decade. Its flagship production, The Man from Beyond, has run for ten years. The new event marks a departure from the small-scale escape room format to a large-scale venue rental. Co-artistic director Haley E. R. Cooper stated the company chose Rockefeller’s because the building was constructed in 1925. She noted the timing aligns with the 1926 date of Houdini’s death.

Development of Death Defying began in late October 2025. Cooper said the team spent the intervening year securing the venue, writing the script, and casting actors. The production employs 21 actors. This number exceeds the typical staffing for the company’s standard escape rooms, which usually accommodate eight people at a time.

The evening’s entertainment features a live band and two bars. Special performers include Houston singer Tianna Hall, magician Michael Feldman, and a dance act called The Floral Sisters. Kacie Adams and Brock Hatton will portray Harry and Bess Houdini. Cooper described the experience as a combination of a stage show and scattered immersive scenes. Participants will move through the venue to discover different narrative segments.

The storyline centers on Houdini’s promise to his wife Bess that he would find a way to contact her from beyond the grave. Bess conducted seances for years following his death in 1926. Death Defying expands on this narrative, which is also the core of The Man from Beyond. Cooper said the event aims to create a sense of communal discovery among attendees.

Strange Bird Immersive is also developing a new permanent attraction called Lucidity. Cooper said this project has been in build for at least four years. She described it as four times as complex as The Man from Beyond. The company’s previous show, The ENDings, was produced in five weeks and won Best Immersive Art Exhibit in the 2025 Best Of Houston awards.

The company is expanding its operational team to support this growth. Cooper said they have hired a producing team of six people for Death Defying. She and her spouse, J. Cameron Cooper, have run the business for 15 years. They are using the Halloween event to test their ability to manage larger productions and introduce new shows more frequently.

Tickets for Death Defying are sold out. The event is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, at Rockefeller’s, located at 3620 Washington Avenue.