Sneak Peek At The Hook, Superfrico

Mar 04, 2024

For the first time in the 45-year history of Atlantic City casinos, a year-round live entertainment and dining residency is coming to the Boardwalk.

The iconic Warner Theatre is being resurrected inside Caesars Atlantic City to host The Hook, the newest creation from Spiegelworld, producers of the Las Vegas smash hits Absinthe, Atomic Saloon Show and OPM. Superfrico, described as an Italian American psychedelic restaurant, and a quartet of uniquely-themed bars will debut in conjunction with The Hook this summer.

Spiegelworld’s founder and “impresario extraordinaire” Ross Mollison led a behind-the-scenes tour of his latest concoction as construction crews worked to make his vision a reality. The 422-seat theatre and 150-seat restaurant are being “purpose-built” to provide guests with a unique experience that includes several nods to Atlantic City’s rich history, Mollison says.

Officials have slated opening day for June 30, and the public can already access tickets.

Spiegelworld has been entertaining guests in Las Vegas for more than a decade. But Mollison traces the company’s roots back to New York City and spiegeltent shows at the South Street Seaport.

In a sense, Mollison says producing a show in Atlantic City is like returning to his East Coast roots.

“It’s been a delight,” he says with his heavy Australian accent.

The entire space inside Caesars and the former Warner Theatre is being designed specifically for The Hook and Superfrico, which Caesars announced over the winter. It’s a significant step up compared to a waterfront circus tent, Mollison noted.

Asked about obstacles in reusing the nearly 100-year-old frame of the old Warner Theatre, the tour guide was direct.

“It was a challenge to design,” Mollison said. “The challenge was the architecture and to fit everything we wanted inside that box.”

Mollison’s creativity seems as boundless as his enthusiasm for entertaining. The result appears to be a product that will be wildly different from anything else in AC.

The two bars most accessible from the Boardwalk (one on the boards, the other inside) are complimentary yet distinct. The Horse Dive Bar (inside) and the Cheval de Plunge (outside) are Mollison’s homage to the show’s host city.

Two other bars, which still await naming, will reside inside the theatre and dining venue. Mollison seemed particularly proud of ensuring his guests would not ever be thirsty.

The first of Superfrico’s three dining rooms: Backdrop. It is directly behind the stage, and The Hook’s cast will be a prominent part of the dining experience.

The second and smaller dining area goes by the name of the Dressing Room. The walls of Aviary, the smallest of the three, feature Mollison’s personal taste in art.

Mollison was intentionally vague regarding details about The Hook as a performance. After all, intrigue and suspense are part of the attraction (and help sell tickets).

Spiegelworld’s Las Vegas productions may provide a few hints. Note that Spiegelworld shows are intended for adult audiences only.

Absinthe has been playing outside Caesars Palace since 2011. Many have described the show as part circus, part burlesque, and part comedy. The constantly-evolving Absinthe was declared “the No. 1 greatest show in Las Vegas history” by Las Vegas Weekly in 2016.

The space-themed OPM opened in 2018 at The Cosmopolitan. The Atomic Saloon Show debuted at the Venetian’s Grand Canal Shoppes the following year.

Superfrico started wowing Cosmopolitan guests in 2021.