Inside Detroit’s “Fraud” Event and Wonka Comparison

Nita Morton showed up to a Bridgerton-themed ball expecting glitz, glamour, and great food.

The event, held Sunday night in Detroit, Michigan, invited fans to “step into the enchanting world of the Regency era” with “sophistication, elegance and historic charm.”

So far so good, but what happened next is enough to make a Netflix drama of its own.

Guests say they found soggy noodles, chicken bones, depressing decorations, a violin and a pole dancer.

“It brought tears to my eyes,” Nita, 25, told the BBC. “This was the worst event I’ve ever been to. My high school parties were better.”

“The food in Bridgerton is turkey and ham and a fancy dessert table like macarons,” she told the BBC.

“But we had soggy noodles with tomato sauce and small chicken wings.”

The fiasco went viral on social media, with attendees who paid nearly $200 (about 15,000 yen) for tickets calling it a “fraud.”

Guests dressed in fancy ballgowns said they had no choice but to sit on the floor due to a lack of chairs, and some left early to McDonald’s or Burger King when they ran out of food.

People quickly noticed similarities to other viral flops such as Fyre Festival in the Bahamas and Glasgow’s Willy Wonka Experience.

The ball is not affiliated with Netflix or the production company Shondaland and was hosted by Uncle & Me LLC. It did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment, but told local media it was working to address concerns.

The BBC interviewed some of those in attendance to hear how high society turned into bitter disappointment.

The ball’s itinerary, seen by the BBC, included a photo shoot, dance lessons and a fashion show.

Those who bought more expensive tickets were also promised dinner and a violinist.

But alarm bells started ringing when guests arrived and noticed there was no one to greet them at the door.

Kimberly Pineda, who posted a TikTok video about her experience, told the BBC that “anyone could have walked in” because there was no check-in process.

When she arrived, she said, the customers had left, but some of them even bothered to warn her not to go inside.

Once inside, she was faced with “cheap” decorations and said the banquet hall was completely sparse.

“There were only a few vendors, which was disappointing. They were already booked and we had no idea what was going on.

“Plates were being stacked, glasses were being reused, whole plates of food were being left out, and someone said the chicken wasn’t cooked properly and the beans smelled like fish.” ”

Like Kimberly, Andy Bell also found the food and drink options woefully inadequate.

“The hors d’oeuvres were something all the guests enjoyed, and leftovers from dinner were the promised hors d’oeuvres.”

Next came entertainment, which for some was the last straw.

“As the night progressed, an exotic dancer (possibly a stripper) appeared with a pole. There were no dance lessons at the scheduled time, even though most of us were waiting in the ballroom. That, and eventually club music came along and blew it off the stage,” Andy said.

“At that point, my sister and I moved out.”

Meanwhile, Kimberly said her “jaw dropped” when the pole dancer’s performance began.

“I was promised a Bridgerton-themed musical performance, but I wasn’t expecting pole dancing,” she said.

Other entertainment included a performance by Queen Charlotte, one of the show’s characters.

But another guest, Amanda Sue Mathis, said she felt very undignified. She was wearing a “cheap outfit” that “looked like she bought it at a 100 yen store” and was sitting with a “fake stuffed dog” on her lap.

Photographers, on the other hand, could only airdrop photos, Nita said.

That meant people with Android smartphones resorted to taking pictures of his phone.

And despite having a violinist, she had to perform across three floors, Nita said.

In a statement to WXYZ-TV, Uncle & Me LLC said, “We understand that our most recent event at the Harmony Club on Sunday night did not provide the experience everyone expected. I sincerely apologize for that.”

“While our intention was to provide a magical evening, we recognize that organizational challenges have affected the enjoyment of some of our guests.

“We take full responsibility for these shortcomings.”

The company said it is working to address all concerns raised by guests, adding that it is “considering resolution options and will communicate them shortly.”

The company’s website doesn’t seem to be working, and the event site, which was available until mid-week, is now down, adding to fan frustration.

Nita claimed the comments were “gaslighting” to those in attendance and said she “has not been able to contact the company for days.”

Andy claims that any communication from organizers was “non-existent”.

Kimberly said she spent $440 on the costume alone and feels “robbed” of her money and time.

And Amanda, a huge fan who has watched Bridgerton from start to finish six times, described the match as “a dream come true until it doesn’t.”

Similar recent failures may provide clues as to how things will play out.

Organizers have announced full refunds to ticket holders after the spectacular failure of the Wonka Experience in Glasgow earlier this year, which saw anger erupt in a near-empty warehouse and the police called.

Meanwhile, Fyre Festival promised a two-week extravaganza of music in the Bahamas, but when fans arrived there were no music acts, no plans, and only sleeping in disaster relief tents.

Just months after being released from prison for the 2017 event, organizer Billy McFarland announced the reboot. Fire II is scheduled to take place in April 2025.

If another Bridgerton-themed ball is to be held in the near future, fans in Detroit will be inspired by Anthony Bridgerton’s own words, “You are the bane of my existence and the power of all my desires.” It may produce “.

Additional reporting by Ana Faguy.