The building housing Lucky Cheng's, the celebrated Chinese restaurant with the mostly travesti staff, at 24 First Avenue, between First and Second Streets, in Manhattan's East Village, was, in an earlier era, the site of the Club Baths. On December 19, 1979, with the first New York City Gay Men's Chorus, short-lived predecessor to the current Chorus, founded the year before, I sang there in that group's first-ever concert, a program of holiday music and spirituals. On December 31, 2009, party givers Dina Marie, AKA Dina Delicious, and Daniel Nardicio presented a New Year's Eve Masked Ball extravaganza that evoked both present and past incarnations, with entertainment featuring Lucky Cheng's fabulous Queens, as well as Daniel's scantily clad and, later, totally unclad, troupe of sexy male dancers.
Daniel Booth, known to many as his alter ego, Miss Sweetie, was at the door; Dina led the countdown to 2010; Annida Greenkard served drinks; porn's Owen Hawk strutted his stuff; and Chelley performed "I Took the Night." DJs Johnny Dynell and Michael Magnan were responsible for music. Fabb Vision Network.com, billing itself as "the future of broadcasting," interviewed performers and attendees, in varied states of fancy dress and undress. We saw in the New Year with handsome Cherry Grove friends Ken Woodhouse and Mike Turci, Robin Murray, and Grove Manor's Peter Orsini, Ray, and Chase.
Daniel Nardicio's next endeavor is a Speakeasy underwear party, billed as Crude Awakening, on January 15, at an East Village location, with DJ Adam and Owen Hawk. Check www.danielnardicio.com for details.
