The Cock photo by Wilsonmodels
Longtime sexy gay bar Cock was hoping to move to a bigger space at 112 Rivington Street, but the community council clearly needed some lube and said “Nyuh-uh.”
So now the club plans to reopen in its Second Avenue location (for vaccines only) on Pride Week Thursday. And that’s great because familiarity breeds cruising, and besides, co-owner Allan Mannarelli tells me that in the fall they’ll spruce up an unused space and open it up as a celebration room, in the fall. honor of Nashom Wooden (a / k / a slide star Mona Foot). Nashom was a favorite Cock employee / personality and one of the first New Yorkers to die of covid last year.
Meanwhile, I told you about the upcoming queer club called the Q (in Hell’s Kitchen). Well guess who are the celebrity contributors? As promoter Frankie Sharp told Tym Moss and Wendy Stuart during the live chatfest If These Walls Could Talk, they are Billy Porter, Jake Shears, Zach Quinto and Charlie Carver.
Sisters in the group? The boys in the pose? Anyway, it’s a lot of cute Q.
The Cock photo by Wilsonmodels
Longtime promoter Ladyfag has relaunched her Sunday Night Battle Anthem party (in Mission space), which means there should be one for July 4th. Lubed fingers crossed… OG party diva Susanne Bartsch not only kicked off a weekly Thursday night “New York, New York” party at Sony Hall, but she’s throwing a Pride Weekend at Nemacolin, a luxury hotel in Pennsylvania , with Joey Arias, Amanda Lepore, and a few other creatures of the night. I was invited to the weekend, but weirdly they never followed up, which is good; I’m a little afraid to go this close to Pittsburgh.
I was perfectly happy to accompany Mickey Boardman to a fancy dinner at Veronika, the restaurant of the Fotografiska New York photo museum, for a new book by Tom of Finland and the accompanying exhibition. At the family celebration, Paulina Poriskova brought a delicious photo to life. She and I agreed that the Oscars were boring, and I joked her that she deserved an award for enduring it in person.
“I will gladly accept it,” says Paulina, laughing. “And what you might not know is that it was so cold. They had the windows open. The men wore suits and were fine, but we the women weren’t. Zendaya was practically in a bikini!
We shared a knowing look and I thought, “At least the cold bursts of air could have helped keep the celebrities awake.”
Before we parted, Mickey asked Paulina [who’s currently contesting Ric Ocasek’s will] how handsome Aaron Sorkin treats her.
“I’m happy,” she smiles.
Speaking of rewards, I hear Cynthia Erivo probably won’t be able to become a project-based EGOT (The Color Purple). Apparently, the folks making the movie version of the Tony, Emmy, and Grammy-winning musical are looking for a “discovery” to play.
Guess it wouldn’t be Ariana DeBose, since she’s already been discovered. (She was Tony nominated for Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, played the girlfriend of the central lesbian character in the movie The Prom, and is Anita in the highly anticipated West Side Story revamp.)
But I’m glad I saw DeBose on Broadway at Tavern, a posh live concert series set in a sparkling outdoor space at New York City’s Tavern on the Green. The openly queer star commanded the scene with great blowjobs and a relaxed personality that ranges from the lively to the heartfelt. She did a contemplative version of Sondheim’s “Another Hundred People” and made an interesting mix of her “Ladies Who Lunch” with another tsk-tsk song, “Poor Unfortunate Souls”. She also juxtaposed Donna Summer with Ariana Grande, paid tribute to the late Nick Cordero and dance legend Jacques d’Amboise, and belted her big lament of The Prom, adding “Spoiler: They Separate.” (Its music director then replied, “Spoiler: Happy end!”)
DeBose said that during the lockdown, she communicated with nature, watched old episodes of The Newsroom, and immersed herself in “The Mamma Mia!” cycle, which means two films. Well, she didn’t lose any playing skills, and naturally gave us a taste of West Side Story in her version of “Somewhere”, backed up by rock guitar riffs.
And with that, I finished my delicious meal with the greatest joy that New York is back!
