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Party Review: Alegria Pride

Written by Mark Thompson

With massive air-conditioning ductwork snaking up the facade of Webster Hall from the street below, anyone on the outside could see that the scene inside the sold-out Alegria Pride 2008 would be Stygian—and it was: steamy hot, dark, and hard. With three DJs working three separate rooms and boyz from around the globe overflowing the labyrinthine dance floors, staircases, and hallways, Alegria Pride 2008 was another gargantuan affair—and a testament to producer Ric Sena’s bold vision in the face of Manhattan’s nightlife meltdowns. Alegria has found a new home.

For the second time, Sena’s Alegria installations were mired in labor strikes—but fortunately, Sena had contingency décor at the ready. Recent changes inside Webster Hall made it clear that Sena knows what he is doing. Although parts of the club still resembled a construction project, there was evidence of improvement in nearly every nook and cranny of the recently designated New York City landmark. The renovation is bringing historic Webster Hall up to date as one of the city’s major dance venues.

The closing of Pacha by the NYPD the night before (since reopened) was on everyone’s mind. It must have been on Rosabel’s mind when they whipped out Madonna’s “They say that a good thing never lasts, and that it has to fall/ Those are the people that did not amount to much at all.”

It quickly became evident, however, that whatever drama was going on around town, Alegria just got better at Webster Hall. Or as Madge had it, “Give it to me/No one’s gonna stop me now.” 
That’s pretty much how the night went: unstoppable. Perhaps it was the brand-new mirror ball, the words ALEGRIA UNIVERSO outlined in blue neon, or a dozen brand-new tufted red velvet banquettes scattered here and there. More likely, it was the new sound systems, downstairs in the newly tessellated Marlin Room and upstairs on the Main Ballroom, making every beat sound fresh and sweet.

Above the floor, a constellation of celestial galaxies shined, the contingency décor illuminated by a battalion of lasers. Ross Berger on lights, assisted by Kyle Garner on lasers, completely reanimated the venerable space. With Rosabel holding down the stage and Berger on the Mezzanine, the two forces worked together to create an unparalleled fusion of light and sound.

Maybe it was working with Ralphi again, but Abel seemed even more on fire than usual—and his sound became even more percussive and persuasive, as if he were shifting into a new realm where he could spread his wings and fly free around this, his latest nest.

Freedom was the operative word. Freedom and Pride. Onstage, body-painted thong dancers shook their undulating butt cheeks painted to reveal eyes. Blinking, winking bootys, bumping for the boyz. And while Rihanna sang That Song, an aerialist dangled on chains above the crowd, circling and swiveling, climbing and sliding, his legs a blur of scissor-like crisscrosses.

Perhaps it might be easy for some to take all this wonder and pandemonium for granted—and to them we say, find a pair of newbies and see it anew through their eyes: two boyz from Oz, for example, who had flown from the Antipodes to Gotham. To see their delight was to experience Dorothy as she approached the Emerald City.

There are few things as inspirational as Pride in New York. And for the past eight years, Alegria Pride has made itself an integral part of that package. You go to Alegria Pride expecting to see everyone—and you do, from porn stars and South Beach glamazons, to artists like Quentin Elias and all those beautiful out-of-town boyz, as well as Manhattan’s finest and firmest. In looking over the packed floor—boyz kissing, boyz laughing, boyz with their arms in the air, boyz getting down, getting nasty, and doing everything that we do so much better than anyone—you can’t help but radiate. Are we proud? Damn straight. In the face of adversity, we know how to celebrate who we are.

It wasn’t only happening in the Main Ballroom. Down in the Marlin Room, Eddie Elias was turning it out for a floor that would count as a major club in itself anywhere else. Up on the Mezzanine, Dudu Marquez spun a set with a Brazilian contingent working it. All over Webster Hall, as we roamed the warren of rooms and corridors, we ran into happy boyz, up and down the staircases. More than a few said, “We’re here to support Ric, because we love Alegria.”

When Sena himself danced up on the stage late Sunday morning, he was acknowledging that setbacks happen for a reason. By the end of the long weekend, this party and the following night Champions, which magically relocated from Pacha to the gorgeous Capitale, seemed to be saying that good things come to those who work for them.

After all the improvements at Webster Hall, if there’s one certainty that’s worth placing, it’s that Alegria Casino on Labor Day Weekend will come in as a winner.  With Tony Moran and Abel working the beats and Ross Berger on lights to implement the creative genius of Ric Sena, Alegria Casino holds
four aces.

Reader Comments

What a wonderful review!

By Thomas Barker on 03-13-2009

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