Hot Burlesque in Sub-Freezing Temperatures

It is Saturday night after 9 p.m., and the city streets are emptying quickly. The temperature has dropped to 30 degrees and at every street corner I must negotiate whether to step into slush or navigate to the more frozen embankment. Crossing East Houston Street onto Second Avenue, I hear a faint trumpet blare, too boisterous to be emanating from a car radio. Like a siren's call, I am seduced by the sweet sound and follow the music to its point of origin. I land at the Bowery across from East First Street.

I am now at the Duane Park restaurant at 308 Bowery, where a quartet named Almaluna has stationed itself against some snow banks. Norman Paul Edwards Jr. is playing a full drum set, not the smaller cocktail kit that most outdoor percussionist would play. Bassist Patrick Andy and trumpet player Nash Guillermo stand to the left of the drum kit. At the far end, vocalist Dilia is belting out a song wearing a white fur coat, white shoes and stockings, a white leotard trimmed in gold, and little else. Despite the cold, the band's solid good-time rhythms compels a few fast-walking pedestrians to stop for a moment and enjoy the music. I am tapping my feet to the music, but also to knock the snow off my boots.

Inside the restaurant's partly-enclosed sidewalk cabana, the customers, who paid $85 for dinner and a show, are finishing their drinks. Although the restaurant has two small space heaters, the customers keep their coats, scarves and hats on. As Almaluna drives into its uptempo groove, burlesque dancer and contortionist Lillin Lace sashays out from the restaurant's door wearing very little. As the music plays, she takes off various bits of white and gold apparel until she is wearing little more than shoes, a fur boa, a g-string and nipple pasties, and a golden-glittery face mask. As an unknowing passer-by, I am astonished that this is happening on a Manhattan sidewalk and more so in sub-freezing temperatures.

The song ends, Lace returns inside the restaurant, and Almaluna launches into another rocking song. Dilia introduces the next performer, burlesque dancer Pearls Daily, who does a strip dance similar to her predecessor. The song ends, and Dilia announces that this is the final night of the program, Winter Wonderland, and then introduces the last entertainer of the evening, Opera Gaga.

Opera Gaga

Also wearing a skimpy white and gold outfit, Gaga strolls out of the restaurant, stands on a chair, reaches up, and we see a hoop hanging from a fire escape two flights up. As the music plays, Gaga climbs onto the hoop, the chair below is removed, the hoop starts spinning, and Gaga performs a series of acrobatic stunts. The band's music suddenly quiets to a whisper and Gaga starts singing "Oh Holy Night" in an operatic voice. When the spinning hoop slows a bit, someone gives it a push. Gaga is singing while spinning and doing aerial acrobatics high above the audience, and most of the time she is upside down. Spectacular!

Opera Gaga

"Duane Park is a burlesque supper club and restaurant and, since we cannot do our full shows indoors due to Covid, the management created an outdoor Covid-compliant show," Dilia later explains to me. "The dancers at Duane Park are burlesque performers and contortionists, and we also have circus performers in the cast. All of us beyond thankful to be there and be together."

Apparently I missed a fair amount of the show. Upon arrival, I did not know that I had missed contortionist Allison Schieler, hip hop juggler Paris, and window burlesque dancer Peekaboo Pointe.

Almaluna

"Our band Almaluna has been playing at Duane Park for over six years. It is a second home and everyone is so grateful to be back to make music together and be able to work some," Dilia continues.

"During the quarantine Almaluna created Virtual Serenatas. These were serenades that each member of the band would record and film separately. Later we would edit them together with a personalized message. We did this to make music and to have enough money to eat and pay some bills. It gave a great boost of morale to those sending as well as those receiving. A bit of joy. We recorded original music. We also did a few virtual concerts and were commissioned for a few original pieces but nothing compares to being able to make music live again!"

Dilia

"Personally, my mental health has vastly improved with our shows. Spending quarantine alone and still not having much human interaction has been difficult. Being able to sing live again and spread love and joy to people feeds my soul. Community is everything and I love our community. Everyone is selfless and no one complains about the cold weather. As Opera Gaga puts it, 'Everyone here is a badass!'

"We are so grateful to the people who support live performances in NYC. Even in 20 degrees, they show up! Without them, there would be no one to put a show on for," Dilia concludes. "We are all forever grateful to Duane Park, specifically Marisa and David Brouillard, Duane Park's director, for doing everything to keep art alive, even if at the end of the day they barely break, even just so the performers and the staff can have work. They are some of the best humans around."