Alegria Gladiators Claim New Fortress :: Alegria Xtreme 8

Built in 1886, it housed costume balls and gay bacchanals-as well as a Madonna pajama party. In the years when it was known as the Ritz, performers such as Tina Turner, Prince, Pink, and KISS ruled the stage. Small wonder that earlier this month, the city of New York designated Webster Hall a historic landmark-and fitting also that this past Sunday of Black Party weekend in New York, Webster Hall became the latest home of Ric Sena's Alegria.Built in 1886, it housed costume balls and gay bacchanals-as well as a Madonna pajama party. In the years when it was known as the Ritz, performers such as Tina Turner, Prince, Pink, and KISS ruled the stage. Small wonder that earlier this month, the city of New York designated Webster Hall a historic landmark-and fitting also that this past Sunday of Black Party weekend in New York, Webster Hall became the latest home of Ric Sena's Alegria.

It's never easy to move-but Alegria has done it before, moving from its first home at Sound Factory (now Pacha), to the brand-new and much-loved Crobar (now Mansion)-and now into the East Village for the start of its third chapter-and if the packed house on Sunday night was any indication, the party remains as strong as ever.

Of course, adjustments will be made, as explained one of the majordomos whom Ric had brought over from Crobar. "This is our first night," he said. "We'll get it right with time." For the most part, everyone was patient. The coat check line was orderly-almost reserved, as if party peeps were on good behavior, recognizing the import of making a good impression during the current anti-nightlife atmosphere prevailing in New York. We were guests in a new house, hoping to be invited back-because given the rate of club closings, what else is left but the streets?

Once called the "Jewel of the Village," this house has character: marble staircases (albeit somewhat steep) and original porcelain urinals the size of closets. There are numerous nooks and crannies, beading and bordello red lighting, tessellated floors and marble landings. Imagine the Addams Family on a night out, with Tim Burton as set designer-and then open the doors to the Alegria cult.

Make It Last

At one am, the dance floor was packed: a sea of gorgeous torsos bobbing beneath four phosphorescent glowering gryphons perched atop an immense iron ring suspended from the ceiling. Safe within the ramparts of an onstage medieval castle, Alegria gladiators and nearly naked knights reveled in an all-night bender. Abel was their leader, throwing down "Solitary Lover," "Apologize," "Feedback," and to a massive cheer, "Please Don't Stop the Music," before sealing the deal with "Besito Pa Ti." Mike D werked the lights-red and more red-and gold and white. It was dark on the floor and in the corners of the ballroom. Black Party warriors got busy-before their return to life's front lines. From the balcony, DJ Escape watched, mesmerized, with his gf-and there was Rich Campbell and his posse, and Ric Siclari and his posse, and photog David Morgan, and doorman William F., and Chris Harris, and the MedEvent team, insuring safety for all. There were boyz from Providence and a whole slew of boyz from South Beach, and Joe Caro, of course, and Chris, and Eddie from Rumania, and Alex B. Euphoria, and Gorm and Tod, and Michael Circuit Dancer, and Michael from Boston, and Michael Adorable Superman, and adorable Kevin T., and the usual battalion of bodacious Alegria bartenders-and overseeing it all, missing not a detail, was Ric Sena, mentally noting what was working and what needed adjustment-to "Make It Last," as Abel put it.

The Legion of Alegria Warriors

There were also novitiates to the Alegria cult, first-timers who'd read about this party, and seen the photographs-and heard their friends-and now they were here, at the new castle keep. The stairways were packed; the boyz kept pouring in as Jeanie Tracy took the stage and sang "Happy Birthday" to Abel. And in the corners of the ballroom, it stayed dark and dirty-as dark and dirty as it once was in the corners of Sound Factory where Alegria found its first home. It was hot and the warriors were sweaty. And then Abel threw down "Hills of Katmandu," a Black Party weekend staple, a classic by Tantra from 1980-but tweaked into something even more clanging and propulsive, thereby showcasing the increase in life's speed in the nearly-thirty year interim since the song was first released.

With a ballroom capacity of 1400, and an overall capacity of 2500, Webster Hall was filled to the rafters with the Alegria brotherhood-and remained so throughout the morning and into the afternoon. The next gathering of the knights of Alegria occurs on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, the first of a series of Saturday night Alegrias. It's a new chapter for Alegria, one that promises to add even more beauty and brawn to the already-legendary legion of Alegria warriors.