The skinny from JC Hopkins, aka the man who knows where Hoffa is buried:
Landmarked NYC Jewel THE PLAYERS Opens to Public for “Spring Spectacular”
Swing Dance, Burlesque and Jazz
With the JC Hopkins Biggish Band
featuring Champian Fulton and DeWitt Fleming Jr.
Performances by Martha Wainwright, Jolie Holland, Shien Lee
and NYC “It” Artists Highlight the Event
Friday, May 7th, 8pm-1am
Complimentary cocktails from 8 to 9pm
The Players, 16 Gramercy Park South
$20 w/RSVP, $25 at the door
RSVP at midnightfollies@gmail.com
New York, NY - April 1, 2010 - The historical landmark The Players of Gramercy Park opens its private doors to the public for SPRING SPECTACULAR, a night of elegance harkening the rich history of Manhattan’s legendary entertainers with a Kennedy-era flair. This star-studded evening will feature big band, swing dancing, burlesque and jazz while bringing together a staggering array of talent demonstrating the city’s diversity. The event will be held Friday, May 7th at 8pm. Guests are encouraged to dress in swing, beatnik or mid-century modern attire (Mad Men).
This rare occasion celebrates the spring season through an evening of the exuberant entertainment of yesteryear with a modern, independent edge. Special guests include vocalist Martha Wainwright performing a selection from her album “Martha Wainwright Sings Piaf” in addition to the “velvet voice” of Jolie Holland, the independent artist who counts none other than Tom Waits as one of her biggest fans. Accompaniment for the night's performances as well as live jazz and swing provided by the acclaimed JC Hopkins' Biggish Band along with tap-dancing sensation DeWitt Fleming Jr. (called "an amazement" by The NY Times) and singer Champian Fulton (who The New Yorker touts as having a “galvanizing voice”). Singer Shien Lee (of Dances of Vice) will perform with pianist Bryan Reeder in the club's Sergent Room.
The cabaret atmosphere reaches crescendo as some of the best burlesque dancers in NYC step on to the stage to delight and entice: winner of the 2009 Golden Pastie Award for “Most Sensual Performer in Burlesque” Peekaboo Pointe, Miss Coney Island Ekaterina, and, in band breaks, 1920s tap sensation The Minsky Sisters.
The entire evening is presented by Midnight Follies and hosted by James Habacker, illustrious owner of downtown’s The Slipper Room and with Kiki Valentine, actress and producer of The Sunday Show. Valentine explains, "The Players has an incredible history and energy...to open the doors to the public and create a happening like this seems to wake the spirits of Frank Sinatra and Sarah Bernhardt. It's like they're giving us their blessing. Plus, they always loved a good party."
The legendary Players, boasting Twain himself in its luminary roster along with Nobel-prize-winners Eugene O'Neill, Ernest Hemingway and numerous others, is a social club founded by the famed 19th century Shakespearean actor Edwin Booth. The Players' history-steeped home is a magnificent Victorian mansion with dozens of paintings, marble fireplaces, and a wrought iron balcony overlooking Gramercy, the only remaining private park in Manhattan.
RSVP at midnightfollies at gmail dot com
