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 deejays working three separate rooms and boyz from around the globe overflowing the labyrinthine dance floors, staircases, and hallways, Alegria Pride 2008 was a gargantuan affair—and a testament to producer Ric Sena’s bold vision in the face of Manhattan’s nightlife paroxysms. One thing’s for certain: Alegria’s found a new home.

Years ago, a series of pre-opening construction parties inaugurated the long reign of what became New York’s most beloved club, the Paradise Garage. Back then, the kidz wouldn’t wait for the club to be finished—and they partied for months, weekend upon weekend, before the Garage finally celebrated its grand opening.

In a similar fashion, those of us belonging to the far-reaching and extended Alegria family might be gearing up for one mighty grand celebration come Labor Day 2008. For the second time, Ric Sena’s Alegria installations were mired in labor strikes—but fortunately, Sena had contingency décor at the ready. More significantly, however, the recent changes to Webster Hall have made it definitively clear that while others might have doubted, Sena knew all along what he was doing. Though parts of the club still resemble a construction project in progress, there’s no question that an overhaul is in process, with evidence of improvement in nearly every nook and cranny of the recently designated historic landmark. And moreover, anyone who’s ever dealt with home renovation can see that Webster Hall is closer than ever to fulfilling its architectural promise.

On Saturday at Alegria Pride 2008, the closing of Pacha the night before was on everyone’s mind. If it wasn’t apparent before, it was clear now: Webster Hall is our last house. It seemed to be on Rosabel’s mind as they whipped out Madonna singing, “They say that a good thing never lasts, and then it has to fall/ Those are the people that did not amount to much at all.” Give it to us, Madge. Because as it quickly became evident, in spite of what else 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.”

And 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—or more likely, it was the new sound system, downstairs in the newly tessellated Marlin Room and upstairs on the Main Ballroom, making every beat sound fresh and sweet. Clearly something was going on, something new and improved, and the boyz were having it all.

Above the floor was a constellation of celestial galaxies: the contingency décor, illuminated by a battalion of lasers—and then, it hit us: Ross Berger on lights, assisted by Kyle Garner on lasers. The combination of the two: Lighting Wiz Berger and Lasermaster Garner—and just as light affords perspective, so was Webster Hall completely reanimated and newly illuminated. With Rosabel holding down the stage and Berger on the mezzanine, the two forces worked together, tag teaming 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, that sound, that sound of his, became even more percussive and persuasive, as if he were shifting into a newer sound, spreading his wings and flying freer around his latest nest. See what we mean here.

Freedom was the operative word. Freedom and pride. Onstage were body-painted thong dancers, their undulating butt cheeks painted to reveal eyes. Blinking, winking bootys, bumping for the boyz. And while Rihanna sang that song that seems determined to haunt the decade, an aerialist dangled on chains above the crowd, circling and swiveling, climbing and sliding, his legs a blur of scissors.

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 all anew through their eyes. Two boyz from Oz, for example, who had flown from the antipodes to Gotham—and to see their eyes and to hear their words was to see again Dorothy as she approached the Emerald City. Spellbound.

And why not? 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 the porn stars and the South Beach glamazons, to performing artist Quentin Elias, and Karen and Michelle, and beautiful boyz such as Gil Dominach and the comely VIP bartender Carlos, as well as Manhattan’s finest and firmest. And in looking over the packed floor, boyz kissing, boyz laughing, boyz with their arms in the air, boyz getting down, getting nasty, and doing what we do so well, you can’t help but radiate. Are we proud? Damn straight—and we have every reason to be. In the face of adversity, we know how to celebrate who we are.

It wasn’t only happening on the Main Ballroom. Down in the Marlin Room, Eddie Elias was turning it out for a floor the size of a club in many a European capital—and up on the Mezzanine, there was Dudu Marquez with a Brazilian contingent werking it out—and 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 who said, “We’re here to support Ric, because we love Alegria.”

No wonder Ric took to the stage late Sunday morning: dancing with pride, and with good reason. Because sometimes that’s how it goes: setbacks happen and we wonder why—only to be taught there’s a reason. We needed to get back up and fight harder for what we believe: the right to be who we are. At night’s end, one thing was certain: good things come to those who werk.

After all the improvements at Webster Hall, if there’s one sure bet, it’s that Alegria Casino arriving for Labor Day will win even bigger. With Tony Moran and Abel working the beats, and with Ross Berger on lights, and all of them working to implement the creative genius of Ric Sena, Alegria Casino holds four aces. Here’s a tip: deal yourself in right now—and go home a winner.