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Hard to imagine, but back in the days
before Alegria became a circuit
juggernaut, Alegria was something of an
underground, after-hours party attended
by the truest and fiercest "dancers from
the dance" who brought a
self-congratulatory awareness to the
floor for being at the hottest party in
New York City.
That same in-the-know feeling was in
evidence again at Alegria 2012 on Friday
evening of New Year's Eve weekend for
the last party of 2011. For most New
Yorkers, New Year's Eve is for amateurs
- and producer Ric Sena wisely placed
Alegria in the opening slot of a
party-filled New York weekend. DJ (and
Alegria stalwart) Abel was on the decks
(sporting a jewel-encrusted monogrammed
cap) - and as soon as he unleashed his
ferocious remix of Rihanna's song du
jour "We Found Love," the boys converged
en masse on the floor where they
remained for the next six hours.
One of the first boys we met was an
Alegria newbie - and his contagious
energy and infectious smile was a
reminder of what it means to "bring it"
to the party. "Leave the world behind ya,"
as one lyric had it - and Alegria 2012
was the epitome of the post-holiday
release party. Say goodbye to the stress
and tension - and hello to cathartic
release.
A true theatrical production that
unfolded in three acts, Alegria 2012
blew the roof off the Best Buy Theatre
when the stage curtain parted to reveal
an enormous scaffolding set in the shape
of the digits 2012 that spanned the
stage, reaching to the proscenium - upon
which a surfeit of Alegria go-go boys
writhed and roiled and moiled their sexy
bodies, saying so long to Father Time
and hello to 2012. "Energy" was the
track - and ENERGY exploded all around
the room and across the floor.
Throughout the night, it was clear that
Ric, Abel, and lighting wiz Stephen
Wyker were all three working at the peak
of their collective power, making the
whole greater than the sum of its parts.
Abel's musical selections were a
celebration of 2011's most propulsive
hits, highlighted by Rihanna's haunting
and soulful tracks. The singer (who
recently tied Whitney for most top ten
singles - and is right behind Madonna
and Mariah) has an uncanny ability to
tap into a gay man's subconscious with
her luxurious, dreamy voice - and Abel
remixed her "Only Girl (In the World)"
into a majestic orchestral maneuver that
served as a climactic opening to the
party's third act. Remixed, remade, and
remastered - and sealed with a sexy, hot
kiss, Abel's version of "Only Girl (In
the World)" is definitive.
Danish singer and performance artist,
Sisse Marie, made her New York debut
singing her worldwide club hits "Dirty
Hands" and "Every Time (You Look at Me)"
while working the stage in staggeringly
high heels - and enough chains to
strangle dozens of Lady Gaga wannabes.
The Danish dynamo worked the boys at the
lip of the stage - and had the crowd
pumping the air with their "Dirty Hands"
before a confetti drop exploded over the
entire house. This was a two-ton
confetti blizzard that dropped
multi-colored mounds all over the floor
in a flurry of rainbow snow - and, at
that point, delirious happiness was the
only response.
The crowd of party people was as
gloriously ebullient as our Alegria
newbie - and included Alegria loyalists
such as Betto and Jonathan, Adam Weaver
and Russell Roybal, Erica Gabriel (we
should all look so stunning after a bout
with food poisoning), Alegria head boy
Abel in a ferocious Jeremy Scott
ensemble, Todd and Gorm, and scores of
booty boys who give new meaning to the
adjective "callipygous." Circuit star
Holly Goheavy and consort Gareth Handee
wowed the boys and parted the crowd in a
pair of ensembles that glittered and
blinked with more wattage than the tree
at Rockefeller Center.
Late in the morning, Abel threw down
Adele's torchy "Someone Like You" with
its insistent, yearning refrain, "I wish
nothing but the best for you." Finger
lights illuminated the dance floor as
the boys joined together in letting go
of one year, ready to embrace another,
bonded in the embrace of an exemplary
Alegria.
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