Many of us have fond memories of the Gaiety, the legendary and now-shuttered home of "classic male burlesque" formerly located in the heart of Times Square. It was a dark and unkempt strip club that was more like a pageant hall or bodybuilding show; no touching was allowed, though the talent was free to roam the halls with their Filofaxes and cell phones to book "appointments" between acts. The club attracted everyone from slumming Chelsea queens to Michael Musto to Madonna, who featured the club, several dancers and the late Joey Stefano in a notorious spread in her "Sex" book. The club managed to remain open through Giuliani's transformation of Times Square, but finally closed two years ago.
Trying to reconnect with your favorite Gaiety dancer? Alas, some of the legendary headliners have moved on to meaningful relationships with wealthy older men or are temporarily unavailable. But many are still touring the strip club circuit, and there are several Yahoo Groups specifically devoted to the legendary club. The largest one boasts several dozen photo albums and contact information for many former dancers, as well as regular email postings advertising their availability. Ain't (coin-operated) love grand?
· "GaietyNYC" and "Gaiety Men" (groups.yahoo.com; free registration required!)