Thotyssey’s column “ThotLight” reviews and reports on the big events in NYC nightlife.
By Jim Silvestri
“It was a great night, we just have to work out a few kinks,” was what I heard from manager Ryan Overberg and some other folks that made Therapy Bar’s “Sunday Service” drag brunch premiere happen (a private “friends and family” test run this past weekend at 3pm). But neither myself nor a roomful of happy and enthusiastic diners seemed aware of any such kinks… it was a near perfect drag brunch experience with good food, copious drinks and amazing entertainment. Even among Manhattan’s well-established brunches, this will be a standout.
The day was themed as a Church Mass… not the first time we’ve seen this at a drag show, but this hit a lot of the right notes and hilariously subverted a lot of church themes. The hosts / servers wore cute little altar boy smocks, the bartenders were in purple priest garb and DJ Nicky Boom Box rocked a choir robe. Also as choir girls (until they got to their Sunday finery reveals, of course): three of Hell’s Kitchen’s finest queens, Kizha Carr, JanSport and Jackie Cox. Each queen entirely different from the other two, they worked well together and brought the holy house down with high energy performances (opinion: it’s Kizha’s turn for GLAM Entertainer of the Year in 2019). Local musical theater performer and famed Instagrammer Jarvis Derrell served as emcee and led a segment that I hope stays in the program: reading written anonymous “confessions” from audience members pulled from a bingo cage (“I’m 36 and I don’t use eye cream”; “I coveted / fucked my friend’s boyfriend”), and then offering to bring the confessors onstage for further explanation in exchange for free drinks. There was a lot of love in the room, and calling out of incognito nightlifers and performers in the audience.
The buffet style layout of food was spread across the back bar and featured all your basic breakfast items, plus more lunch-friendly fare like grilled chicken and avocado toast. Bloody marys, screwdrivers and mimosas were poured copiously by the attentive altar boys, and later brownies were served.
“Sunday Services” officially premieres next weekend at Therapy. I had such a good time that I must confess I will likely be there again quite soon. Praise Jesus!
Jim Silvestri is the creator and editor-in-chief of Thotyssey.
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