This October 18th at Stage 48 Lucky Cheng’s celebrates 25 years as New York’s original and longest running Drag Dinner Show. I was fortunate to be able to and enjoy one of their delicious, sexy shows.
The legendary drag dinner show has so many claims to fame that it is hard to count them all: Lucky Chengs launched the careers of notable actors Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black), Miss Understood (To Wong Foo…, Project Runway) and Jamie Clayton (Sense8). Some of the most popular contestants from RuPaul’s Drag Race, which films it’s season finales at Stage 48, got their start or are still performing at Lucky Chengs, including Bob the Drag Queen, Thorgy Thor, Vivacious, Ongina, Yuhua Hamasaki, and more! A little known fact is that scenes from the first episode of Sex and the City were shot at Lucky Chengs!
My guest and I found ourselves waiting downstairs at the bar waiting for the show. We drank delicious margaritas and took notice of the crowd — lots of birthdays and bachelorette parties. Soon we went upstairs to enjoy the show.
Our lovely waitress Detox took our order of a lovely peach sangria or a “Hairy Mary” orgy bowl, or a two person drink. For an appetizer we split a guacamole, my guest ad sliders and I had delicious street corn. We both had tacos for dinner, I enjoyed my shrimp tacos – -they had quite the array of tacos. To top of the night, they had tres leche cake.
To start the festivities, Paulina Princess of Power emceed the event coming out, decked out, in her black outfit with fishnets. She did cartwheels, flips you name it. She was fun and a bit naughty. We enjoyed her dancing and banter with the crowd. I found it amusing when she started calling out different things about the crowd when it was their birthday, fun insults, but nothing too dangerous. We watched dancers like Svetlana, Detox and Vivacious from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 8 dance their asses off. We also watched people from the audience to their drag best. Some were good, and others tremendously embarrassing.
Lucky Cheng’s was founded by legendary restaurateur Hayne Suthon, who passed away from breast cancer in 2014. Suthon founded Cheng’s with MTV Producer and partner Robert Jason. Their daughter Josephine Jason, Lucky Cheng’s House DJ, is one of the co-owners of Lucky Cheng’s.
Lucky Cheng’s is founded on and 100% dedicated to inclusion and respect. Over the years Lucky Cheng’s performers, patrons and allies have witnessed and been a key part of the evolution of both Drag and Trans acceptance. Once taboo and in the shadows, Drag is now on mainstream television from RuPaul’s Drag Race to America’s Got Talent, Project Runway and more. In fact, Lucky Cheng’s is launching an All Ages Drag Show this year, which will run earlier in the evening, and feature some of the dozens of teens and pre-teens that have written and called Lucky Cheng’s eager for performance opportunities.
We enjoyed our night. The views of the city were spectacular. This was a great evening that I’ll never forget.
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