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New Yorkers are disheartened at the sudden announcement that Barracuda Lounge, a gay bar with the longest-running drag competition in NYC, will close in Chelsea on Sunday, March 23.
First reported by BroadwayWorld on Monday, the closure comes after alleged damage caused by the demolition work going on at adjacent buildings to make way for a luxury condo project that will make it impossible to conduct business as usual, according to owner Bob Pontarelli in a statement on Facebook (which is not currently shareable).
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“In the past few months, a major demolition of the buildings surrounding Barracuda was undertaken,” he wrote. “This included the movie theater that shares our entire East wall and apartments on 23rd street that share our stage. This demolition is the first step of a huge condo project. The damage from the construction has significantly affected the interior and overall operation of the bar. The next step will be the drilling of the bedrock in order to begin tower construction. There is no way to anticipate the additional damage and risks that could arise in the future. It is impossible to conduct business as usual.”
Pontarelli opened Barracuda about 30 years ago at 275 West 22nd Street with the late Stephen Heighton, when gay bars weren’t really a place to linger. Ditching the typical “stand-and-meet” rigamarole, they made their space cozy—“a funky living-room environment,” Pontarelli said in his statement. Soon thereafter, they launched its weekly drag competition, Star Search, which served as inspiration for drag shows and a springboard for artists since then, including Flotilla de Barge, PepperMint, Sweetie, Shasta Cola, Honey Dijon, Hedda Lettuce, Bob the Drag Queen, Monet Exchange, Miz Cracker and many others. Celebrities frequented the bar over the years, too, he said, including Jennifer Coolidge, Tammy Faye Baker, Eartha Kitt, Joan Jet, Charo and more.
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“I don’t pretend we’re Stonewall, but Barracuda is a legend,” Pontarelli told Gothamist. “It’s sad and overwhelming and rough.”
Queen, advocate and filmmaker Marti Cummings called closure "heartbreaking." “The years spent there are some of my most cherished as a drag artist,” they said on Facebook. “The stage there helped me develop my craft and for that I am forever grateful.”
To Proudly Go said in an Instagram post that Barracuda was its home for over three years and 150 shows. “Barracuda took a chance on us, letting us create a totally unique experience, and helped us find our audience,” it said. “The staff at Barracuda are the kindest and most supportive people you’ll find in NYC nightlife, and the space has become our own little Starship Enterprise.”
The nonprofit will host a Blowout party to “decommission the USS Barracuda” on Saturday at 6pm, where there will be bingo, trivia and Star Trek drag from Heather Wood, Jackson Juniper and Shavonte McClinton.
A final send-off is planned for Sunday.