Daniel Nardicio courtesy of Gregory Kramer from “The Downtown Project”
Why is Daniel Nardicio the king of Gay NYC nightlife? We’ll give you five reasons gay men pack his parties and show up for his stars.
Impresario Daniel Nardicio is one of the reasons New York’s gay nightlife burns so brightly. That includes in NYC where his exploits include co- creating the performance-fueled Lower East Side nightspot Club Cumming. Meanwhile, he was also becoming the social director of NYC’s unofficial gay summer camp with successful parties in Cherry Grove’s Ice Palace.
Nardicio has worked to put major stars in front of gay audiences, including Liza Minelli, Chita Rivera, John Waters, Margaret Cho, Justin Vivian Bond and the late, great Carol Channing. “I’ll say that being gay doesn’t define me, but man does it make me happy,” Nardicio tells Metrosource. “I recently said to a friend: ‘Can you imagine telling your scared, unhappy gay teen [selves] what life would become?’ It’s so effing marvelous. The creativity, humor and silliness of the gay community continually astonishes me.” His star-studded memories include a recent series of days with Chita Rivera spent “laughing, dining, READING people — it was divine!”
Nardicio has also now parlayed his partnership with Alan Cumming into Club Cumming Productions. Their goal is to bring more LGBTQ stories to the big and small screens. “There are so many stories I want to see told, and most are part of our community. I strongly feel that thru entertainment you can really reach people and open their minds.”
Nardicio lists among his role models Michael Fesco, who passed away this year after a lifetime spent giving gay men a place to gather. “He was a great promoter, creator and a kind man, who hasn’t really gotten credit for all he created: Fire Island’s Ice Palace, The Flamingo, he started the concept of Tea Dances for so many things Michael is responsible. And the other is Daddy himself, Johnny Dynell.”
And when we asked what Nardicio’s recipe is for the perfect party, he told us. It’s one ounce hot guys, two ounces good club music, a dash of nudity, two shots of eclecticism and diversity, NO BITTERS (only friendly staff) and a secret ingredient. What’s the secret? A healthy portion of high-brow yet low-brow aesthetic, he says. Lucky for us all, Nardicio keeps pouring generously.
Find out what’s going on at Club Cumming.
Want Metrosource LGBTQ content notifications? Sign up for MetroEspresso.
Read Next | Finding a Great LGBT-Friendly Therapist or Counselor in NYC
Start your engines, and try to control your excitement as a fresh new set of…
Planning a family vacation can often feel like navigating a maze with all the logistics,…
23 years ago, Metrosource published “A Gun in the Closet,” an article recounting the lives…
I remember the anticipation like it was yesterday, even though it was 24 years ago.…
Listeners of Sirius know John Arthur Hill for his weekly, witty repartee and queer comedic…
At press time, Paris is set to host its biggest event ever when an estimated…
Leave a Comment