Therapy (New York City)

Therapy
Logo
The venue's exterior in 2020
Map
Address348 West 52nd Street
LocationHell's Kitchen, Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Coordinates40°45′50.6″N 73°59′12.9″W / 40.764056°N 73.986917°W / 40.764056; -73.986917
Public transit
OwnerTom Johnson
Type
Opened2003 (2003)
ClosedMarch 2020 (2020-03)
Website
therapy-nyc.com

Therapy was a two-story gay bar and nightclub in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It hosted frequent drag shows, some of which featured performers who later rose to prominence on RuPaul's Drag Race.[1] The venue was a favorite Monday-night stop for Broadway actors, who sometimes participated in the club's shows. Like other New York City nightlife establishments, Therapy was ordered to close temporarily in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In July of that year, the venue's owner announced that it was unlikely to reopen, citing financial troubles.[2] Therapy's atmosphere, drink selection, food and entertainment have generally received positive remarks from critics.[3][4]

Description

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Therapy was located at 348 West 52nd Street in Manhattan, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. It was directly across the street from Industry, another gay nightclub.[5] According to Time Out New York, Therapy's interior was characterized by "two levels of slate floors connected by a dramatic staircase, crowned with a massive skylight. Mellow pop, house and techno play at the perfect level, allowing for both conversation and grooving."[3] The club served food and featured live entertainment most nights.[5][6]

According to Gothamist, "[Therapy contained] seating and full bars both upstairs and down, as well as music videos projected onto a screen in the upstairs area."[5] As of mid-2019, it hosted drag shows five nights a week.[6] Many of the clientele were tourists drawn to New York by Broadway musicals, whose cast members also frequented the bar.[7][8] Celebrity participation in "Stage Fright", the Monday-night drag show hosted by Marti Gould Cummings, was not uncommon.[9] Thrillist's Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner wrote of the show: "Broadway stars like Michael Longoria, Ann Reinking, and Tamyra Gray [were] unafraid to compete for attention and perhaps suffer some deprecation at the hands of a quick-witted drag queen in this sprawling lounge."[8] A 2017 New York Times article counted Adam Pascal, Alice Ripley and Michael Cerveris among other Broadway names to appear on stage with Cummings at Therapy.[9]

History

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Therapy was established in a duplex in Hell's Kitchen in 2003.[6][10][11] Over the years, the bar's drag shows were hosted by several performers who went on to appear on RuPaul's Drag Race, including Peppermint, Sahara Davenport, Bianca Del Rio, Bob the Drag Queen, Monét X Change and Jan Sport.[1][10][11][12] Other prominent drag queens, including Sherry Vine, also had shows there.[10] Among Therapy's popular weekly shows was "Sunday Services", a church-themed performance starring Lagoona Bloo, Jackie Cox and Kizha Carr.[13]

The club briefly closed in late May 2019 due to structural issues with a neighboring building, which had to be partially demolished.[14][15][16] Two weeks later, on June 14, Therapy was permitted to reopen.[17]

COVID-19 pandemic and closure

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Photograph of the exterior of a building
The bar's exterior, August 2020

In March 2020, Therapy again closed down when New York State nightlife venues were ordered to shutter due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] The venue's co-owner, Tom Johnson, said he opted not to offer outdoor dining or to-go drinks when those services became permissible, because doing so would have brought in only 30–40% of the usual revenue, which would not have been sufficient to compensate staff.[1] He also said that operating at half-capacity to abide by social distancing regulations would leave the establishment unable to cover operating costs.[11]

Citing these and other financial difficulties, Johnson announced in July that the bar would likely remain closed for good.[7] Eater New York reported that "Johnson holds a glimmer of hope for Therapy's revival but isn't sure if the financial fallout from the pandemic will allow it". He told the publication, "It's great if people want to come together and invest in Therapy at some point ... I want nothing more than for all of this to go away, but I don't see that happening anytime soon."[7]

Reception

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In his 2015 list of "the best gay bars in Hell's Kitchen" for Time Out New York, Ethan LaCroix wrote: "Drinks like the Freudian Sip (Ketel One Citron, fresh ginger and lemonade), served in a nice big tumbler, are sure to leave you feeling blissfully worry-free at this cocktailcentric space. But it's the impressive venue that draws young neurotics."[3] A review by Gothamist staff reads: "Therapy is the quintessential Hell's Kitchen hot spot and it has it all: comfort food, dancing, two levels and polite cocktail servers. Just avoid the nasty DJs, who do not make any song requests!... It's a spacious venue with an easy crowd; I'm always pleased to be invited there."[5] On a 2019 list of New York City's 16 best LGBTQ bars for Thrillist, Kyler Alvord said:

This may not be the best Therapy for social anxiety, but if you're soothed by Absolut-forward cocktails in plastic cups and hundreds of sweaty guys pressed up against you, start your treatment at this HK lounge. DJs, live music, and drag entertainment make this place a party nearly every night of the week. Visitors here have planned a night out and are laser-focused on fun.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Krisel, Brendan (July 21, 2020). "Therapy, Gay Bar Favored By 'Drag Race' Contestants, To Close". Midtown–Hell's Kitchen Patch. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  2. ^ Cook, Michael (July 29, 2020). "'With Tears In Their Eyes' New York City's Therapy Closes Their Hell's Kitchen Doors". Instinct. ISSN 1096-0058. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c LaCroix, Ethan (July 19, 2015). "The best gay bars in Hell's Kitchen". Time Out New York. ISSN 0049-3910. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Alvord, Kyler (May 21, 2019). "Best Gay, Lesbian & LGBTQ Bars in NYC Right Now: Queer Nightlife Spots". Thrillist. Group Nine Media. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d Gothamist Staff (March 11, 2014). "A Guide To NYC's Gay Bars". Gothamist. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c Tracy, Matt (June 4, 2019). "Therapy Temporarily Closes". Gay City News. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d Warerkar, Tanay (July 20, 2020). "Trailblazing Hell's Kitchen Gay Bar Therapy Is In Danger of Closing Permanently". Eater New York. Vox Media. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Kravitz Hoeffner, Melissa (April 16, 2018). "The Best Places to Catch Live Drag Shows in New York City". Thrillist. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Musto, Michael (February 28, 2017). "Gay Bars and Broadway: They Go Together". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c Keyes, Jeffrey James (May 31, 2018). "Our List of the Top Gay Bars in New York City". Metrosource. ISSN 1529-935X. Archived from the original on May 9, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  11. ^ a b c Savage, Rachel; Lavietes, Matthew; Anarte, Enrique (May 13, 2020). "'We'll die': Gay bars worldwide scramble to avert coronavirus collapse". Reuters. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  12. ^ "21 of the best LGBTQ bars in NYC to party at right now". AM New York Metro. May 19, 2019. Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  13. ^ Bergeron, Ian-Michael (October 15, 2019). "Sunday Services". Get Out! Magazine. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  14. ^ Broverman, Neal (May 31, 2019). "NYC Gay Bar Therapy Closes After Nearby Building Deemed Unstable". The Advocate. ISSN 0001-8996. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  15. ^ Kacala, Alexander (May 31, 2019). "A Popular New York Gay Bar Just Closed Its Doors, and the Reason Is Pretty Messed Up". Instinct. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  16. ^ "Popular Hell's Kitchen Bar, Farmers Market Close Due to Unstable Building". NBCNewYork.com. WNBC. June 6, 2019. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  17. ^ Therapy NYC [@therapy_nyc] (June 12, 2019). "BIG NEWS!!!! We REOPEN THIS FRRRRRIIIIDDDDDAYYYYYYYYY!!!! 🌈❤️🌈❤️🌈❤️🌈❤️🌈❤️🌈❤️🌈❤️🌈SEE YOU AT 5PM and then POP UP SHOWS ALL NIGHT!!!" (Instagram post). Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021 – via Instagram.
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