Last weekend I had the pleasant surprise of stumbling upon Diva Royale, which takes place at Divine NYC (at Stage 48) in Hell’ Kitchen. Since I enjoyed the show so much, I wanted all of our readers to see what they are missing out on. Diva Royale is my new most-see event.
Featuring celebrity illusionists at their best, Diva Royale is hosted by Gary Dee as Joan Rivers along with guests Adam Guerra (Venus D’Lite of RuPaul’s Drag Race) as Madonna, Jason Cozmo as Dolly Parton and Liza Minnelli, Luis Richards as Celia Cruz and the legendary Jose Luis as The King of Pop, Michael Jackson!
I did not plan to catch this show, but as I was dropping off magazines to Viva at Stage 48 for their weekly Saturday club night, I wa asked if I wanted to see the show and have dinner. Despite my busy schedule, Big Ben insisted I see it. And I sure am glad I did. I went up the elevator with two cute boys who would turn out to be dancers in the show, performing on stage with each act. Looking around the audience, there were apparently a few birthday celebrations going on in the crowd, including celebrity illusionist Donna Maxon, aka the Divine Bette Midler.
I sat down and ordered my dinner and drink right before the show started with Liza Minnelli promptly at 9 p.m. Liza really turned it out. Then she handed it over to Joan Rivers to introduce the res of the cast to the stage. I would like to go on about the show, but it’s best if you go see it as I did with no expectations. The delicious food came about 20 minutes into the show. After one quick hour, a delicious dinner and a drink, I had heard many of my favorite songs and saw one of the best shows I have seen in a long time, the likes of which you would only find elsewhere in Vegas. About five minutes after the show, the performers came out to the bar area and greeted their new and familiar fans.
The show just opened about a month ago. It is very intimate, with about 100 patrons in a comfortable restaurant setting with a good size stage right in front of the seating area (there is not a bad seat i the venue). With the nightclub under Divine NYC and the Famous Z Bar Rooftop Restaurant above, this show has space to grow into. The prix fixe menu is affordable—almost too good to be true! The show is one hour, so even the busiest person in New York has time to see it. It’s a good thing it’s on the third floor, because Jose Luis as Michael Jackson could have blown the roof off Stage 48. Stay tuned: We will be featuring more on the cast soon!
Diva Royale
Thursdays & Fridays
Dinner during the show.
Show starts at 8:30 p.m.
Saturdays
Dinner during the show
First show starts at 6:30 p.m. Second show starts at 9:00 p.m.
Sundays
Brunch during show
Show starts at 4 p.m.
Stage 48
605 W 48th Street New York, NY 10036
For reservations, call (212) 714-8000 or (212) 502-1111.
nycdivine.com
