Photos: Guilty Pleasures Cabaret Dazzles NYC Streets with SIDEWALK SPEAKEASY

On Saturday May 22, 2021, Guilty Pleasures Cabaret, a song & dance company bringing a modern take to vintage cabaret, presented "Sidewalk Speakeasy" - filling 75th street on the Upper West Side with New Yorkers anxious to see live theatre. The open-air performance transformed the block into a cabaret theatre full of music, dance, comedy, and drag as part of the city's Open Culture program - an initiative to invigorate the live performance art scene that has stood still for over a year.

The spectacle featured classic GPC acts performed by company members: Andrea Palesh, Annie Ester, Bridget Bose, Giorgia Vitali, Gregory Levine, Jesse 'JesShe Wintermute, Julia Goretsky, Melissa Buriak, Melissa Cammarata, and Shannon McGee; and a variety of guest performers including: singer songwriter Jackson Sturkey, burlesque dancer Madame Lyoness, drag queen Ellie, guest choreographer Hayden Withers with his dancers Taylor Tucker and Hope Jamieson, and producer/rapper JAM : ALI.

The show drew over 200 audience members who looked out windows, sat in scaffolding, and filled the street with buzz and excitement. "It was simply magical" states Co-Director and Producer Bridget Bose, "there's nothing quite like shutting down a New York City block to perform for a live audience after over a year of no live performances."

"The joy on people's faces was unforgettable," says Andrea Palesh, the other Co-Director and Producer of Guilty Pleasures Cabaret. "People stopped to look, then stay for an hour long show. We definitely plan on producing more outdoor events like this."

For more updates and information, visit GuiltyPleasuresCabaret.com.