Studio 54 Retro

THE HISTORY OF

- A Legendary Cultural Icon -

Waiter TJ Walsh & Busboys, Doug Koulis and David C., Celebrating New Year's Eve at the 54
Photo: Miestorm - NYC ("The Busboy Photographs: Souvenirs of Studio 54")

The club still stands where it always has at 254 West 54th Street in New York City. Many believe the famed club was torn down after the IRS raid December 1980 for tax evasion, or at least after the club's final closing in 1986. After WKTU-FM's Last Dance Party in 1996, it was indeed scheduled to be torn down and the Cyberdome built as an entertainment complex by day and dance club by night. Thankfully, the deal fell through and Studio 54 remains! Yes, not to worry, Studio 54 still lives on! It is not currently a public entry dance club, but private parties and special events take place there. Gloria Estefan and Gloria Gaynor performed there spring & summer '98, sponsored by New York's WKTU Radio 103.5. When WKTU-FM made is debut in February, 1996, as well as '70s music stations all across the nation, it once again proved that Disco Music is alive and well and stronger than ever! Of course, for those of you with ears, we don't have to tell you that! Many people are discovering, or rediscovering, the magic that is Disco and its glorious heyday.

Jody Watley Tearin' Up The Stage At A Recent
WKTU-FM 103.5-Sponsored Concert Performance At Studio 54 - Quicktime Video

The original Studio 54 building is currently host to the Broadway musical "Cabaret," and they have an open-end lease on the property. However, we have high hopes for the Grand Re-Opening of the club, possibly sometime after 2000. To get a glimpse inside the infamous club, check out the Miramax film, "54." It is currently available on video (film released August 28, 1998) starring Mike Myers as club co-owner Steve Rubell. Writer-director Mark Christopher recreates Studio 54 in this story about a young bartender who works his way up through the coke-addled ranks of nightclub heavies. Salma Hayek, Sela Ward, and Neve Campbell are also part of the star-spangled cast. Don't miss it...all you'll need is the price of a video rental get past those velvet ropes!

Mike Myers as Steve Rubell In "54",
The Miramax-Produced Film Currently Available On Video

Studio 54 is a legend, and no other club will ever be like it. It is truly the mother of all clubs. The building itself is history. The decor and architectural style of its balconies, ceilings, columns, and artwork speak for themselves...and whisper of the never-to-be-forgotten parties they bore witness to. The building used to be home to the old CBS TV studio that housed 'What's My Line', as well as many others, so the building itself dates way back.

The NightLords of 54! The reasons Studio 54 finally closed down (in 1986) can't actually be simply summed up. Mr. Fleishman purchased the club, with Steve & Ian functioning as consultants only after returning from prison. The Disco craze was coming to an end, with the notorious anti-Disco movement led by Chicago DJ Steve Dahl. AIDS had come into the public consciousness, putting a damper on our "wild ways." The "elite" crowd that frequented the club before the "big bust" were, I suppose, afraid of bad press and/or implication regarding their drug use, promiscuous activities, and so on. A kind of shadow just eventually fell over the place after Steve & Ian had gone to prison for tax evasion and drugs. The criteria for entry became much more lax and was drawing a different kind of crowd under the Fleishman ownership. That also rather turned off the former inner circle, as it was no longer really "the place to be seen." Given all this, Mr. Fleishman claimed to be "burnt out" after owning/running it after 4 years.

Keep in mind, Disco and the culture of the '70s, as well as popularity of the infamous 54, are back with a veangance...at least for a trendy term. As a matter of fact, there has even been interest expressed by private investors in RE-OPENING STUDIO 54 AS A DANCE CLUB sometime around the year 2000. You heard it here, my friends, and you heard correctly! Write us at studio54retro@hotmail.com and we'll forward your interest and support to the potential new club owners! Let them know you want the 54 back!!!

To learn more about Studio 54, pick up a copy of "Studio 54: The Legend" by Anthony Haden-Guest which features 116 priceless photos of the partygoers and the partying at the sizzling nightspot. I personally love this book! It details stories such as one Halloween when two Lady Godivas were kept outside but their horse was allowed in. "The Last Party: Studio 54, Disco, and the Culture of the Night", also by Anthony Haden-Guest, offers the most intimate and telling portrayal of what really went on within the walls of this infamous nightclub, and is equally worthy of adding to your collection. Another recently-released book, "Fabulous: A Photographic Diary of Studio 54," by Bobby Miller features 144 pages of exclusive (and sometimes shockingly candid) club photos including countless celebrity shots. This is yet another must-have collector's item you won't want to miss out on! Go ahead and indulge yourself all 3 books -- you'll save plenty over those bookstore prices and they'll be delivered right to your door!