Club Cumming

Alan Cumming founded Club Cumming in his Broadway dressing room.

While appearing in Cabaret on Broadway in 2014, Cumming ran a makeshift nightclub called Club Cumming in his dressing room.[4][16] In early 2017, he and Nardicio bought out the owners of an existing bar, the Eastern Bloc, in Manhattan's East Village.[17][18][19] They partnered with that venue's proprietors, Darren Dryden and Ben Maisani, to renovate the space and open a new establishment.[4][18][20] Cumming's vision was for it to be a brick-and-mortar version of Club Cumming; he said he wanted it to be "a home for everyone of all ages, all genders, all sexualities, who all enjoy letting go and making some mischief. No judgments, no attitude, no rules, except kindness, acceptance and fun."[21][22] The neon sign bearing the club's name, which now hangs above its stage, is from his Broadway dressing room.[17] Due to Cumming's high profile, Club Cumming began attracting press months before its debut.[20][21]>[23] The week it opened in September 2017, Paul McCartney, Emma Stone and Cumming gave an impromptu performance of "Part of Your World" while spending an evening there.[14][18][24] Since then, figures including Justin Vivian Bond, Billie Jean King, Adele, Jennifer Lawrence and Vanessa Williams have also made appearances.[10][17][25]

In February 2018, it came to light that Club Cumming had not acquired permission to host live events, and it was ordered to halt its shows.[13] This was due to what Nardicio called "a rookie mistake": when he and Cumming had applied for the bar's liquor license, they had done so as an establishment without live entertainment.[13][26] The state liquor authority received complaints from the local community board, and the authority charged Club Cumming with failure to conform.[26] Cumming and Nardicio suspended the club's non-compliant events, and they asked fans and the bar's neighbors to show support by signing a petition, e-mailing the community board, or attending a board meeting.[13][26] On April 9, members of the community came out "in droves" to one such meeting; Bedford+Bowery reported that more than a dozen people spoke on Club Cumming's behalf and that the room was so crowded that people were asked to wait outside the building.[27] After hearing this testimony, the community board voted unanimously to extend the bar's licensing to cover live events, with the stipulation that such events not be ticketed or charge cover fees.[28]

Indoor seating area beside the club's murals, June 2021

Club Cumming ceased operation in March 2020, when all New York City nightlife venues were ordered to shutter due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[29] The same month, the club's weekly standup comedy show, Cabernet Cabaret, moved online.[3][30] The first installment featured comedians Bowen Yang, Pat Regan, Mitra Jouhari, Sydnee Washington, Rachel Sennott and Joel Kim Booster.[30] In April, Alan Cumming organized the Club Cumming Community Chest to support staff and performers out of work during the pandemic.[29] The Community Chest was a fundraiser in which celebrities gave memorabilia or a Zoom call to the highest bidder, and the proceeds went to Club Cumming employees.[29][31]

During the June 2020 George Floyd protests in New York City, the venue operated as a safe haven for Black Lives Matter protestors, providing shelter, first aid, and supplies like water and personal protective equipment.[32][33] Cumming donated a portion of the Community Chest's funds to Black Lives Matter, and the club, which was not in the direct path of any protests, also stored supplies for demonstrators.[29] The bar's manager, Samuel Benedict, said, "We've always had signs that say 'resist,' so us opening up our lobby for protests made sense for a lot of the patrons that our establishment attracts."[29]

In August 2020, the club, still closed, debuted a live-streamed cabaret series.[34][35] The seminal event was a two-night variety show hosted by Cumming; it featured performances by Kim David Smith, Catherine Cohen, Michael Musto, Alexis Michelle, Detox and Jill Sobule.[35] The series' schedule through the fall included artists like Sharon Needles, Judy Gold and Ute Lemper.[36][37][38] On New Year's Eve, Club Cumming held a socially distanced outdoor dinner celebration. Hosted by Kareem McJagger, the party featured entertainment by Dirty Martini, Emma Craig, Militia Vox and other local talent.[39][40] Following this, the club began to host more on-site, outdoor events, including a party to commemorate the Inauguration of Joe Biden.[41] Its Valentine's Day celebration featured Nicky Doll.[42] Since reopening at full capacity in May 2021, the venue has required proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for entry.[43]