Ah, the memories of The Melody Burlesk and The Harmony — my home away from home when NYC was still NYC! I wonder what ever became of my favorites such as porn star Susan Nero, Heather (from Florida), Tabu (a Russian girl), and the owner that made all of this possible, the fabulous and funny, Dominique Anthony.
Ah, memories of a NYC that is no more! The Melody Burlesk, which opened in 1979/1980, was the birthplace of what is now known as lap dancing. Back then, it was called Mardi Gras or smoochie-camoochie. Jim and Artie Mitchell got the idea of lap dancing after visiting the Melody and being floored at the wild action was going on. Porn legends such as Seka, Bambi Woods, Candida Royalle, Desiree Couseteau all headlined there as feature dancers. Bob Anthony and his wife, Dominique ran the place. It moved from West 48th to 17th St. then to 22nd St. and finally settled at Church Street, under its new name the Harmony Theatre. Dominique haad to shut the place down sometime in the late 1990s thanks to Mayor Rudy’s anti-smut campaign. Some of the dancers that worked the place ranged from Susan Nero (porn actress) to Maria Krupa (daughter of the late, great jazz legend). When it was the Melody, there was a guy named Frenchy who was its greatest patron and was there every single day. And I’ll never forget once when there was a sign above the men’s bathroom sink threatening bodily harm to whoever was swiping the hand soap! In all of its incarnations, the place remained friendly — with a club house feel. Everyone behaved themselves. It was fun, nutty, with a range of women for all tastes— from young and beautiful to fat and old. I went there as a teenager and stopped going in my early 30s, when its doors shut for good. Ah, I miss the old NYC!
Ah, the memories of The Melody Burlesk and The Harmony — my home away from home when NYC was still NYC! I wonder what ever became of my favorites such as porn star Susan Nero, Heather (from Florida), Tabu (a Russian girl), and the owner that made all of this possible, the fabulous and funny, Dominique Anthony.
Ah, memories of a NYC that is no more! The Melody Burlesk, which opened in 1979/1980, was the birthplace of what is now known as lap dancing. Back then, it was called Mardi Gras or smoochie-camoochie. Jim and Artie Mitchell got the idea of lap dancing after visiting the Melody and being floored at the wild action was going on. Porn legends such as Seka, Bambi Woods, Candida Royalle, Desiree Couseteau all headlined there as feature dancers. Bob Anthony and his wife, Dominique ran the place. It moved from West 48th to 17th St. then to 22nd St. and finally settled at Church Street, under its new name the Harmony Theatre. Dominique haad to shut the place down sometime in the late 1990s thanks to Mayor Rudy’s anti-smut campaign. Some of the dancers that worked the place ranged from Susan Nero (porn actress) to Maria Krupa (daughter of the late, great jazz legend). When it was the Melody, there was a guy named Frenchy who was its greatest patron and was there every single day. And I’ll never forget once when there was a sign above the men’s bathroom sink threatening bodily harm to whoever was swiping the hand soap! In all of its incarnations, the place remained friendly — with a club house feel. Everyone behaved themselves. It was fun, nutty, with a range of women for all tastes— from young and beautiful to fat and old. I went there as a teenager and stopped going in my early 30s, when its doors shut for good. Ah, I miss the old NYC!