The most creative and outrageous personalities in NYC attend a lavish and intimate gathering to celebrate The Prisoner Wines and the joy of creativity.
For one night only, The Prisoner Wine Company and nightlife icon Susanne Bartsch turned The Chapel, an intimate bar space near Gramercy Park, into a playground for the creative and inspiring.
The atmosphere felt unusually exclusive and personal, with The Chapel’s main bar being at once cozy and spacious: a central dance floor lined with seating and small tables shook to the music. Look up and you’ll encounter a soaring ceiling of wood beams and metal, anchoring a massive, glittering chandelier with what seems to be a thousand pieces of glass. It felt of another time, rich in texture and mysterious allure. In the corner, a DJ plays everything from whatever is trending on TikTok to disco classics. At the semi-circular bar, drag queen CT Hedden and designer Kristina Kiss rule over the scene, sitting on the counter, caressing bottles of The Prisoner Wine and snapping photos with a tongue-in-cheek seriousness. It’s just the kind of dry humor and individuality that Susanne Bartsch craves and thus, curates for her parties.
Now in her third decade of crafting NYC nightlife, Susanne’s secret to success has been to celebrate eye-popping personal style and rich personalities. She found the ideal companion in The Prisoner Wine Company, which has always shared a vision of personal creativity and expression.
© 2021 Scott Rudd
For the Prisoner Wine Company
Along with snacking on a selection of charcuterie boards that left no edible leaf or berry unturned, guests and performers like Ruby Fox, Michael Musto, Michael Ghould, and so many others enjoyed sipping on a suite of The Prisoner wines, including the cherry and spice-forward Pinot Noir, The Prisoner’s lush Cabernet Sauvignon, with its taste of blackberries and cocoa, and finally a 2019 Chardonnay, with its infusions of apples and toasted oak.
Of course, it wouldn’t have been a Susanne Bartsch event without a moment of performance, inspired by the traditions of “follies”, found in the early club settings of England and France. Guests witnessed the astounding, practically acrobatic talents Lazlo Major, who toured a dance pole from every angle and pose, as well as Aquaria’s top-notch performance of a lip sync- now a true legend after winning the 10th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race competition. Additional performances included live vocals and dancing from some of Susanne (and New York’s) most treasured personalities. Storm Marrero brought the house down with her very remarkable performance of “I Put a Spell on You” and Joey Arias spoiled one guest with a dance.
Aquaria © 2021 Scott Rudd for the Prisoner Wine Company
Learn more about The Prisoner Wine Company here.
