Studio 54

The Studio 54 was a mythical Discothèque of New York, located on the 54e street, in an old theater then studio of television of CBS. Created by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, assisted by Carmen D' Alessio, it was open between April 1977 and March 1986. Studio 54 saw passing all large the stars of the moment and was a high place of the New Yorkean scene underground. It had quickly acquired an international statute and the reputation of larger nightclub of all times . The diffused music was mainly Disco.

At the time of the evening of inauguration, Carmen d' Alessio, known for its address book, sent: 5000 invitations throughout the world with largest the stars of the moment, with a gift personalized for each one of them. The event was announced in the press by simple “it will do without something enormous”. Crowd was so numerous to precipitate at the entry that several celebrities whose Mick Jagger and Frank Sinatra did not succeed in reaching it.

Steve Rubell had the idea to bring together on the same track of dance the largest stars and more “in” monsieurs and Misses “everyone”. Of true great floods of people invaded the entry each evening, in the hope to be likely immense to be selected (E) by the gatekeeper to join the track. Steve Rubell, which gave its true heart to the discotheque, was famous to be pitiless at the entry. Sometimes it sometimes happened to him to leave its limps almost vacuum with more: 5000personnes at the entry, for the simple reason that in its eyes, it was preferable to have one evening almost empty rather than to let enter only one badly equipped person. The group Chic made of it the experiment (cf Anecdote) This known as, the discotheque was the three quarters of time full to crack. Quasi impossibility of entering there at this point was known, that when that they created the Blue jean Studio 54, the slogan was Now everybody edge get into Studio 54 : “Now, everyone can enter Studio 54” (in the jean!)

Temple of the Drug without complex, the désinhibé sex and all excesses, it was the only place at the time where it was decent to be let go completely. The last balcony (vestige of the old theater) was reserved for the sexual meetings, and the first square VIP of the world (the cellar of the studio), was soaked even with acids, Cocaïne and LSD that the remainder of the box. For example, it was current to make fall from the balloons of the ceiling, with a little cocaine inside. The Cocaïne fell then literally from the sky and it was enough to explode the balloons!

At the time of a severe searching the night of the 31 December 1979, revealing an tax evasion quantified to 2,5 million dollars of the time and the distribution of all kinds of drugs to the personnel and the customers, Rubell and Schrager were stopped and constrained with closing. That put an end to the 33 months more the demented people of the History. One will find later more: 750000 $ in liquid and an important quantity of cocaine inside the walls of the Studio. They nevertheless were authorized to organize a last evening of Good-bye called off “The End Modern-day Gomorrah” the 4 February 1980. The studio was repurchased for 4,5 million dollars by the owner of restaurants and dance halls Mark Fleischman and was reopened the 12 September 1986. However, the heart of Studio 54 had evaporated and success was not any more with go. It closed definitively its doors in 1986.

This discotheque became a true model for all the large discotheques of the world which followed. The mixture of the stars and the anonymities, cruel filtering at the entry, squares VIP, the bath-tubs of champagne, the attitude No limit … were born with Studio 54. They had even already understood that to refuse certain stars at the entry was good for the notoriety of the Studio. Rubell had even been until driving back accustomed box, such as Cher, because this evening, they had made one or the other error of taste.

Studio 54 is also a film of Mark Christopher carried out in 1998 with Salma Hayek and Ryan Philippe, it recalls the great stages of legendary Studio. Badly accommodated at its exit, as well in the rooms as by criticisms, the quality of film was recognized later and it was distributed in VHS and DVD.

Anecdote

Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers of the group Chic was invited to the evening of the new year (1978) by Grace Jones. Arrived at the entry of the discotheque, the watchman does not let them return, under pretext which it is about one evening private. Our two members rétorquent that they were invited by Donna Summer, but the Cerberus does not fold. Our two unfortunate returns then on their premises irritated and starts to compose a song entitled off Fuck . They find the song good and decide to re-elect it Freak out . The title will make way until becoming the famous song Freak . The latter will be one of the largest tubes of the group, symbol of the music disco music.

False idea

The first used plays of lights on a track of dance is not Studio 54, but Régine, Studio 54 knew to make good use of it and improved the concept by exploiting it to the maximum.

Today

Studio 54 was recreates in hotel-casino MGM Grand of Las Vegas, the largest hotel of the world.

External bonds

The supplements website & online shop for Studio 54

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