Chapter 5Burlesque…
The Marquee was a combination of fine dining and burlesque. The dining room was street level, but upstairs was a classic burlesque lounge called Speakeasy. It was filled with striptease, dancing, and comedy. In days gone by, when the speakeasies were hidden behind a respectable business, the secret spiral staircase might have been camouflaged to look like something else, but today it was a prominent part of the dining area. The lounge was decorated in old retro burlesque fashion, and the co-hosts, Jonny SinSin and Sassy Lassy, wrote a new show every month, each one featuring the best performers New York City had to offer. The tickets were a real steal at fifteen dollars per person.
The moment the two men walked in, the maître d’ said, “Good evening, Mr. Blackstone. I
