Alegria in Wonderland, Alegria Pride 2009

We slid down the Alegria Rabbit Hole shortly after three a.m.-and when we landed on our feet, we had to stop. We had to STOP-right where we were and take it all in: the cacophonous adrenal rush of sliding into Alegria in Wonderland at warp speed. So much to discover, as Alice might have said: the caterpillar perched atop the humongous mushroom, oversized tea cups and saucers (with Alegria tea bags-Drink me!), a double-spout tea pot-and a huge pink Cheshire cat whose grin illuminated the recesses of M2 like a crescent moon over Manhattan. We'd slipped through the looking glass and landed in Wonderland.

Forty years since Stonewall and ten Alegria Prides-and surely, this year's edition, Alegria in Wonderland, will long be remembered for the superb execution of its brilliant theme. On the mushroom-strewn stage was Ric's Alegria corps of crazy danseurs, including a tranny Alice, as well as the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter, while every barback and boy in house was the Jack of Diamonds and the King of Hearts.

And when Tony plated this summer's already-crowned anthem, "When Love Takes Over," as Ross Berger sent the mirror ball shards dancing over the crowd, there was little question that everyone at Alegria in Wonderland was lifted into a state of transcendent bliss.

The joy of Alegria Prides is in their genius in celebrating what has brought us together from all around the globe: the joy, the alegria, of being proud of who we are. Recently, we found ourselves at this very same club on a non-Alegria night-and truly, it was eye-opening to realize anew how much this club is transformed into something sui generis on an Alegria night. From two Alegria first-timers, one text message said it all: AMAZING. Yes, it was-and there's a certain kind of pride in bringing newbies into the Alegria fold.

Alegria doing It properly

Even Alice would have had to admit, Alegria in Wonderland was packed with a surfeit of eye candy and delectables-and as if that weren't enough, these boys, these men, were nearly unfailingly friendly and polite (as well as frisky as the White Rabbit). There's a business model at work here: treat the boys right and the boys behave well-and Ric Sena serves it up. From the obligatory patdown at entrance, right through to security, maintenance, and MedEvent staff, Alegria in Wonderland was one splendidly catered affair.

And just who was there? For starters, Rich Campbell and George Dellinger and Patti Razetto and Ari Gold-as well as every single last contestant on the Mr. South Beach Hottie Show, including Omar Gonzalez and Alan T., and Josh and Doug, and Matt, and Hilton and Mel, and Billy and Luis, and Chris Harris and Richie D. and Joe Caro-and about two thousand others with grins as wide as the Cheshire cat who circled above the floor.

And as Tony segued from his wondrously charged set into an intro for songstress Deborah Cooper who took the stage, the crowd sang "Pride (A Deeper Love)" and "Do It Properly"-while overhead, confetti bombs exploded, blanketing the crowd with a Technicolor blizzard.

Thereafter, it was Abel in Wonderland. As Nurse had shared with us earlier,
"So I told Abel, not like we've having sex or anything, but I want it hard and deep, and he said, 'I can do that, baby.'" And how hard and how deep was it? Enough to make that White Rabbit work even harder.

Completely shiny and new

One of Abel's many production strengths is his ability to take apart a familiar song-often one of his own, one that he's made a circuit staple-and strip it down, piece by piece, whereupon he polishes and oils and lubricates, before rebuilding the song again, so that the old familiar song becomes something completely shiny and new, racing on entirely new pistons.

And meanwhile, his counterpoint in complicity, the Tweedledee to Tweedledum, lighting wizard Ross Berger, utilized every color in his surreal palette to create a psilocybin hallucinogen of psychedelia.

Few parties can lay claim to what Alegria does so well-and that's the celebration of joy, the unbridled joy of dancing with abandon in celebration of who we are. As displayed by the playing cards arrayed across the tessellated backdrop, Alegria in Wonderland was most decidedly a royal flush.