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Ziegfeld's/Secrets was a dual-themed nightclub in
SWDCBlog
The nondescript building was all black with a neon pink "Z/S" above the door. The new venue maintained the theme of twin bars, now divided by two levels: drag performances on the first floor, with all-nude male dancers upstairs. Leading lady Ella Fitzgerald continued to perform at Ziegfeld's.
Official website
{{coord, 38.86746, -77.01047, format=dms, region:US-DC_type:landmark, display=title LGBTQ nightclubs in Washington, D.C. Strip clubs in the United States Male erotic dance Defunct LGBTQ nightclubs in the United States
Ziegfeld's/Secrets was a dual-themed nightclub in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, with Ziegfeld's featuring drag queen
A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses Drag (entertainment), drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate Femininity, female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have ...
s, and Secrets featuring male stripper
A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at private events.
Modern forms of stripping m ...
s. The entertainment venue first opened in 1980, was forced to close in 2006, then reopened in a new location in 2009. The second location was closed permanently in 2020.
History
Originally located at 1345 Half Street SE, the circular venue was divided by a wall with a shared bar in the middle and connecting doors. The Ziegfeld's side of the venue featured a large stage adorned on either side by a giant silver high-heeled shoe. Each weekend the "Ladies of Illusion" show was hosted by the venue's staple drag queenElla Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...
, with two performances on Fridays and Saturdays, and one on Sundays. The shows lasted approximately an hour and featured five drag queens doing various performances for packed crowds.
On the Secrets side of the venue, there were fully nude male dancers (catering to a mostly gay
''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'.
While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...
male crowd). It was one of the few venues in the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
where male strippers
A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at private events.
Modern forms of stripping m ...
danced fully nude.
In 2006 the property was seized by the District of Columbia via eminent domain
Eminent domain, also known as land acquisition, compulsory purchase, resumption, resumption/compulsory acquisition, or expropriation, is the compulsory acquisition of private property for public use. It does not include the power to take and t ...
and torn down, along with many other gay-oriented businesses, to make way for the new Nationals Park
Nationals Park is a baseball stadium along the Anacostia River in the Navy Yard (Washington, D.C.), Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals. Since its completion in 2008, it wa ...
baseball stadium.
The closing of the bar, compounded with the loss of several nearby LGBTQ businesses, was met with outrage and disappointment. Many were concerned whether the bar could find a new location. Under District law, businesses with a liquor license that permitted nude dancing could only relocate within their current zoning district or in a central business district. The new location would also have restrictions on proximity to residences, churches, and schools.
Second location
Ziegfeld's/Secrets reopened at 1824 Half St., SW, Washington, D.C., a few blocks southwest of its former location. The transfer of its liquor license to the new location was approved, and the club set a "grand opening" date of February 13, 2009."Drag Queens to Inaugurate Southwest Venue,SWDCBlog
The nondescript building was all black with a neon pink "Z/S" above the door. The new venue maintained the theme of twin bars, now divided by two levels: drag performances on the first floor, with all-nude male dancers upstairs. Leading lady Ella Fitzgerald continued to perform at Ziegfeld's.
Closure in 2020
While shuttered during thecoronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, Ziegfeld's announced the venue had been sold, and the business would not reopen.
See also
*List of strip clubs
This is a list of notable strip clubs, both active and defunct. A strip club is a venue where strippers provide adult entertainment, predominantly in the form of striptease or other Erotic dancing, erotic or exotic dances.
Strip clubs Multinatio ...
References
External links
Official website
{{coord, 38.86746, -77.01047, format=dms, region:US-DC_type:landmark, display=title LGBTQ nightclubs in Washington, D.C. Strip clubs in the United States Male erotic dance Defunct LGBTQ nightclubs in the United States