Must-Do: Supercinema, the Best Queer Party in NYC

The McKittrick Hotel is no stranger to the macabre, the dramatic, the dimly lit and enticingly mysterious. After all, the locale is home to the interactive Sleep No More. But the McKittrick also houses Gallow Green, a stunning rooftop bar overlooking Manhattan’s West Side, and the Heath, a high-end restaurant serving-up New American fare. Now the multi-floored building is welcoming a new late-night activity to its scene: Supercinema, a film-themed party that’s drawing an eclectic crowd of club kids, artists, and queer movie-lovers.

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending Supercinema’s Romeo + Juliet, a Valentine’s Day masquerade celebrating Baz Luhrmann's lavish cult classic. Attendees were ordered to come in costume, which could be anything from a Montague gang member wearing a Hawaiian shirt to a 1990s astronaut à la Paul Rudd. Even though it was literally one degree outside, I donned a floral resort number and headed to the McKittrick only to be greeted by a crowd of decadently disguised fellow party-goers. It was very clear from my first step inside: Supercinema drew the dedicated, spirited folk.

As anyone who has ever been to the McKittrick knows, the place is massive. Supercinema began with a music performance in the main ballroom—think strobe lights, modern dance, and a talented lead Juliet belting—before opening up to additional floors. Each level fit any mood. There was a punk-jazz-metal mashup in one room, a blues-y soul singer in another, and then the highest gathering area where party-goers could retreat for quiet conversation (and a less crowded bar). Mournful music, fog, and neon-blue crosses adorned a graveyard space, which honored those slain in Rome + Juliet, as well as the beauty of 90s Leo, whose face was projected onto the wall. 

Photo by Loren Wohl

I spent an equal amount of time on each floor before I retreated back to the ballroom where the live music had ceased and rave ensued. Professional dancers still led the night’s moves on stage, ranging in costume and affect: men dressed as doily-clad Juliets, girls held up signs demanding the crowd to kiss. A few drinks in and soon we all started to seriously embody our characters, revel in our place at this strange, liberating party where we could move and act however we pleased. Living in a city where the LGBT scene is constantly affected by hookup apps and shifting neighborhood dynamics, Supercinema felt like one of the most authentic queer parties I’d ever been to. Here it didn’t matter how you looked or how you danced. It only mattered if you were having fun. 

Photo by Jenny Anderson

Supercinema's next party, Bond—an evening inspired by those British spy movies we all know too well—will take place on Saturday, March 19. Buy your tickets here.