The former Dangerfield’s is ready to ring in the new year with a new life. As we reported in November, the new owner, comic and lawyer Mark Yosef, is throwing a New Year’s Eve party and comedy show on Sunday night.
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Yosef invited East Side Feed for a sneak preview of the club ahead of opening. He settled on the name Rodney’s, which is displayed in their new logo featuring a retro microphone on the front awning. Yosef says he chose it because it “pays homage to the old club,” but shows that it’s new. He says the vibe is “modern and updated but keeps the foundations.” That sentiment is evident in how he and designers Sydney and Skye Vanatta have decked out the interior.
While the new space keeps the cozy and intimate vibe of the original, it has a decidedly more upscale feel. An art deco theme is carried throughout with geometric wallpaper, brass finishings, and luxurious leather benches around the performance space. Guests enter the bar area, filled with soft blue velvet chairs and featuring large brass-framed mirrors. The dining and performance space has a variety of seating all centered on the stage, which sits in the same place it has for over 50 years.
They kept the original wood paneling on the walls but covered them in a coat of rich blue paint and the original lit signs indicate the coat check and restrooms. Framed drawings and photos along the far wall pay respect to some of Dangerfield’s more prominent performers, including Joan Crawford, Steve Martin, and Norm MacDonald. In its own place of honor, across from the stage, is a painting of Rodney Dangerfield himself, keeping him present in the room.
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Sunday’s opening bash also honors the former club, featuring several up-and-coming New York-based comics including Vannessa Jackson, Natalie Cuomo, Dan Naturman, and Sam Morrison. The lineup also features Larry Beyah, who wanted to support to the new club after performing at Dangerfield’s in the past. In addition to the show, tickets to the event include an open bar and midnight champagne toast. A great way to welcome a new version of an old favorite to the neighborhood.
Rodney’s is located at 1118 First Avenue between 61st and 62nd streets. Here’s the ticket link.
