The 2015 Mermaid Parade

Today is the first day of summer!

Yesterday the Mad Marchioness and I launched the season in the best way possible: by being judges in the 33rd annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade, produced by Coney Island USA. I attended my first Mermaid Parade in 1989; the experience, which was fairly life changing, inspired my play Sea of Love and made me a lifelong fan of Coney Island. I've lost count of how many times I've attended the parade over the years. I don't go every year, more like every four or five. But yesterday, despite the rain (and resulting diminished attendance) was without a doubt the most enjoyable since the very first. It's like a convention of all New York's freaks, artists and weirdos, burlesque performers, drag queens, musicians, designers...and by this late date I've come to know so many of them! It is a Bacchanal in the literal sense: ceremony, celebration and real-time hallucination.

When we first arrived, the weather boded ill.

Fans of Dick Zigun, founder of the Mermaid Parade and Coney Island USA and the unofficial mayor of Coney Island. I directed Dick's play Dead End Dummy at CIUSA last fall. 

We are oriented by Chief Justice Mark Alhadeff. 

The one and only Reverend Billy, performance activist and a fellow judge.

Dick Zigun leads off the parade.

King and Queen of the parade, Julie Atlas Muz and Mat Fraser!

Bambi the Mermaid (in the blue hair) and friends.

The Hungry March Band!

Mermaid Parade judges survive on an elaborate system of bribes (normally in the form of liquor, candy and baked goods. The Marchioness scores some from friend Rich Lovejoy).

Three Time Best Mermaid Kate Dale, whom we had the privilege of working with on Dead End Dummy. 

The Sexcamaids, featuring our friend Gyda Arber (not pictured)

Mexican folk dancers representing Dona Zita tacos.

International sideshow star Heather Holliday, spotted by the Marchioness's eagle eye.

The always beautiful Kat Mon Dieu.

Post-parade speechifying.

The ceremony of opening the sea for the summer season.

Afterwards we stopped by Coney Island USA and the Freak Bar. There wasn't a prayer of getting inside due to the crowds but we did see our friends The Great Fredini and Lefty Lucy. 

Naturally....there was about 5,000 times the spectacle on view at this wonderful event -- these are mostly snaps of friends, colleagues and acquaintances. For the rest, just Google it!