Meet Lady Blue, a gritty-meets-glamorous cocktail bar with a dramatic flair, named after a character in the classic show Torch Song Trilogy.
The team at HK Hospitality — responsible for House of Brews, Dolly Varden, Mom’s Kitchen & Bar, and Peachy Keen — sought out theatrical inspiration for this latest venture in hopes of minting a tribute to the area’s creative community. Already in a 1970s groove from their research for Peachy Keen, they took a deep dive into the defining plays and musicals of the era.
“We did our homework and looked through tons of Broadway showbills, inspirational Broadway quotes, famous actors and playwrights from the 1970s and 1980s,” said Patrick Schmidt, Executive Director of HK Hospitality. After stumbling on Torch Song Trilogy, Harvey Fierstein’s seminal play exploring gay identity in the early 80s, the team decided to zero in.
HK Hospitality chose one of the minor characters in the show, the torch singer Lady Blue (known as Lady Blues in the show) as the linchpin of their concept.
“We don’t want it to be too on the nose, but it’s a nod to an era of New York past without being too recognizable,” Schmidt explained. “We felt that the name would tie in well with the performing arts sector and Broadway community, while also subtly reviving the narrative of this play and this character and this piece of art that I think is not well known in today’s Broadway scene.”
Working with architectural design firm Wid Chapman (who also helped develop the brand identity at Peachy Keen), Schmidt and the team at HK Hospitality focused on crafting a moody, intimate ambiance at Lady Blue.
“We are drawing off the time period, the show and that character,” Schmidt explained. “It’s designed to be a mix of high-brow and low-brow. It’s not overly done — it’s elegant, but it’s not unapproachable.”
Following the theme of approachability, Lady Blue aims to be a welcoming watering hole to visitors and the Broadway community alike. “We hope that everyone from theatergoers to the actors to producers, crew and theater staff will come in,” Schmidt said.
And of course, Lady Blue’s main attraction is its menu of specialty cocktails and funky shareable snacks perfect for an after-show happy hour.
“We wanted each drink to have its own story — really thoughtful presentation and really fun names, ” Schmidt said, adding that some of the current offerings have theatrical names — like the whiskey-infused Thai iced tea One Night in Bangkok (Chess), while Up in Smoke (which features a mezcal and a lavender joint) is a cheeky reference to the counterculture of 70s and 80s New York.
The food menu, a collaboration between Director of Business Development Kimberly De Jesus and the chefs from their other establishments, will feature a raw bar and elevated takes on classic bar snacks — think Halloumi fries and kettle chips with caviar dip.
“We’re keeping the high-brow/low-brow mix. We’re taking something that’s very elevated and appears fancy, like caviar, but simplifying it in the presentation so that it feels approachable.”
This story was adapted from the W42ST article, "Taking Inspiration from “Torch Song Trilogy”, New Cocktail Bar Lady Blue Brings Drama to Hell’s Kitchen."