Key Westers pride themselves on always thinking outside the box. So when Joey Schroeder, owner of the LGBT favorite Bourbon St. Entertainment Complex, was brainstorming about a gay-themed event that would mirror the New Year’s Eve “ball drop” in New York’s Times Square, he came up with a fabulous idea.
The lovely Sushi, also known as Gary Marion, hangs in a giant ruby slipper above the Duval Street crowd before a past New Year’s Eve “drop.” (All photos by Rob O’Neal, Florida Keys News Bureau)
Joey decided to build an enormous, ruby-red high-heeled shoe and lower a drag queen in it (yes, an actual drag queen!) from the second-floor balcony of his Bourbon St. Pub/New Orleans House Complex at 724 Duval St. to welcome the new year.
And while Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz” might not recognize the super-sized ruby slipper, she (and her little dog too) would surely be impressed by the one-of-a-kind celebration Joey created.
On New Year’s Eve 1997, Sushi, a beautiful young queen experienced in the art of “geisha drag,” climbed into the gigantic red high heel for the first time.
This year’s Dec. 31 will mark the 20th anniversary of that night — and as she has done 19 times before, Sushi (also known as local resident Gary Marion) will climb over the balcony railing in a gorgeous gown to preside over the New Year’s Eve festivities. (FYI, she’s an expert seamstress who designs and constructs her dresses for the celebration, and every new one is more amazing than the last.)
Each year, Sushi carefully settles herself in the eight-foot-long red high heel dangling some 15 feet above Duval Street, smiles and gives a “queen’s wave” to thousands of cheering New Year’s Eve revelers below.
Key West’s Duval Street is jammed with revelers outside the Bourbon St. Pub watching Sushi descend in her sparkling high-heeled shoe.
While waiting for midnight, she offers witty commentary and presides over world-class entertainment on a street-level stage.
This year’s extravaganza will be co-hosted by local entertainers “Just Jeff,” Bria and special celebrity guest host Austin Armacost, best known for Logo TV’s “The A-List.”
The evening leading up to the actual “drop” will include a stage full of beefy, chiseled male dancers, performances by colorful drag queens, and numbers by other stunningly talented entertainers.
When midnight approaches, Sushi will grip a fat bottle of champagne and be lowered from the balcony in the shoe, reaching the ground as the clock strikes 12, and pop the champagne cork — accompanied by an explosion of confetti, laser lights and wild applause from the crowd.
I will never forget one year when the pulley system malfunctioned and the shoe wobbled alarmingly during its descent. However, Sushi managed to keep her composure as she held on for dear life, still making sure not to spill one drop of champagne or (heaven forbid) break a nail.
I hope you can join us for this year’s joyous event — which has become so famous that excerpts have been broadcast worldwide on CNN.
Sushi toasts New Year’s Eve revelers early Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, after the iconic red shoe drop. Event founder Joey Schroeder is at left.
If you get lost in Key West on the way there, just remember to cross the street “somewhere over the rainbow” (rainbow crosswalks, that is, installed by the city at the intersection of Duval and Petronia streets) and look for the big red shoe dangling high above the pavement.
Street viewing of the lavish entertainment and the red shoe drop is free for all Key West visitors and residents.
For a VIP experience, check with New Orleans House to see if any tickets are still available to experience the celebration from the balcony of the popular complex, complete with libations and catered appetizers.
But no matter where you watch the fun, when you first spot that giant ruby slipper, chances are good that you — like Dorothy and Toto — will suddenly realize that Kansas is a very long way away.
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