What is Menagerie NYC?
Menagerie NYC
Menagerie NYC invites you to be drawn into the surreal…a cabaret varieté of the absurd awaits your transformation into insta-voyeur. Produced by D. Webb Designs, the elusive show is cultivated under the creative artistic direction of its official mascot, Shady Lady AKA Debbie Despina Cartsos. Merging the worlds of couture fashion and dance, Menagerie NYC is a carousel of delights in a circus-like atmosphere. These events offer guests an immersive escape from the mundane, as well as an opportunity to reconnect to our humanity through supporting communities in need.
Menagerie NYC has a zero tolerance policy for harassment, unwanted touching, homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist, ableist, or ageist behavior. We reserve the right to ask you to leave if you behave in any way that is making our guests or our performers feel uncomfortable. Please keep a respectful distance and enjoy the show.
Menagerie NYC Team
Debbie Despina Cartsos
Executive Producer
Artistic Director
Costume Designer
Leonidas Cartsos
Co-producer
DJ
Fire Marshal
Donna Eileen Manalo
Graphic Designer
Content Writer
Creative Consultant
In the Beginning…
Menagerie d’Arte was co-founded by Dalia Carella, international dance artist and Artistic Director of the Dalia Carella Dance Collective (DCDC), and Debbie D. Cartsos, stylist/designer/dancer and founder of D.Webb Designs. The original show format fused theatrical dance styles from the 1920/30s cabarets of Berlin and Paris with contemporary and world dance and blended dark comedy with an avant garde flair. Debbie Despina’s extensive design and styling artistry added an edgy, sophisticated, and current aesthetic to the program, bringing human fashion installations to life and merging the worlds of couture and dance. Initial productions presented DCDC world premieres of “Le Jardin” (music by Andrew Bird) and “Game Show” (music by Beats Antique), DCDC repertory works from 2009, and choreographies from some of the finest world dance artists in New York City curated by Ms. Carella.
Predicting that the show was ready for evolution, Ms. Carella asked Debbie Despina Cartsos to guide its metamorphosis, and Ms. Cartsos assumed full artistic direction of the show as of December 2022. Menagerie d’Arte has re-emerged as Menagerie NYC and will continue to provide immersive experiences featuring NYC’s finest talent. Menagerie NYC plans to collaborate again with Dalia Carella and DCDC for future theatrical productions.