Who Was Who! Club Owner Richard Hendrickson: A Personal Remembrance

By Michael Barbieri***The late Richard Hendrickson was a polarizing figure in the world of cabaret.  Loved by many and reviled by others, he made a lasting mark in the New York nightlife community.

Richard was the co-owner of Judy’s Cabaret on West 44th Street, along with cabaret performers Judy Kreston and David Lahm.  When he bought the club from the legendary Jan Wallman, he wanted to name the new space after Kreston.  She refused the honor, so he decided instead, to name it after various famous Judys, including Ms. Kreston, Judy Holliday, Judy Tenuta and of course, Judy Garland, all of whose portraits graced the walls of the club that many described as a jewel box of a room.

I first met Richard when I was between jobs as a cabaret techie.  My friend Aaron Lee Battle, a wonderful singer, called to tell me he had booked a show at Judy’s.  He said there was no true techie at the club, but asked if I’d meet him there and see if I might be able to “work a little magic” with what little lighting they had.  Richard and I hit it off almost instantly at the technical rehearsal.  He showed me the club’s bare-bones tech set up.  There were track lights with barn-doors and a sound board beneath the piano onstage, so the sound could not be adjusted once the show had begun.  Also, there was no lighting booth—the lights were on wall dimmers in the waiter’s station behind and to one side of the stage.  For Aaron’s show, I added a blood-red light which sat on the stage, aimed upwards for a mysterious, sinister effect.  At the end of the evening, Richard asked if I’d like to work at Judy’s on a regular basis.  I guess he saw something in me of which I was unaware.  That faith in me was a constant in our working relationship and subsequent friendship.

As manager and host, Richard was the face of Judy’s.  Dressed in crisp, button-down shirts, silk ties and immaculately pressed trousers, he never looked less than professional.  He was a bit heavyset, with a full head of auburn curls mixed with salt and pepper highlights and eyes that could convey serious business one moment and impishness the next.  He was usually soft spoken but could also affect a gruff tone when crossed and a campy growl when the mood took him.  Richard was also an accomplished director, having helmed all of Judy Kreston’s shows as well as “Bottoms Up,!” a wonderfully tipsy revue of alcohol inspired songs.

Now, make no mistake.  Richard could be brusque!  I mean really, really brusque!  While he was devotedly professional, he never tolerated rude or disrespectful customers.  At Judy’s, everyone was advised that if they were dining before a show, they had to have their food order in at least 45 minutes before showtime so the meal could be served and cleared before the performance began.  Oftentimes, latecomers would make a scene because they couldn’t order a full meal, but Richard would shut them down!  I remember one instance of a gentleman becoming quite incensed because he’d arrived too late to place an order.  He snatched a bread basket off another table and began hurling homophobic insults at the server.  At that point, Richard approached the customer and said, “Sir, you’re going to have to leave… NOW!!” and escorted the man out of the club.  Richard was a pro, but if you mistreated his employees… watch out!

He also had a wicked sense of humor.  One evening, as we were getting ready for a performance, he advised me that a certain singer would be attending the show.  Apparently, this singer always arrived purposely late, after the show had begun, so as to “make a grand entrance,” and draw attention to self.  He told me that when the singer appeared, I was to announce the arrival over the house mic and say, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the late __________ ___________!”  Sadly, for us, the singer arrived on time that night.  Oh, well…

In 1998, the Iroquois Hotel refused to renew the lease to Judy’s, so Richard began searching for a new location.  The following year, Judy’s Chelsea opened at 169 8th Avenue, next to the Joyce Theatre.  It was a sleek spot with a long, modern bar in the front and a fabulous, glass-enclosed cabaret room in back.  Before renovations began, Richard took me into the space and told me that he not only wanted me as technical director, but he wanted me to design the entire lighting system.  I expressed doubts that I’d be able to do it, as I wasn’t an electrician, but he told me he’d have me meet with his electrician, tell him how many lamps I’d need and where I wanted them.  Richard believed in me more than I did!

Well, I did design that system, a feat of which I was very proud. But I never could’ve done it without Richard’s trust and reassurance.  That was the thing about Richard.  If he believed in someone, they became a part of the Judy’s family.  To this day, I’m still friends with many of my former co-workers: Gaylin English, Jonathan Tomaselli, Richard Overholt, Michael Dionne and Kimlee Hicks, to name a few.  And I had the opportunity of working with many wonderful performers there: Jerry Scott, James Beaman, Leslie Orofino, Bianca Leigh, Julie Reyburn, Michael Beau, John Wallowich, Go Mahan, Richard Skipper, Michael Mcquary and so many others.  We were truly a cabaret family.

Again, because of Richard’s sometimes disagreeable demeanor, there were many in the cabaret community who disliked and avoided him.  I myself confronted him when he refused to let me “borrow” his favorite employee for a quick lighting check.  I told him, “Richard, sometimes you’re such a c**t!”  He simply turned to me, smiled and nodded in agreement!  But as churlish as he could be at work, there was no one more generous and loving once he was off duty.  He frequently bought rounds of drinks for friends and employees after work.  At last call, he’d invite many of us to his beautiful apartment, so the party could continue long into the morning.  When I won a Backstage Bistro Award, he

sponsored a huge table at the ceremony so I’d be surrounded by family.  When Scott Barbarino and the Bev-Naps, the vocal group I sang with, got a live radio spot on CBS FM’s Doo-Wop Shop, he hosted a listening party at the club followed by a surprise party for the group.  When we walked in, the entire bar applauded us!  He bought dinner at Judy’s for my entire family when they came to visit, and as a birthday present, he even got front row seats to a Charles Busch show for me and my husband.

On the closing night of Judy’s, Richard gathered all the employees at the bar, locked the doors, thanked us for making Judy’s what it was, and then we had a party.  When the night came to an end, he told us to go behind the bar and take as much booze as we could carry!  We all left with quite a few bottles!  As I said, he was generous, almost to a fault.

In October of 2006, Richard Hendrickson died at home from a heart attack, sending shock through the cabaret community and especially through the Judy’s family.  Whether you loved or hated him, there was nobody else like him, and we’ll all remember him.  At his memorial, his sister created a display of many of the decorative frogs he collected.  At the end of the memorial we were told we could take one with us.  Needless to say, I now have a little frog sitting in my living room and whenever I look at it, I’ll think of my friend Richard.

Special thanks to Kimlee, Jonathan, Gaylin, and Aracno Mike for valuable info and photos.