Matinée Rises over Gay Days!

JC Alvarez READ TIME: 4 MIN.

Orlando's Gay Days event is swiftly becoming one of the nation's biggest draws of the season! Certainly it's the practical takeover of the resorts ranging from Disney's Magic Kingdom and into Universal Studios Theme Park - visitors to the popular getaways are always eager to see what locals will make of the hundreds of gay men and women, and their friends and families that descend on some of the happiest places on earth and get their party on! And what a party it is becoming.

Among one of the bigger events this year will be the highly anticipated Matin�e Group's Ibiza Rising at Universal Studios. This year's event will be among one of the larger scale spectaculars that have become the signature of event producers Jake Resnicow, Tommy Marinelli and Patrick Crough who along with show design by Mark Baker, are promising to make this the celebration to end all celebrations. We may have survived the recent rapture, but is Orlando ready for this?

It was time to catch a Matin�e so I tracked the trio down to get the goods on their secret formula to putting what is swiftly becoming the circuit's most anticipated parties of the season. If you're going to choose a word to describe a Matin�e Group event it's easy to go with EPIC. But what sets them apart from the rest of the flock - it's just a party after all, right?

The Rise...

"Every element of these parties comes the creative mind," shares Patrick Crough. "The creative element of which becomes unforgettable," adds Tommy Marinelli. "It's about high-production value and a cool sexy sound," Jake Resnicow also offers, as Crough sums up: "I see it as our mission to provide an outlet for artists to showcase their work in a nightlife setting."

When one event promoter is able to pull off a successful night it's impressive; getting three distinct minds to connect so seamlessly that their vision is preserved is practically unheard of, but the gentlemen have been doing it well - again and again, with no signs of slowing down. Patrick says he brings "the creative touch". Jake guarantees a "total experience, better than anywhere else", and Tommy...he's the glue that keeps everything together, especially since all three are hands all with events production, conception and operations. Nothing gets by them.

"Matin�e Group has entrusted us to oversee and produce all the parties in the US and Canada." It's a responsibility to the brand that Resnicow takes very seriously. "We've brought together the best of the best in their fields." All with the promise to deliver a night beyond expectations, the Matin�e brand is singular known for crafting the most expertly charged and incredible dance explosions in Europe. "I immediately wanted to be a part of their stage production," recalls Crough, who was first exposed to the brand as a student in Barcelona. "When I first heard that Jake and Tommy were bringing the brand to the States, I knew I had to jump on the opportunity." He's since partnered up and is an Artistic Production Director. Those gymnast and death-defying aerialists that the boys have dangling from high above the dance floor action...you can bet that Crough had something to do with that.

The Experience...

And they'll continue that tradition when they bring their unique Euro-atmosphere to Gay Days on Saturday, June 4 when Matin�e takes over Universal Studios in Orlando with Ibiza Rising. "It's always a challenge to come up with a unique theme," Marinelli admits, "but that's what makes it exciting and keeps those coming back." The group is teaming up with Mark Baker, and are bringing DJ Taito Tikaro in from Ibiza to give the floor that authentic flair, and New York's DJ Hector Fonseca is sure to raise the heat. The show begins at 9pm, but who knows when the adventure will stop.

If the guys at Matin�e have anything to say about it - the party is sure to linger. "This is why I do what I do," says Resnicow, "to deliver an experience unlike any other! Mark my words...this will be one of the most talked-about parties of the year!"

Matin�e Ibiza Rising kicks things off at 9pm on Saturday, June 4 during Gay Days in Orlando's Universal Studios. Purchase your ticket packages at Matin�e Group website.


by JC Alvarez

Native New Yorker JC Alvarez is a pop-culture enthusiast and the nightlife chronicler of the club scene and its celebrity denizens from coast-to-coast. He is the on-air host of the nationally syndicated radio show "Out Loud & Live!" and is also on the panel of the local-access talk show "Talking About".

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