Crains New York - October 22, 2012 - (Page 29)

HELLUVA TOWN INSIDE Bang the gong The Cutting Room, the hipster hangout and performance space that shuttered in January 2009, will soon reopen in cushy new digs at 44 E. 32nd St. The Gong Show Live will be one of the venue’s first acts. It will launch a monthly run on Nov. 1, provided the club gets permission from the city to open by then. “We’re just waiting on paperwork,” said owner Steve Walter. Three years ago, Leslie Gold— aka the Radio Chick—bought the rights to Chuck Barris’ 1970s TV show featuring quirky contestants with sometimes dubious talents. Ms. Gold has poured about $100,000 into the live variety show. “The Gong Show was the Source Breakfast An ex-banker talks Wall Street reform PAGE 30 Out and About The Big Apple Circus is back PAGE 31 TRICK OR TREAT: Kevin Ryan of Gilt Groupe expects the whole office to don costumes for the holiday. first to put real people on TV and allow them to humiliate themselves,” she said. In her version, actors re-create characters from the original show, like Gene Gene the Dancing Machine. She has also developed new players like Cultured Kramden (above), who recites Shakespeare. Ms. Gold, who plays the part of a judge—along with comedians Chuck Nice and others —is hoping that Gong Show Live will turn into an Off-Broadway cult hit, à la Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, and even find a home in Las Vegas. She’s open to a partnership with an experienced theater type with deep pockets. “This is new territory to me,” she said. “A smart partner could save me time and stakes in ultimate development.” —valerie block Three strikes? The owners of Chloe’s Soft Serve Fruit Co. hope the adage “Third time’s the charm” rings true for them. In just two years, the company, which has two stores in the city, is on its third name. The dairy-free frozen dessert, made from puréed fruit, filtered water and organic cane sugar, started out as Simply Peeled. Its latest incarnation refers to cofounder Chloe Epstein, a healthconscious mother of three. “We had a challenge explaining our product,” said Chief Executive Michael Sloan. “We believe that adding a name is more personal.” The multiple monikers haven’t thrown some fans. Earlier this year, New York Knicks star Amar’e Stoudemire signed on as an investor, along with Marquis Jet co-founder Jesse Itzler. The company raised $2.5 million this year and plans to expand its wholesale business. Having Mr. Stoudemire on board will certainly help. So will the influence of another investor, retail guru Jay Margolis, a former president of Reebok International. —lisa fickenscher The Haunting BY MONIQUE EL-FAIZY ith Gilt Groupe CEO Kevin Ryan’s track record of building companies (he had taken DoubleClick from 20 employees to 1,500 by the time it was sold for $1.1 billion), there’s bound to be a fair amount of speculation surrounding his current endeavor, which offers online flash sales of luxury goods and services at steep discounts. How much is it worth? (Recent estimates put the valuation at $700 million.) Is he prepping for an initial public offering? (The company isn’t “specifically planning” one, but it’s “quite possible” it will go public at some point, Mr. Ryan said.) Is he planning to sell? (“We’re open to anything.”) It could be years before the answers to these questions become clear. ¶ Within the company, though, it is the location of the annual Halloween party that garners the most guesswork this time of year. Mr. Ryan holds that detail close to his vest, revealing it only weeks before the event. ¶ Halloween reigns supreme at Gilt, and, indeed, at any company where Mr. See HALLOWEEN on Page 30 Ryan is at the helm. “It’s my favorite holiday of the year,” he said. “It’s so W BOO! PERCENTAGE of Americans planning to celebrate Halloween 71.5% PROJECTED Halloween spending this year Source: National Retail Federation October 22, 2012 | Crain’s New York Business | 29 istock $8B buck ennis For tech mogul Kevin Ryan, Halloween is bigger than Christmas. And his office party is legendary. An obsession explained

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crains New York - October 22, 2012

Crains New York - October 22, 2012
In the Boroughs
In the Markets
The Insider
Business People
Opinion
Greg David
Report: Real Estate
Real Estate Deals
The List
Digital New York
Classifieds
For the Record
New York, New York
Source Breakfast
Out and About
Snaps

Crains New York - October 22, 2012