Joseph “Spartacus” Lucas is a teacher by day and lives in Hollywood. “TiburOn” Eccles lives in Jupiter, but most know him as a shark diver who hosts diving tours near Fort Lauderdale. Jimmy “Poseidon” James and Evan O’Sheehan — both Hollywood residents — serve as part of the city's ocean rescue team. And Afa “Tarzan” Michelsen, from the Kingdom Islands of Tonga, performs as a Polynesian dancer at Fort Lauderdale's Mai-Kai alongside Lono “Honolulu” Hanohano of Hawaii.
This isn't just another group of incredibly buff South Florida men. They're real, live Aquamen — and the stars of the first-ever male mermaid burlesque show at the world-famous Wreck Bar Lounge in Fort Lauderdale.
They're also part of the reason the B Ocean Resort has decided to launch yet another show; the hotel lobby bar's Sirens & Sailors performance. Described as a sensual aqua ballet experience, the weekly show officially launches at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3.
Originally conceived as part of the Yankee Clipper hotel, the Wreck Bar was made to resemble a Spanish Galleon at the bottom of the sea complete with Spanish lanterns, a mermaid-styled patina, portholes, and stained-glass. Weekly swim shows took place at the Wreck Lounge until 1965 and were revived when Marina Anderson— AKA MeduSirena — and her pod of aquaticats reintroduced the shows in 2006.
The Sirens & Sailors programming addition comes thanks to the Aquamen's increasingly popular late-night, all-male aqua burlesque show. Since its February launch, the request for additional shows has been overwhelming, says Anderson, who designed the new performance which aims to merge all the Wreck Bar shows into one fantastical performance.
The series features solo figure swimmers or ensembles wearing everything from full-dress to the show's famous, fantastical fishtails. The acts, duets, and themes evolve with each show, and no two are alike. The weekly show is adults-only (21 years of age and older) and offers guests the opportunity to participate in a meet-and-greet with performers.
While watching the show, guests can sip on the bar's signature cocktails like the Siren's Soda ($14), a combination of Malibu rum, Absolut lime vodka, coconut water, and soda — alongside a menu that covers everything from tapas-style sharing plates with meat and cheese boards to salads, burgers, and lobster salad sliders ($18). In addition, B Ocean's Naked Crab restaurant is also available to bar guests. The menu specializes in seafood and shellfish towers ($50 to $98) in addition to main courses like Dungeness crab risotto ($30) or a bouillabaisse pot pie ($40).
The Wreck Bar's weekly calendar of live events includes the Thursday underwater burlesque Aquamen show at 9 p.m., family-friendly mermaid shows at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 10 p.m. adult-only burlesque shows, and Mermaids & Mimosas Brunch shows from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. To make a reservation, call the Wreck Bar at 954-245-3836 or email [email protected].
The Wreck Bar at B Ocean Resort. 1140 Seabreeze Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-245-3836; boceanfortlauderdale.com.