SINGALONG WITH XXX AT PORN STAR KARAOKE, EVERYONE JOINS IN.

Byline: EUGENE TONG

Staff Writer

BURBANK -- Tuesday night at Sardo's is Porn Star Karaoke, a weekly gathering of marketing managers, writers, technicians, casting agents -- and of course, performers -- of XXX.

It's "Cheers" meets "Boogie Nights," where colleagues in the trade unwind over bravado versions of "Mack the Knife" and The Pussycat Dolls' hit, "Buttons."

"It's the adult family-fun friend vibe, as opposed to being suited and booted in 'Follywood,'" said Tee Reel, a performer and director, on a recent visit. "I don't have to be 'on' coming in here."

Tod Hunter, who has written about the adult-film industry for about a decade and is a Tuesday night regular at Sardo's, sees it as another in a long line of traditional industry hangouts where colleagues trade gossip and good times over drinks.

"Everybody's got one," he said. "This just happens to be ours. If it wasn't Sardo's, we would've wound up someplace else."

One Tuesday night, alcohol, song and friendly mingling were center stage. The only obvious connection to the industry were the porn videos offered as prizes in the ladies-only limbo contest and several casually dressed performers who wouldn't be out of place at a mall.

"I can hang out with a few people in the industry and not be overwhelmed," actress Flower Tucci said. "It's a little place on the outskirts of Porn Valley."

But a special event could mean an overflow crowd in the parking lot. Organizers recently hosted a party for Adult Video News award nominees and a bondage theme night. Notable XXX names like Tera Patrick and Ron Jeremy have visited, along with mainstream Hollywood celebrities like Richard Dreyfuss and Mickey Rourke, said Seymour Satin, Sardo's general manager.

"When you want to see movie stars, you go to Jerry's (Famous) Deli," he said. "When you want to see porn stars, you come to Sardo's."

Constance Le, one of the original members of the karaoke club, said it began when she met some other porn industry veterans at Sardo's to indulge in their shared passion for song and performance.

"It was a marriage between attention whores and attention whores -- same people," said Le, who works behind the scenes at the adult-video label DVSX, for which she is an occasional director. "People in the industry, we all seek attention one way or another, and this is just another way to get it."

Tuesday nights were usually slow, and Satin welcomed their business. He realized it had become a phenomenon on the second week when word got out and more than 80 people showed up.

"The week after, it was 100," said Satin, a former corporate librarian turned XXX karaoke impresario. "We know we hit a milestone after the first year."

The early days were pretty wild, including abundant public displays of affection, Le recalled.

"It got to the point where they had to put little slips of paper on all the tables stating the rules -- like no nudity. The same rules still apply."

It's more mellow nowadays -- Le is usually front and center, mixing with a few dozen industry regulars, while the usual barflies and curious civilians look on. When he's not singing "Rainbow Connection" in the voice of Kermit the Frog, XXX screenwriter George "Fozi" Kaplan sits with two women, new performers in the business.

"A lot of business, I'm sure, gets done here -- meetings, castings, accidental castings," said Le, who has hired someone she met here for a shoot.

Plus, it beats any industry party.

"Your typical porn party is a real pain," Le said. "You've got to get all hoochied-up. Here, it's chill. There are no egos here."

eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(color) Seymour Satin, left, general manager of Sardo's Bar, sits with adult actress Flower Tucci.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer