NEW YORK — Blame it on the ghosts of Studio 54: Those raucous souls who packed this infamous disco back in the 1970s and ’80s thrived on drama—so it’s no wonder that some 30 years later the opening of 54Below, a hot new supper club tucked in the basement of the old nightspot, has been a little…bumpy.

“We were flying by the seat of our pants,” admits Marcella Anise Smith, 54Below’s general manager and beverage director — and a Houston-area native.

Even before its debut in June, the place was being touted as Broadway’s next late-night hangout. A new spot—hipper than Sardi’s, easier to get in than hush-hush Bar Centrale, and more affordable than the uber-pricey Café Carlyle—where theatergoers could come post-show for a drink and a bite to eat; where actors could relax after performances; and where singers and musicians could test out new material.

Broadway legend Patti LuPone was slated to be the first major headliner to play the club, and Smith wanted the place running like clockwork. But construction was still under way right up till opening, which meant Smith’s wait staff couldn’t train in the actual space.

And you’ve heard the term “now we’re cooking with gas?” Well, executive chef André J. Marrero wasn’t—thanks to delays with the local utility company.

“With such a high-profile opening, you wanted everything to work just perfectly,” says Smith.

Stressful? Sure. But, hey, she admits, it sure beats working at On the Border.

Getting her start in Houston

Smith was raised in the small cotton-farming community of Needville in Fort Bend County. She and her sister competed in barrel racing, both straightaway and cloverleaf events. But by the time she attended Houston Community College, small-town life was too small-time for Smith, and she hit Houston as much as she could, hanging out at punk and heavy metal hotspots like Fitzgerald’s and the now closed Emo’s in Montrose.

Her work resume was equally eclectic—with stints as a pool hall cocktail waitress and at On the Border (“terrible…terrible…terrible,” she recalls).

With dreams of becoming an actress, Smith went on to get a theater degree from University of Arkansas. She married a theatrical sound designer and moved to New York. A few roles came her way, but stardom wasn’t in the cards. Instead came two kids (Hazel, now 5, and Silas, 2) and a job at the French Culinary Institute, where she worked as a server, bartender, and then general manager. She became certified as a sommelier and began to harbor new dreams of opening her own restaurant—a casual neighborhood place with fresh ingredients.

Then came the call from 54Below—and the chance to be on the ground floor (indeed, the basement) of a hot new startup.

You're hired; now Go!

Clack-clack-clack, buzz-buzz, whirrrrr. Smith was hired late in the process, amidst all the hammering, sawing, drilling, with just two months before opening. A slew of elements still had to be decided—glassware, uniforms, cocktails.

And everywhere you turned, Broadway industry heavyweights were overseeing it all. A quartet of producers (Tom Viertel, Marc Routh, Richard Frankel and Steve Baruch) own the place, set designer John Lee Beatty created the ornate interior, Ken Billington designed seductive lighting, and lyricist Scott Wittman (Hairspray, TV’s Smash) serves as creative consultant—all Tony Award winners.

“It was kind of this mad scramble,” she recalls.

The result is a louche, subterranean speakeasy. Bootlegger chic décor—plush leather banquettes, red lampshades, a tin ceiling—enhances the menu of old-timey drinks (Gin Rickey, Moscow Mule) and food (yes, the gas was finally switched on), from fried oysters to a mouth-watering roasted rack of lamb. (Executive chef Marrero’s previous gigs include notable New York restaurants like DB Bistro Moderne, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Perry Street and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the Four Seasons Hotel.)

Besides the headliner talent and upscale cuisine, the club also offers “The Green Room,” when the space converts to a post-theater lounge with live music and smaller menu, and “Backstage,” an open mike session for singers (from pros to up-and-comers) hosted by Broadway vets like Avenue Q’s Ann Harada.

IT’S 54, 2.0

Back in its disco- and cocaine-fueled days, Studio 54 was awash with celebs—Liza Minnelli, Calvin Klein, Andy Warhol, even a CLEARLY-they-weren’t-carding pubescent Drew Barrymore. Today, the ole 54 is a theater, and the new supper club underneath aims to be luxurious “but not so exclusive that people get turned away,” says Smith.

The place is intimate. No table is further than 24 feet from the stage. And when LuPone debuted her new cabaret show—created with Broadway’s Wittman and composer/orchestrator Joseph Thalken, featuring a variety of LuPone hits plus a collection of bawdy, haunting songs by Kurt Weill and others—it quickly became the hottest ticket in town.

Other headliners on 54Below’s calendar include popular Broadway stars Rebecca Luker and Marin Mazzie, longest-running "Phantom” Howard McGillin, icons Ben Vereen and Leslie Uggams, a special return engagement of LuPone in September and Smash’s Megan Hilty in December.

And that’s not the only performing going on.

“Restaurant management is a lot like being onstage—but it’s you out there, not a character,” says Smith.

On any given night at 54Below, you’ll find her on the floor, interacting with customers, talking up the wine. “You’re giving customers a show the entire night, and trying to make them feel special,” she says.

“You create an amazing experience,” she adds, “and people will come back."