Village People keep disco alive this weekend in A.C.

It’s a song considered de rigueur on any disc jockey’s playlist, especially at a wedding, bar mitzvah or any event that involves dancing. Even people who, as a rule, don’t dance are somehow spontaneously drawn into the fray when they hear the opening notes of Village People’s monster disco-era hit “Y.M.C.A.” 

So if anyone would be immune to the song, it would have to be Alex Briley, right? You may not recognize his name, but trust me — you know him.

From the very beginnings of Village People and continuing today, nearly 40 years later, Briley considers the song his favorite Village People hit. Briley has a pretty good vantage point to observe the pass judgment on the group. 

Since each member of Village People plays a character, Briley’s been passing himself off as an American G.I. — soldier, sailor or pilot — since the group was formed.

Of all their hits, it remains the only one that has its own choreography as people use their bodies and hands to spell out those four letters.

“I’ve enjoyed watching audiences for almost 40 years now doing the song, and it’s become one of my favorites,” Briley says.

The actual moves to “Y.M.C.A.” came from the late Mark Mussler, an original member of Village People who played the ‘construction worker’ character.

“We were on tour somewhere, and we were asked to put some choreography to the song,” Briley recalls. “And so in a hotel room in Florida one day (Mussler) choreographed ‘Y.M.C.A.’ But the actual hand movements for the song came from the Dick Clark show.”

From the moment they broke out of the gate and hit both the pop and dance charts, Village People were frequent guests on Clark’s iconic pop music culture TV show “American Bandstand.”

One time, Village People were booked to perform on “American Bandstand” and Clark asked to see the group backstage, Briley remembers. Clark introdued them to a group of young people who were big VP fans.

“They showed us the hand movements (they had developed for the song), and we liked it so much we decided to include it on the show that day,” Briley says. 

Many years later, at a concert in California, those same kids who had created the hand movements to the song came to see a Village People show.

“They were now parents and grandparents,” Briley says with a big laugh. 

That will likely be the average demographic when Briley and Village People headline a show, “A Night at the Disco,” Saturday at the Golden Nugget. Others acts on the bill include Sister Sledge, The Trammps featuring Earl Young and Rose Royce.

Briley and Felipe Rose — he’s the Native American — are the last two original Village People standing. All told, the group has gone through several lineup changes totaling about 20 different performers. 

Briley was a trained singer and actor who had performed off-Broadway and was auditioning for Broadway shows and national touring companies when he heard producer Jacques Morali, who already had created the disco singing group the Ritchie Family, was looking to create another disco act.

The Ritchie Family, an all-female trio, had several No. 1 hits on the dance charts. The new group Morali and his team were putting together would be a male counterpart (to the Ritchie Family).

The original Village People lineup was set, but before they could even record a song, one of the members decided he didn’t want to go on tour. Briley was offered the last spot in Village People.

Originally, his character was going to be an “athlete,” but Mussler — the construction worker — thought G.I. green was a better look for Briley.

“I was told to pull together some military attire,” Briley says. “Our wardrobe mistress at the time went around to most of the Army-Navy stores and put together a wardrobe for me.”

At first, he was a somewhat non-descript Army soldier. But as the year progressed — and with the hit song “In The Navy” climbing the charts — Briley decided to mix things up a bit.

He’s represented all the branches of America’s armed forces over the past 40 years. Determining which character he’ll play during any given show pretty much depends where they’ll be working, for whom they’ll be performing and the biggest intangible — how he’s feeling at the moment.

“If a show has a special theme, then I’ll try and go along with what they’re asking,” he says. “But otherwise, it’s all pretty much what I feel like pulling together at the moment. It’s my choice.”

After 40 years of touring, Briley, 70, isn’t sure how much longer he’ll remain with Village People. He says it’s still more fun than work to perform, and it’s also a great way to see the world – and get paid for it.

“As far as retirement goes, who knows?” he asks rhetorically. “It could be soon, or it could be another five years.”

"A Night at the Disco" starring Village People, Sister Sledge, Rose Royce and The Trammps, 10 p.m. Saturday at the Golden Nugget. Tickets are $49 and $59, available through ticketmaster.com or (800) 736-1420.

Around Town

Celebrity look- and sound-alikes get the spotlight in “Legends In Concert,” which is at Harrah’s Resort for select dates through Aug. 13. Tickets are $40. For days, show times or to order tickets, go to ticketmaster.com or (800) 736-1420.

Country singer-songwriter Kip Moore plays Borgata’s Event Center Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $39, available through theborgata.com or through ComcastTIX at (877) 544-8499.

Hard Hitting Productions prevents Fight Night, a boxing card at the Tropicana Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $33 and $43, available through ticketmaster.com or (800) 736-1420.

It’s audience-interactive theater at its best when “My Big Gay Italian Wedding” is at Resorts Friday at 9 p.m. Tickets are $59 and $99, available through ticketmaster.com or (800) 736-1420.

Comedian and actress Ali Wong (“American Housewife”) plays Borgata’s Event Center Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $49, $59 and $69, available through theborgata.com or through ComcastTIX at (877) 544-8499.

Former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno, now indulging his dual passions for stand-up comedy and vintage cars, cracks wise in Borgata’s Event Center Sunday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $55, $65 and $75, available through theborgata.com or through ComcastTIX at (877) 544-8499.

R & B singing star Mary J. Blige returns to familiar haunts when she headlines Borgata’s Event Center Monday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $99, $139 and $149, available through theborgata.com or through ComcastTIX at (877) 544-8499.

Singer Dave Damiani channels the music of Frank Sinatra and other artists of his era at Resorts Casino Hotel on select dates through July 30. Tickets are $15, available through ticketmaster.com or (800) 736-1420.