Forget Hunky Jesus, this week in San Francisco, it’s the legendary Cockettes who are staging a Second Coming.
Labeled by John Waters as “the first hip drag queens,” the genre-bending troupe first emerged in the wild world of 1960s SF. But they brought their merry madness to the 21st century with Pearls Over Shanghai in 2009. A collaboration with local theater troupe Thrillpeddlers, Pearls was originally slated to run for six weeks but quickly turned into a two-year stage phenomenon. And the San Francisco theater scene has never been the same.
Continuing in that tradition, Thrillpeddlers recently announced the extension of Hot Greeks, a musical reproduction of the Cockettes’ 1972 show of the same name, at SoMa’s Hypnodrome. Opening back in March, the show blends Greek tragedy with a campy take on frat-film favorite Animal House.
And thanks to a string of sold-out performances, Hot Greeks will drag out until May 19.
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Click on through for more photos from Thrillpeddlers’ Hot Greeks
Hot Greeks runs at the Hypnodrome on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm. Photos: Thrillpeddlers
Photo: Danny Nicoletta
Photo: David Wilson
Photo: Danny Nicoletta
Photo: Danny Nicoletta
Pete
I hope that this group using the name of the original Cockettes is half as good as the originals, who were totally original and incredible. In the late ’60’s and early ’70’s, the Cockettes performed free, then started charging $2.00 for their sold out shows in North Beach and Castro, in San Francisco. Then the group split in two (both were wonderful) one remained free, the other charged 2 bucks. Look up their entry in Wikipedia as well as the clips on youtube. The really sad thing when you see the youtube clips is to realize that almost all of them died of AIDS, all these wonderful, creative, nice people. The founder of the whole thing was Hibiscus. He pioneered the idea of drag performers with fully masculine beards. What a hoot. Many of them were really well built, but the inspiration of the lyrics, the costumes,
the whole concept created an unseen before sense of gay community that took over not only San Francisco, but also served as one of the big attractions of the huge gay migration there from all over America. I think many guys will remember the big sign on Castro Street that greeted all the new arrivals daily, “Welcome Home”. What an era. For a really good sense of these times, look at the picture filed web site put up by “Uncle Donald”, thecastro .net You will see it in all its glory.
Larry
@inriqueinglesias69: you young fags need a little of that tolerance you demand from the rest of the world. if it weren’t for people like the cockettes and the stonewall drag queens you would not be living in homo tolerant world you live in…besides, no matter how perfect you think you are now in 15 years the kids are going to be turning up their noses at you