The Cockettes & Sylvester New York Debut at the Anderson Theatre Poster

San Francisco: Cockettes, 1971. Design by Todd Trexler. Offset printed poster. 20 1⁄4 x 25 in. Minor edge wear, else near fine. Item #5735

Poster advertising the New York debut of the Cockettes performing with Sylvester and his
Hot Band at the Anderson Theatre for three weeks in November of 1971. When the troupe
arrived in New York, the hype surrounding their East Coast debut was enormous, with
publicity appearing in New York papers and underground and A-list celebrities alike eager to
catch the troupe’s live shows.

The Anderson Theatre, a large and legitimate theater, was a far cry from the gay nightclubs
and cabarets they called home in San Francisco. Due to their anarchic, improvised, and ad- hoc rebuilt stages and lack of rehearsal time, their debut show was a notorious flop, with most of the audience leaving the theater before the performance ended. However, Sylvester performed separately as an opening act, and delivered the kind of performance New Yorkers were looking for. After the disastrous run of shows, Sylvester officially cut ties with the troupe and set out on his own.

A rare poster documenting the beginning of the troupe’s decline and the start of Sylvester’s successful solo career.

Price: $1,250.00