VICE PALACE (2011)

“VICE PALACE: The Last Cockettes Musical” is loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe’s hallucinatory short story, “The Masque of the Red Death,” and the even more hallucinatory 1964 Roger Corman film of that name starring Vincent Price. It also gives a stylistic nod to the early 1960s films of Frederico Fellini, specifically “La Dolce Vita” and “Juliet of the Spirits”. VICE PALACE was originally written as a vehicle for Divine and actress Mink Stole (best known as stars of cult-director John Waters’ films), and The Cockettes. Originally produced as a “Nocturnal Dream Show” and performed at midnight at the old Palace Theatre in Chinatown on Halloween weekend of 1972, VICE PALACE was the fabled and fabulous Cockettes’ final stage presentation. The Thrillpeddlers revision features selections from other Cockettes shows including “Les Etoiles du Minuit,” “Journey to the Center of Uranus,” and “The Circus of Life.”

“VICE PALACE: The Last Cockettes Musical” is directed by Russell Blackwood, and original Cockette and composer Scrumbly Koldewyn is the Musical Director. Costumes by Kära Emry, lights by Nicholas Torre, sound by Chris Paulina, and make up coordinator Kegel Kater. Composer Scrumbly Koldewyn plays piano for all performances of “VICE PALACE: The Last Cockettes Musical.” Thrillpeddler and San Francisco favorites will be featured in this new production, including: Leigh Crow (Divina), Flynn DeMarco (Goldoni), Birdie-Bob Watt (Vagina Dentata), Steven Satyricon (Niccolini), Eric Tyson Wertz (Bella), Ste Fishell (Tonio), L. Ron Hubby (Madame X), T.J. Buswell (Paulo), James Toczyl (Polo), Russell Blackwood (Lucretia), and making his Thrillpeddlers debut as Ricciolini is Joshua Devore. Best known as former porn star Tober Brandt, Mr. Devore (aka Brandt) was named Best Fetish Performer at the 2009 GayVN Awards.